low on oil?

Question

is it normal to have to put a 1 1/2 -2qts of oil back into my engine once a month? theres no aparent leak, but its always low! my car is getting pretty old, its a 97 with 150,000 miles on it.

there is alot of smoke that comes out of the exust when i start it or when i have to floor it for something...its always done that though

ive always taken care of it, the person before me did not. I have no credit so its going to be real hard for me to get a new car next year

Answer 1

If it's not leaking oil, it's burning it. That means the engine is close to completely shot.

You must decide sometime this coming year if the car is still clean enough to have a new or rebuilt engine installed, or maybe upgrade to a newer car.

P.S. In MY state, Calif., smoking cars fail the smog check, so that's why I gave the advice I did. In other areas where the rules are less stringent, you could easily baby this car for another few years until you can afford to repair/replace it.

Answer 2

There is nothing out of the ordinary about that on an "old" vehicle with a lot of miles on it. If it is smoking out the exhaust when you crank it sounds like the valve guides in the head are worn, or the valve stem seals. Neither is worth bothering with as you can buy a heck of a lot of oil for what it would cost you to repair either and with that many miles you could have other problems with something else on the car after fixing it anyway. Just keep checking the oil to make sure it doesn't get over a quart low at any time and enjoy it. There is one product that might slow this down if it is the valve stem seals and not the guides that are causing the oil consumption. It is a product call ATP at-205. Is a stop leak that is specially formulated for rubber and contains no petroleum so won't overswell the seals. You can get it at Advance Auto or Oreillys, but they often have to get it overnight for you as many stores don't stock it. Website for the company is http://www.atp-inc.com Don't use the other cheap stop leaks as they don't work on this regardless of what the sales people tell you. Look for the ATP at-205 if you decide to even do anything on that line at all. Would at least start planning on a vehicle replacement though as you never know how long an older car will go before major things happen. Since you are not leaking oil as you said you should not have a major problem.

Answer 3

i hope to dispel some of the gloom and doom you are getting. most of the answers are right as to possible causes though. here is what i would try; change the oil, but replace 1 quart of oil with Marvel Mystery Oil. drive as normal and check oil level more often than you do now. then continue to do this for the next 2 oil changes. MMO is a conditioner that cleans oil sludge from the rings and cleans and softens the valve seals. it is thinner than regular oil and works it's way into small areas well. it won't cost too much more than what you are spending to change your oil now. maybe $20.00 over the three changes, so it's worth a try. it won't fix worn out parts, but it might just make them work as well as they can. i have done this with a 150,000 mile car that used 3 quarts in 100 miles on the highway. after wards the car went from CT to FL on just 1 quart! another thing, our 2001 Buick started to use oil at 40,000 miles, a quart every 3,000. and GM said it's normal! going to start doing MMO to it. so there is hope! give it a try and good luck. happy holidays!

Answer 4

Unless you're driving a LOT of miles, that's excessive. You should not need to add oil between changes -- 3,000 - 5,000 miles. One quart over that distance might be OK on an older engine, though.

You said that it smokes on startup as well as when you floor it. Most likely you're ready for an engine overhaul. Any smoke is abnormal and indicates excessive engine wear. Heavy smoke when you floor it generally indicates ring wear. If it smokes heavily when at idle but not much at cruise or when you floor it, valve stem seals are probably at fault.

Even with 150k miles on it, you should not be using that much oil. That kind of usage indicates poor maintenance practices in the past.

Answer 5

It really depends on how many miles you drive. Some manufacturers claim 1 qt in 700 miles is normal. I would have someone check it for leaks, oil burning in a well used car is normal. And once it is more than 1 qt low some engines burn the oil even faster.

Answer 6

if it is a small car that is alot of oil.. are you adding oil ar changing it then? be sure to change it as it gets diry and the filter only cleans 40 % of your oil.change every 3000 miles like clock work. if u are NOT in an extremely cold area, u can switch the wieght of ur oil to 20w50. this oil is good to 20 degrees F. and will cushion ur engine , since it is so old. look to trade this in if u can. don't plan on keeping it. and try to add oil more often between changes. 1.5 qts is too low unless it is a v 8 engine.

Answer 7

I don't know if I would use the word normal. If there isn't oil leaking outside then it means your head gasket is bad on the inside. After your car is warmed up check the exhaust, if it is smoky or gray/blue then it's a sure sign that the gasket is bad. It would cost a bundle to have it replaced, so I would suggest that you keep putting the oil in it as you have been and start saving for another vehicle.

Answer 8

Sounds like valve seals to me, with smoke on startup. I wouldn't worry about it.

I don't share the same opinion as some other answers here. It may last a few more years, so keep oil in it, and keep it fresh, maybe switch to 15W-40 or 20W-50.

Make sure your air filter is nice and clean.

Answer 9

No - that's too much. You're losing it somehow - if you're lucky it's a drain plug issue, if not... Try using a good full synthetic oil at your next change, and adding an Engine Sentry to your oil filter. These two things in combination may stop the problem. Good luck!

Answer 10

From your description, sounds like it's burning oil. Keep checking/adding as needed, change every 3-5,000 miles and baby it along.