O/T Anybody know anything about Jettas?
 

My wife has a 95 Jetta with 39k on the odo. She's had it since new and has taken very good care of it. She just doesn't drive all that much. I changed her oil on Saturday and it only had 2 quart in it. Capacity is around 4. I changed it about the end of November. Car has gone about 1.5k since then. I can't find any leakage what so ever but have noticed when she's started it after a week or so a puff of blue smoke right on start up. Any ideas what's happening to the oil??? Never had a car that burned more than a 1/2 quart every 3000 miles.

I'm mostly giving you a bump.

My only suggestions would be valve guides (startup cloud) and stuck rings (consumption while driving), but really those are guesses. Might want to run a compression test.

I had a similar issue with my 95 Legacy when we bought it used in 98 with 36k on the odo. It would periodically blow blue smoke upon start up. I was warranted until 60 k so I brought it to the dealer when I went on vacation. Luckily, the first time they started it, they saw the smoke. They pulled the engine and replaced all valve seals and piston rings. The problem went away mostly, with only very rare occurences of a little smoke. So I really do not know if it was the rings or valve seals. I would suspect the seals more.

Matt

THat is a good guess..... I am guessing that is is the non-turbo engine right??? If it were turbo it would probably have a bit more than a 4 quart oil capacity.... Yea, if you are loosing oil and can't see it on the outside of the engine that would mean that it is being burned off and also mean $$$ to fix..... If you don't have the money to fix it I would say sell it!!!! Get a little Jetta TDI (Diesel)..... They run for ever!:D :D

I was leaning toward it being burned although when I replaced the air filter last spring it had a ring of black on the inside where it goes to the intake that seemed kinda oily. When it went in to a VW specialist for inspection he said that it was more than likely from overfilling the oil. Since I had only done the previous change and she had taken it to a chain prior to then for the oil I thought it might be plasable.

I wasn't sure if this was common with VWs or what. I definately won't let her get another VW. I have a real problem with any company that will use third world labor and then not even pay them a living wage. VW just quashed a Mexican autoworker strike b/c the $2 a day raise was too much. The workers currently average $10 a day.:( Besides, the quality just isn't there in every Jetta I've been in. Rattles, cheap plastic parts and a lighting system that eats bulbs. I was kinda hoping to keep her car until the B4 arrives but maybe we'll look at a Legacy Special Edition.

Sounds like your PCV valve is clogged and allowing high crankcase pressures, which causes oil to blow back into the intake tract. It's a $3 part and easy to replace following the directions in a Haynes or Chilton manual. You can pick up a replacement at your local autoparts store.

It may or may not be the PCV, but it's worth a try since they're so cheap. PCV = Positive Crankcase Ventilation