Burning oil and a funny noise...

[truCido]

I've not long had my Golf GTi 8v and when I first got it home the oil looked clean but was low, so I topped it up to just under full and I've just checked it this morning and its back to where it was 800 miles ago  Being a old golf I thought the smell of oil was just normal but obviously its being burnt up somewhere, there is a small leak from the distributor but it is small and looks like a new seal will fix that. Where else should I check? There does seem to be some smoke out the back so I'm guessing it could be the piston rings?

Also if I accelerate hard in first gear theres a creaking noise, my ideas are the driveshaft somewhere or an engine mount?

[fused]

The valve stem oil seals are prone to failure in our 8v golf's! check this out

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=69439.0

If you suspect engine mounts have someone watch the engine while you, with the handbreak on rock the engine on the clutch, it should be obvious if the mounts are gone.

[truCido]

should hopefully be a bit cheaper than piston rings lol!! I'll get a compression test done I think to make sure though

[russ-vdub]

just wanted to say that topping up oil is never a good thing, should really do a change. and topping it up to almost full aint a good thing either, always use the recommended amount, its how the engine should run..not having a dig just try not to get into bad habits init

[truCido]

Yeah i know mate the only reason I topped it up was that the oil looked very clean as in new, so topping it up shouldn't of been that bad but i get what you mean 

[leavingeasy]

Check the back of the engine around the head gasket for oil seepage.

Can be the reason for the oil smell as it leaks on the manifold.

[takethefifth]

just wanted to say that topping up oil is never a good thing,

I hear that! However....  Mine's burning loads through the stem seals, a litre every 500 miles or so. I change it every 3 months and just top it up in between. Not got the cash or time to get it sorted at the moment but its been going well for the past couple of years!  I just pretend I'm back on my two stroke motorbike!

Yours sounds similar truCido. I've found two different ways of sorting it, the first is the normal head off job which i was quoted about £300 for. The second involves blowing compressed air into the cylinder to push the valve up so you can change the seals from above. I was quoted about £100 for this but the only guy who reckoned he could do it moved away 

[cняis]

the daily is similar, burning a litre of oil every 1000 miles (almost excatly).

the rings arent gone (no burnt oil whilst driving), this is due to valve stem seals. tbh i can see it costing me more to fix than the car is worth 

[rombonie]

Nothing wrong with a bit of top end lubrication....lol

Probable already mentioned but most engines will find there own level i.e. there might burn oil if you keep topping up but left they will settle some where between the marks and stop cosuming oil.

[cняis]

Nothing wrong with a bit of top end lubrication....lol

Probable already mentioned but most engines will find there own level i.e. there might burn oil if you keep topping up but left they will settle some where between the marks and stop cosuming oil.

not mine, unless "it's level" is below the minimum mark!