Subject:	1995 Miss Bitchy
Question:	Bought her in June with 72,745 miles...took back in 4 days ..needed a water pump...on them ...but I also mentioned the lack of oil in the engine{0}....told them...if this was a lemon I needed to know....I also mentioned the excess noise coming from the timing chain cover area...they basically blew me off....anyway ..my main concern is the 6 quarts of oil this car burns a week...does not leak ....burns...one mechanic suggested only a PVC valve was needed{I hope} I don't trust mechanics anymore..because the last time I paid a lot of money fixed the problem myself and later found out...because they did not do the work they said{ a simple termostat} my head gasket blew...this little car runs great but do I really have a valve or{to adjust} or are the rings I.e. the whole damn engine going....
Answer:	Helen, Wow… 6 quarts of oil per week! Indeed your PVC valve may need to be replaced. You only mentioned you had a '95 Mitsubishi, but you didn't mention the model. Depending on the model you have will govern the cost to you of replacing the PVC. If your rings are going bad, or if oil is leaking past your valve seals, you'll see blue smoke coming out of your exhaust. Start up your car some morning and have someone stand behind your car while you rev the engine. If they see bluish smoke and smell burning oil, your piston rings or valve seals are bad. Not a cheap repair. If you're noticing a lot of oily residue in your engine compartment, you may have to replace your head gasket… again. The noise that seems to be coming from the timing chain area could be due to the lack of oil. Your camshaft(s) may not be receive enough oil, so they get noisy. That noise could also be your valves and lifter chattering. That could also be due to lack of oil. During your next oil change make sure you're using the correct weight engine. Unless you're in a very cold apart of the world (Alaska, Colorado mountains, etc…) most Mitsubishi engines use a 10W-30 oil. If you're in one of those colder climates, use 5W-30. A thinner oil in a warmer climate will burn much easier, especially in an older car. I hope I was able to help. Good luck!