Eating oil

[Scorpius]

I have a 2004 zhp, original owner, 256k on her :-) and get this....original clutch :-0

So she's getting old, eats a quart of oil about every week or two which is about 500-800 miles for me.
Occasionally she throws codes, but usually nothing noticeably different in how she runs so I either reset them or drive another week and they magically disappear. Rarely when they throw she runs a little rough, but if i get into the revs with her it seems to resolve itself (burning off excess fuel or oil ?)
So latest codes I checked were






So she's obviously eating oil, there are no visible leaks in usual spots and when I rev her she does put out some black/grey smoke. I assume this could be anything from piston rings to head to valve leaks.
Should I run her in and pay $150 for the diagnosis at the dealer ? Local shops just throw out she's old replace the engine.
I hear there are some tests in the meter I could look at to help identify the culprit but I know zero about the reader or understanding the indicators and values beyond reading the codes that flip.
Any advice / ideas on the issue?
Or just run her fill oil often and shoot for another 50-100k until clutch or engine take a dump on me?

[KevinC]

Sounds like you want to keep the car. I'd go shopping for a replacement motor from a boneyard. Find something <100k miles for cheap, swap it in, do the clutch at the same time since you're in there anyways, and drive another 150k+ miles of smiles. Beats the shit out of a new car payment!

[danewilson77]

I've had those codes more than once on my car.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

Codes are probs a vacuum leak. Start with upper and lower intake boots. Will a catch can help with oil consumption?


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[slater]

how's your CCV system? i was surprised by how a clogged system can make the car consume oil.

switching to a catch can system, for me, means zero oil usage.

peter

[Scorpius]

how's your CCV system? i was surprised by how a clogged system can make the car consume oil.

switching to a catch can system, for me, means zero oil usage.

peter

I changed that out a few months back for the 2nd time of the life of the car. When I removed the oil cap car stumbled denoting it wasn't working. It was oily inside when I broke the old one apart.
What's this catch can system? Direct replacement or backyard fix? Hadn't heard or seen this one before.
As for codes, how can I check for leaks? Besides visual which I've checked and see nothing obvious....

[ELCID86]

There is a thread or two here on catch can installs.

Codes and associated leaks can be a B to find. Several threads on e46f (and probably here) that can point you in the right direction.


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[Scorpius]

Believe I found the issue. Cleaned my MAF and my kn filter which was pretty dirty. Average mileage went from 23-24 and is now 25.8.
No light yet at 55 miles since reset. Normally it's on by about 42.
Keeping fingers crossed. I gotta pass that emissions :-)

[ryankokesh]

Good luck!

For future reference, German Auto Solutions is working on a pretty slick-looking serviceable CCV.

That bad boy's already been replaced twice on mine, so I have a feeling something like this is in my future.

[slater]

Good luck!

For future reference, German Auto Solutions is working on a pretty slick-looking serviceable CCV.

yeah, they've been 'working' on that for a few years now. i would love to see it come to fruition, though, because i would buy one!

peter