Honda Prelude Forum - PreludeDriver.com

Hey guys,

I'm new here and have lots of questions so I appreciate your expertise. My prelude is a 2001 VTEC. The oil is disappearing at a fast rate.
There're no visible oil leaks but there're "carbon like" black specks that build up on the back of the car (wash off easily) which may not have anything to do with the oil disappearing.
When my car is running there's NOT a cloud of black smoke coming out of the back and have never had oil spots in my driveway.
I get the oil changed every 3k (about) and have a little over 100,000 miles.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

You probably have a problem with your piston rings or head gasket.

If the head gasket is bad, your engine oil will sneak into your engine coolant. Check your coolant catch tank to see if your coolant has oil floating in it. When the engine is cold, check the radiator as well. Coolant should be pretty clean looking.

If your piston rings are bad, your engine oil will sneak into the combustion chamber and get burned away. This is likely your issue due to the fact that you have a black mark on the tale. You won't see a cloud of black smoke. You will see that your exhaust has a blue tint to it. This is most noticeable when you start the car after it has been sitting for a little while (a day or more). When started, the car will belch some blue smoke out the back.

Spiffy, Thanks so much for the expertise and the timely manner in which you replied. I checked the radiator and no oil spots that I could see. But the coolant catch tank...where is that? Maybe I can check this weekend to see if my car belches a blue smoke out the back...

The pic of your car - its a beauty.

The coolant catch tank will be on the left side of the engine, near the front. The easiest way to find it is to just follow the small rubber hose that comes out from just below the radiator cap. The coolant catch tank is usually a whiteish color (like a milk jug) and has a lid that may or may not be removeable.