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[JUT]

Hello all,

Think I may have a slight problem with my omega... only had it a few weeks but have noticed the rear window getting very slimy and the wiper not clearing it. At first I put it down to the roads being greasy after a fairly long dry spell, but on closer inspection, turns out the back of the car is getting covered in oil. And it seems to have gone through at least 3 litres of it in the last 1,000 miles!!! Seems to drive fine though, and doesn't appear down on power and is still returning reasonable economy - well, seems reasonable to me (bearing in mind my other car is a V8   ), about mid 20s on a 2 litre auto estate sound about right for mixed (brisk) town and motorway driving?

Anyway, I only bought the car as a workhorse, and I don't intend to spend a fortune on it putting it right. I'm just wondering if there is anything obvious I should be looking for that might explain this problem, or whether the engine needs to come apart to sort it?

Cheers

[TheBoy]

Sounds like wear in engine. How many miles has it covered?

[JUT]

66k, according to the clock. But it didn't come with much in the way of a service history so I don't know how genuine it is. Condition of the car seems to suggest it's probably genuine though.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Is there oil on the underneath of the car/engine, could be as simple as a badly leaking rocker gasket..

[JUT]

Doesn't seem to be, and would that explain why I have oil on the back window?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Sounds likw a buggered ring...can you do a compression test?

[JUT]

Don't have the tools myself but know a man who does... what's the best bet in the mean time, keep topping it up with 20w50 to minimise the loss?

[Matchless]

The estate tailgate window seems to be a magnet for any oil leaks.
I take it that it is a 2.0 ? Check around the cam cover for any oil leaks and at the bottom of the steel breather tube which is back right hand as you look at engine. Its likely that the breather system is choked up and the resulting crankcase pressure forces oil out wherever it can...
The steel breather can become completely blocked, unbolt it from the crankcase to check.
The small breather pipe stub on the cam cover can block as does its rubber pipe and the connection at the other end...to either inlet manifold or throttle assy depending on year.
The large breather pipe can collapse internally, easy to check.

If breathers are OK and no obvious leaks at top of engine then check around gearbox - engine joint. There are a couple of holes where you can see the forward face of the flywheel. if this is wet then rear crank seal is leaking.

Otherwise it could be a broken piston ring but i would have thought you would see exhaust smoke with the oil use you report.

Is the engine noisy / rattling under load when cold?

[JUT]

I haven't checked the breathers, that's got to be first on the list.

I would have thought I'd see smoke too if the engine's seriously poorly but it doesn't appear to be smoking at all, very odd.

[miked]

What does the exhaust look like, that amount due to engine wear should be resulting in an oily exhaust pipe?

[JUT]

Exhaust pipe doesn't seem to be oily... job for the weekend is to strip and clean all breather pipes etc and the ICV (occasional lumpy idle / hunting revs too) and see if that has any impact...

[rhydV6]

Checked rear diff and cv boots etc for leaks???

[JUT]

Checked rear diff and cv boots etc for leaks???

No, but how would this explain the engine going through 3 litres of oil in 1,000 miles?  

[Ghosts in my machine]

I've had this on a Landrover in the past. Was a knackered piston ring(shattered and embedded into piston). Couldn't seem to keep oil in the engine, but no sign of a leak on the engine (which on a Landrover usually means big trouble!). Just a black rear door.

Didn't really notice drop in performance as it was V8, except on steep hills and there was no smoke from exhaust when idling. There may have been a mist of oil coming out at speed, but you wouldn't really notice that until you go to open the back door and become a member of the "Black hand gang!" [smiley=grin.gif]

The expert types on here may be able to answer this though - Wouldn't the engine management system on an Omega pick up an oil pressure problem if a ring was buggered.