I've seen this subject come up before and have never commented on it.

Over the years I have had three Vanagons, and with one swap or another,
perhaps a half-dozen engines.  The only one that used oil to any noticeable
extent had over 200,000 miles on it, and it still didn't use a quart every
thousand.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Hurlbut" <timothy@VERIO.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 11:49 PM
Subject: Oil Consumption

> Greetings listmembers,
>
> I purchased my 1987 new in Germany at one of the "drive around europe
> and ship it home" purchase plans.  While driving in Europe, I found
> the van to use 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles.  I asked a mechanic at a
> VW
> dealer in germany what was the problem and he told me that it is
> acceptable for Vanagons to use as much as one liter every 1000 KM's.
> I accepted his answer and the van ran fine, using a quart every 1000
> miles for 193,000 miles.
>
> I recently had a rebuilt engine installed and now the van uses a quart
> of oil every 900 miles.
>
> Thoughts?  Anyone else use a lot of oil in their wasserboxen.
>
> By the way, the oil seems to be blow-by ... the air intake near the
> AFM is very oily.  Blow-by could be rings that didn't seat properly.
>
> Tim Hurlbut
> 87 Vanagon
> 90 Vanagon GL
>
> PS.  The 90 uses about 1 quart every 2 thousand miles.  145,000 miles
>