Hi All

My 89 340 has developed an alarming thirst for oil, I checked less than 2 weeks ago and the level was in between the two markers but this morning it was all gone .

Last time I checked it looked as thought mayo was starting to form on the oil cap. It is trailing oil when I drive but I cannot see any specific point where it is coming out.

Nice car as she is, I am thinking it is time for the great scrap heap in the sky.

She had a transfusion today but I think she will bleed out soon.

Any suggestions before I turn of the life support as to any areas where it could be coming from.

I don't fancy taking her to garage, as this will be more than she is worth.

Thanks

James

Hi James,

Chances are it`s nothing serious - if it drips constantly even when not running, it`s probably the seal on the sump nut - new washer.

If while the engine is running, could be the oil filter seal or the rocker cover gasket - both cheap and easy to fix (use genuine Volvo bits for these - they actually are better)

Basically you need to look around and under the car while it`s running and try and see where it`s coming from. A bit of a clean up first will help

Check that the crankcase ventilation sytem is clear - if there is a build up of pressure, oil can sometimes blow out from the most unlikely places.

You can get a bit of mayo if you use your car for mostly short trips - it`s often just condensation. There`s been some in my car of late but a 400 mile motorway blast at the weekend has sorted that.

DONT SCRAP IT!!!!

Hope this helps

Will

Mayo is a sign of oil and water mixing. That could be due to condensation (lots of short trips, or a general lack of use), but it's also a classic symptom of a head gasket failure. None of the 300 series engines are famed for this though, so I think its more likely to be the condensation that Will mentioned.

Source that oil leak - sounds like a ferrocious one! Also are you measuring your oil when cold, or warm? It's important to do it consistantly, whichever method you use. Personally, I measure when cold.

If you do decide to trade up, a friend has a 79 262c for sale - I think it was you who mentioned that it was a 'dream car' a while back...

cheers

James

"None of the 300 series engines are famed for this though"

I don`t know about that one Foggy - in my experience a 1.4 head will bend quite quickly and blow the gasket if overheated. Could just be my bad luck though.

Most of the spares in my boot are for the cooling system.......

Will

mm, I've heard of this happening on a few early 340 1.4s where the tiny radiator was really quite inadequate particularly if it gummed up at all.

The newer ones used the same size radiator as the 1.7s.

In fact, our 1.4 always has the trouble of running too cool. Needs thermostat changing every two-three years to keep to normal temp.

Well yes, overhead most engines and the HG will be toast, but there are designs out there (for example Rover K-series) which are notorious for blowing HGs without provokation - that's what I was referring to

cheers

James

my vote is w2ith headgasket failure too. replacement engine would probably be cheaper than a replacement + skim

I don't think it *is* a HG failure, I was just saying it could be...Jim mentioned a leak...

cheers

James

I agree with you foggy in that they don`t often go without any provocation - I have just had a couple of experiences with them that have led me to believe that they are quite sensitive to relatively minor overheating that other engines would shrug off.

Not in the same league as the Rover K series by a long shot

Will

Hi

Thanks for looking in, I think I may have done something when I did an oil change a few weeks ago, I did a flush at the time and I am thinking that something was dislodged somewhere, what ever it is it only happens when driving. Along with a great thirst for oil she is taking in water at a rapid rate in the boot, every time I locate somewhere where there is an ingress I find another, and I currently have a bug puddle after every rain fall.

Foggy re the 262c, I will need somewhere to keep a car that size which I don't have currently, nice thought though, I am currently keeping an eye out on that site and this for a replacement, this 340 is my first, and as a car I like it but with this one every time I fix a problem another seems to appear and I am thinking I will look for a different one, which I may seen.

James