How can I reduce how much oil my car burns?

I have a crappy little 91 ford escort, and it burns oil like nobody's business. I have to top it off every time I get gas.





Is there a certain viscosity of oil I can use that will help? Will shifting earlier or later make any difference? The engine has a tendency to overheat...would fixing that help?How can I reduce how much oil my car burns?
Use higher viscosity oil.. Viscosity is a rating sort of like ';thickness'; 20W is heavier than 10W, - 30W is heavier than 20W etc.---! Since summer is 'upon us';, - you could run 40W or possibly even 50W oil! Also you could try a ';thickener additive'; like STP! I would start by putting it with the same viscosity you are now using first though!





If you have little pools of oil where-ever you are parked, -possibly you are leaking a lot! You could try ';Stop It'; available at WalMart - (in with oil additives and carb -injector cleaners)--and lots of other places sell it also. It is supposed to stop all those little ';seepy leaks'; that seem to occour as car gets older! Costs about $4.60, - so it won't waste much if it doesn't work! However this will not ';fix'; torn seals on crankshaft, - (or camshaft -- if it has pulley for belt outside block area!)





Now about the ';overheating probelm';,.-- whether you get it to ';burn'; less oil, or not does not matter here, -- if it overheats enough (and often enough) it will blow the headgasket, and then you have a non-driveable car!!





Yes overheating could cause it to ';use more oil';-- the hotter it gets, the ';thinner it gets';, -- at about 500 degrees, it is same consistency as water! Which of course is going to ';squirt between worn rings, and valve seals, and valve guides like mad! All these things contribute to ';oil burning';!! It will aso squirt out of bearings of crank and rods, - making it wear quicker than usual, (and have very low oil pressure!)





Start out by checking to see if pressure cap is good if it runs right temperature ';most of the time'; it probaly is not thermostat causing problem! Make sure cooling fan is working properly! Check to make sure radiator is clear of leaves and other kinds of garbage! High pressure air, or water from engine compartment out will push stuck stuff out in reverse to how it came in! Wouldn't hurt to check and see if PCV valve isn't plugged up too! This could cause high pressure inside crancase and push more oil into rings etc!





Have any mechaincal ability? Check Craigs list and find one with bad transmission (or wrecked), and swap out engine, -- These cars have both engines and transmissions notoriously bad, (or maybe it is the people that drive them) Anyway transmissins go bad often. Engines go bad because people don't change oil often enough and they have weak oil pickup system that colggs up with sludge-- causing bearings to go bad! *** I see ones in my area selling for as little as $100-- sometimes for free (if you will haul it away)! Even if it costs $200, - scarp will bring about $75, - as scrappers getting about $200 a car for metal! If you end up with good engine, -that is cheap job (using your labor to do job)!!How can I reduce how much oil my car burns?
Overheating would not contribute to your engine burning


oil. You have a serious oil leak somewhere. Look under


the car and you might see where it's coming from. It could


be something easy as a loose oil filter. There are some


additives you could use, but it sounds like the leak is too


severe.
if it burns it theres nothing you can use to fix it but rebuilding... and anytime you a over heating problem your saving your car some time.. but your car is shot im thinking
just get some of that stop smoke additive that you put in your oil, it makes your oil thicker