I know there has been many posts about oil consumption,  but I have to report a success in reducing

my oil consumption.

One of the threads suggested using Shell  helix HX7 , 10/40 fully synthetic oil,  to free up the oil scraper rings.

I have been using this oil for 7000 miles now , and after the last change my oil level

has not dropped after 3000 miles , with most of those miles at 5k revs on the motorway.  

My consumption prior to using Helix oil was around 2000 / pint, sometimes less,

depending on use of the right hand.

This is the first time I have done 3000  miles and the level has not dropped, so I am a happy bunny.

But is it reduced because you've freed off the rings, or because you've changed which oil you were using?

I find it's almost entirely dependent on which oil I've filled it with, the other factor is how hot I let the engine get - fill it with thin cheap EuroCarParts stuff and then ride into town on a hot day and I can half empty the sight glass! Alternatively I filled it with Carlube 10w40 and rode to the Black Forest and back and the level never changed.

I had a problem with  stuck rings.  7-800 miles per quart of oil over a period of three years and 12,000 miles.  Didn't matter what I used.  Despite the oil usage the compression was excellent.  Running a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil during one oil change interval loosened up the oil control rings and reduced consumption to less than 3-4 ounces per thousand miles.

Don't know why they stick when the engine sits unused, but the Marvel Mystery Oil is magic.

Prior to using Shell helix, I used several different grades of oil  , 5/30   10/40 and finally 20/50  from various 

suppliers including euro car parts,  and  my oil consumption never really varied.

  Although it was never poor, certainly not as bad as some on the forums, but it has got better the longer I have 

used the new oil.

Bob

Point-Seven-five wrote:I had a problem with  stuck rings.  7-800 miles per quart of oil over a period of three years and 12,000 miles.  Didn't matter what I used.  Despite the oil usage the compression was excellent.  Running a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil during one oil change interval loosened up the oil control rings and reduced consumption to less than 3-4 ounces per thousand miles.

Don't know why they stick when the engine sits unused, but the Marvel Mystery Oil is magic.

I know a long-time Audi tech who has one of the pre-2012 A4 models that literally drink engine oil, with some reporting a litre in 300 city miles. It was purportedly due to bad piston ring design. My '12 model A4 uses a fair bit, still. He swears by Marvel Mystery oil as the cure all for this terrible issue. I tried it and drove down to Southern California in early December in two and a half days down and back. It did not burn a drop. Fullstop. There's something there.

Hx7 is a semi-synthetic.
Doing a flush with some cheapo mineral 2 litres and a 1 litre of atf mix will work womders. Put it in the bike on centre stand and run at 3000 rpm for 15-20 mins.
Empty, replace filter and fill with any brand name 20w50 mineral. I’m currently using Castrol power RS 4t as it was the cheapest. Using mineral helps stop weeping from old seals. This method clears the sprag clutch and sludge of old and no doubt frees stuck rings etc. The nice part is that the oil now remains very clean between changes.

Last year I started running my bikes on 50/50 of Mobil 1 15-50 and Mobil 1 10-40 High Mileage.  The high mileage stuff has conditioners in it to restore seals so my hopes are that this will keep me from having to replace any rear main seals.

The burn rate on that combo has been pretty low so far.  I burned less than a quart on a 4,600 mile K1100LT ride last summer. YMMV.

Several years ago I did some research into MMO and read that the "secret" ingredient is some sort of oil derived from a mint plant.  Apparently,  this natural oil was well know in the 19th century for being a strong natural solvent.  It is the thing that gives MMO it's distinctive aroma.  The other major ingredient is Stoddard's Solvent. 

I remember reading that during WWII 55gal. drums of MMO were used by the Army Air Force to control carbon buildup in bomber engines.

Two Wheels Better wrote:

Point-Seven-five wrote:I had a problem with  stuck rings.  7-800 miles per quart of oil over a period of three years and 12,000 miles.  Didn't matter what I used.  Despite the oil usage the compression was excellent.  Running a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil during one oil change interval loosened up the oil control rings and reduced consumption to less than 3-4 ounces per thousand miles.

Don't know why they stick when the engine sits unused, but the Marvel Mystery Oil is magic.

I know a long-time Audi tech who has one of the pre-2012 A4 models that literally drink engine oil, with some reporting a litre in 300 city miles. It was purportedly due to bad piston ring design. My '12 model A4 uses a fair bit, still. He swears by Marvel Mystery oil as the cure all for this terrible issue. I tried it and drove down to Southern California in early December in two and a half days down and back. It did not burn a drop. Fullstop. There's something there.

Tomorrow I'm off for the start of our SW Tour.  During the week or 10 days I'll be riding a min. of 2 K miles.  If I find my (practically) new-to-me K1100LT has an appetite for oil, I'll be tempted to top it up with Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO).  My question: How much MMO is too much in the 3.5 +/- quarts the engine holds?

The label makes a recommendation, but in my 5-1/2 quart Audi oil pan I poured the entire, approximately 16oz bottle, when it was a bit low.

One caveat for this stuff...when driving steadily for a distance the car doesn't ask for a single drink, but when driving stop n go, she still has a thirst, albeit diminished.

That is curious and contrary to what I expected.  I'd have thought that high speed running on the interstate highway would result in oil consumption.  Live 'n' learn, eh?

I think it might have more to do with Audi's crazy mechanical/vacuum oil separator & breather system that's built into the cam cover. They're on number five or six service bulletin for replacement by now. It's not just a simple PCV. Steady state cruising means maintaining the engine's internal pressure rather than it fluctuating with revs rising and falling in urban traffic - CV carb-like diaphragm pumping. I suspect a K engine would produce a different result.