Yes, folks, you read it correctly. This SDL was getting 175 MPG. Unbelievable, you say? Well, I drove it for 500 miles and I can assure you that it definitely got 175 MPG of oil!

The story starts here:

It Might be Time to Sell

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take on a vehicle like this and finally had the time to go down and get it. The costs to ship it were $600. and I could fly down and bring it back for about $400. Additionally, I could stop at a customer and a mechanic in Raleigh. So, the decision was made to go and get it.

Sure enough, this SDL smokes enough to scare the skeeters away. But, I was ready with a gallon of Rotella and I took it to the hotel the first night without too much fanfare. Smokes a tremendous amount on accelerations.

The next day it was down about 1.5 quarts after driving about 50 miles. Not a good sign. Topped it off and headed out to Raleigh the next afternoon. Went about 150 miles and stopped for some food and found it to be two quarts low again. Filled it and headed out for the remainder of the trip.

At about 250 miles, outside of Charlotte, I hit some major traffic and the smoke was intolerable. So, I headed off the road to take a break from the traffic and buy some oil. Checked the oil and it was down two quarts again. Added the remainder of my first gallon. Found a Wal-Mart and bought three gallons of Rotella. Topped the engine off with another quart and proceeded to get back on the freeway. Traffic now acceptable.

At about 350 miles, the oil pressure starts dropping. I pull over in the dark and add three quarts until the light goes out. Oil pressure returns and I complete the 425 mile trip to the hotel. Check it at the hotel and it's down another 2 quarts.

Bring it to the mechanic the next morning.

Disconnect the crossover tube and the entire tube and exit from the turbo is soaked with oil. We start it with the crossover removed and the oil is clearly coming from the turbo and not from the valve cover (very low blowby). Well, he certainly can't get a turbo on the day before Thanksgiving, so, I take a couple of gallons of oil and head out for Virginia Beach (200 miles.) I figure that it might not make it to NY, but it should go 200 miles, right?

Bad decision.

40 miles from the mechanic, the oil pressure drops. I pull over and lift the hood, and to my horror, find oil completely covering everyhing in sight..........all over both sides of the engine. Oil all over the area behind the driver's headlight, all over the exhaust manifold, all over the hood pad. Looked like someone hosed it down with Rotella. Well, I put three quarts in it and tried to find a massive leak. Didn't seem to be a leak anywhere. Engine sounded fine and oil pressure was up.

Turned it around and tried to make it the 40 miles back to the mechanic. Made it about 25 miles and oil pressure dropped. Pulled over and added all my remaining oil (three more quarts). Started it up and tried, again, to make the mechanic.

Got another 5 miles and hit traffic for road construction. That was the kiss of death. The engine loaded up on oil, at idle, and started to shake, rather badly. I went to pull it off the road and it complained bitterly with a hard rapping sound for about two seconds. Then it was fine. Shut it down. Called for the mechanic. He came out and we started it together. Seemed fine. He couldn't see any oil leak other than the internal leak the we already confirmed. But, we agreed, let's tow it.

So, it was towed back to his shop and now will need a replacement turbo and we'll see what happens after that.

I resumed by trip, via Greyhound, which took the remainder of the day (8 hours) to get from Raleigh to Virginia Beach.

Interesting trip. I never believed an engine could suck down as much oil as this one did. Surprisingly, out on the highway, you really couldn't see any smoke trail behind you. But, at slow speeds, the manifold would load up heavily on oil, which would all head for the cylinders when you opened the rack on the next acceleration.

In hindsight, it was not a good decision to drive it. The oil consumption was significantly more then was safe for an extended trip.

However, it might be possible that the entire issue with this engine is a bad turbo. It has less blowby at idle then my current SDL and mine has very little. So, I remain optimistic that this vehicle can be resurrected without a lower end repair/replace.