corolla '95 - disappearing oil

[Nick Hardwidge]

Can anyone help - my Corolla is drinking oil at a scary rate! Approximately 1 litre per 6 weeks!! There is no visible leak, certainly no spots on the road when left over night - and it doesn't appear to be burning oil, either when cold or hot! The only noticeable fault is that the exhaust is possibly "sooted". Owned the car for nearly 3 years (56,000 miles f.s.h.) and it sounds very quiet - I've even had a mechanically minded mate to have a look, and he just looked really confused! Am I missing something obvious - please help, it's starting to keep me awake at night!!!

Someone mentioned that 12v engines can "sludge" - but this is a 16v 1300cc. Thanks for reading my essay - and any help you can give!

[oldgit]

Hi,Are there signs of oil in the coolant.When your engine is cool take off the expansion tank cap and have a look to see if you can see any colours in the water.( i dont mean the antifreeze colour)

When you pull the dipstick are there signs of water on the dipstick,(water drops on the dipstick).

If there is signs of the above seek further advice,Regards,Brian.