I bought an older low mileage class C motorhome (van-based) a few weeks ago
and took the family on a trip from Sacramento to Anaheim (Disneyland) and
then San Diego/El Cajon (Seaworld/Zoo/relatives). It was the first day of
the San Diego fires and the zoo was quite interesting with a brown sky and
ashes falling and swirling on the ground.
The van ran well on the trip down but developed a high idle condition which
I figured might be a vacuum leak. No worries as it otherwise ran well and
most of my time was spent on the freeway anyway (at a whopping 8 mpg). It
then began dieseling, at first just a bit, then a LOT (as long as a minute
after shut-off). It consumed massive amounts of oil (three quarts were put
in at one point, then only 200 miles later it was again low on oil) but
there is no excessive smoke and overall it still runs well.
At this point I'm wondering if I fried the engine, blew a head gasket, have
a plugged PCV valve, or what? How could it eat three quarts of oil in 200
miles without apparently leaking (no spots where I stopped, no oil all over
the bottom of the vehicle) or blowing clouds of smoke? I haven't yet
examined the coolant. It did run hot up the grapevine on the trip down but
most of the symptoms didn't start until many miles later and even now it
runs well. Any thoughts before I start tearing it apart?
|