444e sudden increase of oil consumption

exmod110 · September 22, 2010

I have an 03 444E with 170km in a school bus that has had a sudden jump in oil consumption. From 2l between oil changes to 9l in 700km.

I have checked for oil in the coolant, cac, exhaust side of the turbo, external leaks with only a slight leak @ hp fitting in the right head... but nothing that would come close to the amount it used yesterday (the valley is dry)... 3l in 100km.

the driver filled the bus with fuel this am b4 I could look and see if the fuel was turning black.

It runs well and does not miss or lack power, has no noticeable smoke out the tail pipe going down the road or at idle.

Any Ideas? I am going to check the color of the fuel daily to see if the injector O rings are gone..

Jeff_E · September 22, 2010

If the fuel isn't turning black in the filter housing it's probably the injectors themselves allowing the oil to be injected and burned in the cylinders. Ford even sent out a 7.3 injector tester that checks for internal leakage... With that many miles, if it needs any, it gets them all at my dealer.

exmod110 · September 22, 2010

For the amount it consumes i would expect to see a bit of blue smoke in the exhaust, no? yesterday it used 3l oil in just over 100k or 60 miles. I followed the bus today for 15km with several stop and starts with only slight black smoke on gear changes, no blue...

I could see that being a hard sale to my "old school" boss...

He prides himself on not having to have replaced more then 5 injectors in all the time we have had 444E's... dropping 8 in one bus would send him to the hospital like it's his coin!!!

poor performance seams to be no reason in his eyes to replace them if it still runs!!! They are big on maintenance with oil changes every 4000km and for the most part are decent with repairs as long as it is "needed" or required for safeties..

do you have the tool #? I might be able to borrow it from my old shop and prove or disprove faulty injectors that way....

Jeff_E · September 22, 2010

Here's a link to one on ebay:

7.3 injector tester

OTC #310-141

The revised PCED symptom chart leads to this as a possibility for oil consumption. Here are the instructions:

"Recommended Procedure

Note: Testing of new fuel injectors prior to installation in the engine will cause inaccurate test results.

Note: Before removing the suspect fuel injector(s), remove the valve cover(s) and monitor the fuel injector spill spouts for oil flow while the engine is running at idle. The amount of oil flowing through the top of the fuel injector is directly proportional to the amount of fuel flowing out of the tip. If low oil flow is observed at the top of the fuel injector, fuel flow out the tip will also be low providing a rough idle condition.

Item Number Description

1 — Calibrating injector adapter

2 — Calibrating injector O-rings

3 — Fuel injector tester

4 — High-pressure oil port

5 — Fuel port

Remove the suspect fuel injector. For additional information, refer to the Workshop Manual Section 303 Fuel Charging and Controls.

Inspect the three external fuel injector O-rings for wear, cracks and cuts. The O-rings may be repaired separately from the injector assembly. Install a new O-ring(s) as necessary.

Note: A vacuum pump with a minimum 0 - 28 in Hg gauge is required.

Note: Inspect the three calibrating injector O-rings for wear, cracks and cuts. Install a new O-ring(s) as necessary. The calibrating injector O-rings are the same O-ring utilized by the 7.3L fuel injector.

Verify the fuel injector tester and vacuum pump as follows:

Item Number Description

1 — Calibrating injector adapter

2 — Fuel injector tester

3 — Fuel port

4 — Fuel injector retaining bolt (2)

Install the calibrating injector adapter into the fuel injector tester and make sure it is properly seated. Use the fuel injector retaining bolts from the engine and torque the retaining bolts to 13 Nm (120 lb/in).

Connect the vacuum pump to the fuel port and apply 25 in Hg of vacuum. Monitor the gauge for 6 minutes. Verify there is no vacuum loss. If vacuum loss is present, inspect the fuel injector tester, fittings, O-rings, vacuum hose and vacuum pump for leaks. Repair as necessary and repeat the test.

Item Number Description

1 — Fuel injector

2 — Fuel injector tester

3 — Fuel port

Once the tool function capability has been verified, lubricate the O-rings of the suspect injector with clean engine oil. Install the suspect fuel injector into the fuel injector tester. Use the fuel injector retaining bolts from the engine and torque the retaining bolts to 13 Nm (120 lb/in).

Note: Some fuel injectors may exhibit minimal vacuum loss. Vacuum loss less than 1/2 in Hg is acceptable and does not indicate a damaged fuel injector.

Connect the vacuum pump to the fuel port and apply a minimum of 25 in Hg vacuum. Monitor the vacuum gauge for signs of vacuum loss. If vacuum loss is greater than 1/2 in Hg within 6 minutes, the fuel injector is damaged. If vacuum loss is less than 1/2 in Hg, leave the vacuum pump connected to the fuel port and GO to step 6.

Item Number Description

1 — High pressure oil port

2 — Fuel port

3 — Spill port

Monitor the vacuum pump while connecting 689 kPa (100 psi) of regulated shop air to the high-pressure oil port. If the vacuum loss is affected by the presence of air pressure, the fuel injector is damaged. If no vacuum loss is present, GO to step 7.

Check for air leaks possibly indicated by whistles or continuous bubbles at the spill port indicating the fuel injector is damaged. If noncontinuous bubbles are present at the spill port, the fuel injector is not damaged.

Vacuum loss indicates internal injector scoring which may cause a rough idle or low power concern.

Vacuum loss that is affected by the presence of air pressure on the high-pressure oil side indicates internal O-ring damage. This O-ring separates the fuel from the oil and may contribute to excessive oil consumption.

No vacuum loss on the fuel side with an air leak from the high-pressure oil side (top) indicates a damaged poppet valve or seal.

Repeat steps 4 - 7 (calibration of the fuel injector tester is not required) for the remaining suspect fuel injector(s) as necessary.

Tools Required

Lubricants Item Specification

SAE 5W-20 Premium Synthetic Blend Motor Oil XO-5W20-QSP WSS-M2C153-H

Fuel Injector Tester

Vacuum Pump"

~Source: PCED