Well, between those two sources you mentioned (the little plume at start-up
and the slight leak from the rear main seal, which, unless you put a catch
pan under it, is hard to evaluate for leaks while you're going down the
road) I think you've almost got the answer. Along with that little plume,
there's probably just a trace of oil burning while running, perhaps only
while running cold, though you might not be able to see it. It's possible
for a British engine of that vintage to not use enough oil to be noticeable
between changes (I used to have one), but I would just keep an eye on it,
and of course, you *should* change that rear main seal, but I understand
why people don't always jump to do the job...I actually have had good luck
with the additive that Gunk sells for that (I know I'm on dangerous ground
here, but hey, I used it, the leak stopped in a couple of days, and it
still wasn't leaking (or burning) when I sold the car two years and 30k
miles later.) Yes, it was a British car. YMMV.
Nevin
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