Expert: Reiner V - 5/20/2009

Question
my odyssey is burning too much oil, in cold weather theres blue smoke coming out the exhaust and going up a hill i hear rattling  is this a sign that my engine is dieing  ois there something i could do before it gets to that point?/ its a good car no major problems its going on 195,000  but runs great pleasee help>>.

Answer
Hi Ivette,

One of the most common mistakes that I encounter is people who have leaks (gaskets) would keep adding oil instead of finding the source of the leak and fixing it. They add without looking at the dipstick OR look at the dipstick at the wrong time (one has to wait atleast 15-30 minutes after the car has set to let oil go down to the oil pan).
This leads to too much oil most of the time and too much oil can cause the engine to burn it.

I am not saying this is the case with you, however, I just wanted to explain what I commonly encounter. Burning oil in your case might indicate burnt out piston rings (usually caused by too little oil for a long period of time) causing the rings to wear out ( the rings creates a "seal" for compression). It can also lead to failed emissions test due to the burnt oil hydrocarbons (burnt oil).

Nothing you can really do, short of an engine overhaul, but you may be able to reduce the oil burn by using thicker oil. As for the rattling, it can a multitude of things, but one needs a better sound decription and possibly another person present to listen in to figure out wher the sound is coming from.