Where Is My Oil Going????

[jmusser218]

It's been awhile since I've posted on the forums, which is good because I haven't had any issues with Bonnie until now. My last project was replacing the LIM gaskets with the aluminum set. It went very smoothly and I wasn't losing any coolant or oil after that. Or so I thought.... I have barely been losing coolant (I'm losing a very small amount because of a slight leak at the radiator hose), however I've lost over a quart of oil in about 3 months. So while my coolant problem is fixed, the oil is still going at about the same rate as before. I don't have a cloud of smoke following me whenever I accelerate which I know is a sure sign of burning oil. I don't see any visible leaks anywhere either, nor is there any oil in my parking space at home. So where might my oil be going? I don't notice anything abnormal with the engine performance other than intermittent slight shakes at idle and some loss of power up hills, which I suspect both to be from a partially clogged cat from the leaking coolant. BTW, if there are any users in Maryland, I would love some suggestions on places that would install an aftermarket cat. I have yet to find one. Anyways, thank you very much to everybody who reads and responds to my posts. Everyone is so helpful on this forum and I am very grateful for any tips and information you guys can provide me.

[xcbullet]

Pcv maybe. Mine doesn't use hardly any after changing plenum with new pcv.

[jmusser218]

What exactly does that do with the oil? That's something I haven't changed yet so I might look into doing that next.

[jmusser218]

Oh wait sorry. I know what that is. I actually did change that when I replaced the upper intake manifold awhile back.

[nos4blood70]

Try running 10W40 in your next oil change.

[Arrowhead]

How many miles are travelled in the three month period ? It might be that the engine is just "consuming" the oil. My 135,000 mile 2000 SLE uses about that much oil in that amount of time. It's been that way for a long time. I am using Mobil1 10w30.

[bobgto65]

Harofreak00 posted a source for a cat for about $100 bucks that is a perfect fit. You could try a search on the old posts. You can burn a quart of oil every 1000-2000 miles and that may be considered normal especially if you have a high mileage engine. My 02 SSEi burned a quart every 4000 miles when it has 200,000 miles.

[nos4blood70]

I'd lose a quart every 5,000 miles until I switched to 5W40. My uncle's 2000 SE was burning a quart every 2-3000 miles, and he also switched to the thicker oil, which also stopped.

[00Beast]

Some cars burn oil, some don't. My G8 doesn't burn hardly a drop of oil in an engine known for consuming oil, and neither did my SSEi, however plenty on here and elsewhere burn oil. Just kinda your luck of the draw. Honestly, if your PCV is in good shape (check the o-rings on the valve, under the MAP sensor on the passenger side of the intake), and you're not leaking it on the ground (evidenced either by oil on the ground, which you said there isn't, or oil on the undercarriage), and your neighbors aren't stealing it for their beaters, I wouldn't worry about it. A quart every 3k isn't anything to be overly concerned about.