Hey everyone. 1990 740 GL, Regina, ~219,000 miles.

My car has always burned some oil - I'd say about three quarts over the course of a year. I've always kept up the oil changes since I've had it (last ~70,000 miles).

Recently I noticed a few drops of oil under the car. Opened the hood and the oil filler cap is damp all the way around. It's dripped down behind the timing cover and all over the exhaust side of the motor. When I first noticed it I stuck a big o-ring in the cap to try to seal it off but it didn't do much good.

I did some researching and decided to inspect the PCV. The oil trap allows air to flow through it (going to replace it anyway just to be safe) and the hoses are in good condition - I did replace the small hose on the PCV nipple because it was pretty stiff. I had previously cleaned out the flame trap last year and it is still clean - no passages blocked. The hose to the oil pan was not disturbed.

If I pop the oil filler cap off while the engine is running, it "dances" from the air blowing past it. Revving the motor doesn't seem to pull it down, but the dancing does stop.

There is some oil in the intake tube that seems to have blown past the flame trap.

There doesn't seem to be much vacuum at the small line on the PCV - even at the nipple on the manifold, it's pretty weak.

The cam seal does not appear to be leaking, nor is there oil coming from anywhere else that I can find. It all seems to have blown past the oil cap. Strangely the dipstick has NOT been blown free; I will check it for pressure this evening.

My alarm senses are going off and I'm afraid I'm going to have some intense work ahead of me (and/or a huge bill from a shop). My main fear is that I'm going to have to pull the motor completely apart to re-ring the pistons.

Any thoughts on my next course of action?

Thanks!