Starlet help - lotsa oil and some electrics

[mcfatty1000]

Long story short; flatmate has a little starlet 1997 carbed model, using lots of oil (Ive just put the last of 4 litres in since Sep last year, was off the dipstick again), guessing this isn't normal but can't see where its going, not dripping/leaking, haven't noticed smoke out the back

Also, She had a cig lighter ipod dock which appears to have broken in the socket, her clock and radio (Factory) have both stopped since. Radio still lights up with the lights on, can't find the fuse that it might be.
Thoughts?

Cheers

[siren676]

Not sure if the interior fuse box is the same for the carbie version but ill look at my cover to work out which fuse the cig lighter goes off.

As far as the engine, when my ones old engine was going through oil it was slowly being consumed by the engine as the piston rings were stuffed in it.
How many k's has it done?

Edit - just ran out to my car, here's the interior fuse box diagram.

[mcfatty1000]

Yeah, went out and had another look before - exactly the same as yours, a 15a fuse and hey presto, radio.

As for the engine, only 70000km odd? I think? Low at the very least, hence my confusion

[siren676]

Have someone give it a few revs from cold and see whether theres any smoke from the exhaust.

Valve stem seals seem to be one of the main things which wear on these engines. Pretty easy to tell if it is valve stems

[allencr]

Yeah, September is real bad. If only you'd said August, that would'a been sweet!
WTF does September mean in kilometers so someone will figure out its kilometers per liter usage!

[spoonza6]

^ dafuq

[Lloyd]

The point is that in 6 months it could have done 1,000kms or it could have done 20,000kms. In one case that would be large oil useage, in the other it would be considered normal.

[mcfatty1000]

Ah yeah, daily running is low too ~6kms each way for the majority of trips?

If anything, I suspect it needs a bit of a run out somewhere. But still using oil more than I would have though

[rollaholic]

if its 100% not leaking its obviously burning it. unless a small blackhole has materalised inside the engine at some stage?

it could be leaking onto the exhaust and burning off so you dont see drips. it could be leaking at a spot where it gets alot of road dust and thus turns into yuck coatings of dirt and oil, but still not dripping onto the ground.

90% of people with cars more than a couple of years old who say 'no leaks' are either lying or havent looked hard enough

you should be glad for this though, since leaks are typically much easier / cheaper to fix. chances are its doing a bit of both

[siren676]

Check all over the usual places, bottom of gearbox/engine join, bottom of cambelt cover and all around the rocker cover for any signs of oil

If its parked on concrete is there any stains under the front of the car or behind the exhaust?

[andyztouring]

Is the engine a E series motor,if so many of them have issues with high oil consumption,I know many people used to buy 1600 Corollas(AE80&90 instead of the 1300(9EE80&90) Corollas to get around the oil consumption problem.

[spoonza6]

Steam clean it then see if you can see the leak then.
If not refer back to answer regarding black hole.