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I keep my 3000 mile oil change interval pretty strictly but don't check it too often cause the car seems to run well always. Last night I was pulling into the local Wally World, made a pretty quick 90 degree turn into the lot and my oil light flashes on. This is the first time it ever came on. I wasn't even sure it worked aside from it lighting up when I turn the car on. Since I was there, I got two quarts of oil and put them in this morning. Truth be told, I was very low on oil.

Question is, I shouldn't be using up this much oil within a 3000 mile oil change should I? It's been almost four months and about 2500 miles since last change but I haven't added any since then. I have no signs of leaks. I know I should check it more often but never thought I'd be using oil like that. Is this a warning sign to engine problems or what?

Maybe you forgot to put as much in the last time?

Two quarts is a lot, honestly. You've not seen any white smoke or noticed a ticking sound or any puddles under your car?

Actually I took it in the last time it was done. I don't have my own garage and it was still winter at the time. Anyways, really no way to tell how much was actually put in but the reciept said five quarts or so. I think i twas 4 1/2. By ticking, do you mean valve tapping in the engine? If so, no. Not sure about the smoke, I'll have to check that out. No puddles to speak of.

Just tried to see the color of smoke and it appears to look normal. Question though, I revved it up and down for about 15 seconds, enough for it to warm up a bit in 50 degree weather, and it will start pushing out smoke a decent amount and you can smell it a little bit. Is this normal??

What color?

You'll be able to see the exhaust in those temperatures, so it might be hard to distinguish between smoke and normal exhaust fumes. Try checking your coolant and look for a color change. Also check the color of your oil when you change it, I think.

It's white and goes away pretty much as soon is it reaches the ground for the most part. Checked coolant, it's at full/hot after the car being warmed a bit. The exhaust smells like normal exhaust as does the oil on the dipstick. I'll probably change the oil this weekend and se ewhat it looks like.

When was the last time you changed the spark plug tube seals? My 2003 did the same thing when those seals started failing. Pull each one of your plug wires and check to see if the tube pops up. If it does, then pull that plug to see if there's oil on it. If there is, I'd change your plugs and wires and get a valve cover gasket kit.

clancaster23 wrote:It's white and goes away pretty much as soon is it reaches the ground for the most part..

Pretty normal there. Oil smoke would linger for a while, especially if there was no breeze to carry it away.

Possibly they put a different brand in than normal. I have switched brands in the past with my 383 BB, and it burned up 3 qts in less than a thousand miles. Never used that brand again. Went back to my usual, and everything was normal.
It never smoked either. Just happened to check it since I put a lot of miles on that week, and

Oil smoke is blueish, never white. If you could smell something coming from the exhaust after 15 mins, I'd say you might have an issue. The cat should be warmed up in 2-3 mins from startup, so you shouldn't smell hardly anything from any OBDII car's exhaust once the cat starts doing its job. That oil had to go somewhere. You might have a piston ring leaking oil into the cylinders, a spark plug tube issue, or worse. A compression test and cylinder leakdown test can help eliminate major issues, while the spark tubes can be checked easily by popping out the plug wires and plugs.

Blue to gray. GF's 3.0 is gray. Definately oil smoke. Kills mosquitoes, and small birds everywhere.

The oil could be going into the IM due to a faulty PCV valve/normal 2.0 IM oiling.

I just changed the plugs not too long aog and don't recall any oil on them. There probably was a bit but nothing to speak of. Again, I'll probably change it this weekend and keep a close eye on it after.

occasional demons wrote:The oil could be going into the IM due to a faulty PCV valve/normal 2.0 IM oiling.

I'm lost....

I thought these engines normally take 4.5 and 5 is overfilling unless you get the bigger filter?

I noticed mine ate around 1/2 quart the last time around...but it's got some mileage (105k)

Adionik wrote:I thought these engines normally take 4.5 and 5 is overfilling unless you get the bigger filter?

I noticed mine ate around 1/2 quart the last time around...but it's got some mileage (105k)

Yes. While not uncommon, 1/2 quart seems to be a bit much between changes.

Well the tranny is trying to kill itself, wouldn't doubt if the motor goes next.

Prozac?

I think it's jealous

clancaster23 wrote:

occasional demons wrote:The oil could be going into the IM due to a faulty PCV valve/normal 2.0 IM oiling.

I'm lost....

There is a PCV valve on the right side of the valve cover. Its job is to vent crankcase gases to the intake manifold were it can be burnt off when it reaches the engine. However, Its a common problem on neons for oil to reach the valve during right turns and travel down to the intake manifold where it begins to pool up, or get burned in the engine. Install a catch can in the pcv line to prevent this.

clancaster23 wrote:I keep my 3000 mile oil change interval pretty strictly but don't check it too often cause the car seems to run well always. Last night I was pulling into the local Wally World, made a pretty quick 90 degree turn into the lot and my oil light flashes on. This is the first time it ever came on. I wasn't even sure it worked aside from it lighting up when I turn the car on. Since I was there, I got two quarts of oil and put them in this morning. Truth be told, I was very low on oil.

Question is, I shouldn't be using up this much oil within a 3000 mile oil change should I? It's been almost four months and about 2500 miles since last change but I haven't added any since then. I have no signs of leaks. I know I should check it more often but never thought I'd be using oil like that. Is this a warning sign to engine problems or what?

2 quarts low on a 4.5 quart capacity is running VERY low.

Start checking your oil more regularly... like daily.

It could be a leak... check around the camshaft sensor, the oil sending unit and the oil pan gasket.

Fairly common for the oil to start seeping at the camshaft sensor and oil pan.

ZeroChad wrote:

clancaster23 wrote:

occasional demons wrote:The oil could be going into the IM due to a faulty PCV valve/normal 2.0 IM oiling.

I'm lost....

There is a PCV valve on the right side of the valve cover. Its job is to vent crankcase gases to the intake manifold were it can be burnt off when it reaches the engine. However, Its a common problem on neons for oil to reach the valve during right turns and travel down to the intake manifold where it begins to pool up, or get burned in the engine. Install a catch can in the pcv line to prevent this.

Thank you, sir!
Also just normal oil vaporization will suck a fair amount of oil into the IM.