2009 Focus at 165k miles: Burns 2 qts of oil every 5k miles

I have a 2009 Ford Focus that’s burning about 2 quarts of oil every 5,000 miles. I’m not sure if this is a serious problem or if I should just keep driving it and keep adding oil. There’s some oil residue on the bottom of the engine, and the coolant level drops slowly, but there’s no white smoke from the exhaust. Should I be concerned about the oil burning issue, and do you think a repair will be needed? Let me know if you need more details

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there’s a chace that you may be wrong. It might be a leak or a head gasket problem.

Have you seen any leaks or wet spots on the engine or underneath the car?

Also, check the engine temperature and the exhaust. Is there any white smoke coming out of the exhaust, and does it have a smell? How’s the coolant level, and does it look normal?

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There could be many different issues. Just saying “it’s a Focus MK2” doesn’t give us enough information. It’s like asking, “My laptop died. Can you fix it?” :roll_eyes: :roll_eyes:

We need more specifics. What kind of engine does it have? The MK2 Focus comes with 6 gasoline engines and 5 diesel engines. Well, can’t guess the issue without more details.

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My bad forgot to add that. It’s got the 2.0 Duratec in it.

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Well in that case, since your car has a Duratec engine with no turbo, that narrows down the possibilities.

My friend has the same car and engine. He just adds oil as needed.
also check for leaks coolant level exhaust white smoke, oil cap, if its got any “mustard” or sludge under it? That could mean a head gasket issue.

If there are no leaks or those other signs, the problem might be with the piston rings, which is a known issue with these engines.

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Yah doesn’t have a turbo. I’ve been just adding oil when it gets low. One time, I forgot to add oil, and I heard the timing chain hitting because the oil was too low.

There aren’t any leaks that I can see. The coolant level drops slowly. My car almost overheated recently because the top radiator hose broke. There’s no smoke or strange stuff under the oil cap.

I’m thinking the problem might be with the piston rings. I’m trying to decide whether to fix it or just keep adding oil as needed.

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If your car keeps using more and more oil, you need to figure out how long you plan to keep the car and how much you’re spending on oil each month. Could be even better by asking a mechanic for an estimate on repair costs. They’ll be familiar with this issue in similar cars, like the C-Max or Mondeo, and can give you a rough idea of the repair cost.

What does it look like under the valve cover? What condition are the spark plugs in? They can show common reasons for oil consumption, like dirty oil control rings.