Jah29 said:
Thanks everyone. Since I don’t have any symptoms of severe oil consumption or any oil leaks, I am going to go with the idea that it just wan’t filled enough either of the last two oil changes. I am going to test this theory by adding oil until the dipstick shows the proper level. And check ever 50 miles. I am not going to harass the shop, because the oil level probably wasn’t catastrophically low.
thanks,
justin
Don't trust the dipstick. Find the oil capacity and install THAT much oil. It is usually 3.5 or maybe 4 quarts with filter. Subtract a quarter of a quart if you are not changing the filter. Start engine, run, shut off, wait a few minutes, verify the dipstick is correct.
Many cars have wildly incorrect dipsticks. Honda is usually good about it but verify, verify, verify.
I just skimmed through the thread, so I could have missed it, but how much oil did you put in initially vs what the specs call for?
At this point, If it were mine, I would drain the oil and refill using the spec'd amount of oil and then check the stick to see if it is accurate.
Then, IF there is an issue, start looking for the cause. If no leaks, check the exhaust for oily soot in the tail pipe and the spark plugs.
Good Luck!
I have seen cars on the highway killed sceaters,big, time, pulled them over, they did not notice that they were burning oil......also just filling the oil to specs, and let sit over night, might show a drop or two, but hot oil under 45 psi will find ways to get out of your engine
Streetwiseguy said:
I once owned a 66 Delta 88 that I had gotten running after a few years parked. It burned a quart of oil every 50 miles, because the drainback holes on the cylinder heads were plugged with chunks of valve seals, I figured out during the rebuild.
It would stop traffic on a four lane highway if I matted the gas after half an hour of cruising at highway speeds. It was berkeleying hilarious.
I owned a 1984 Cutlass V6 that had bad valve stem seals and I added a quart of oil every 125 miles. It would foul out plug number one every month that I changed often until the guy at Trak Auto told me about an anti-fouler plug extension that prevented oiling over the spark plug. If I got on the highway and floored it I could smoke everyone out. I was 32 years old and it was berkeleying hilarious but now I've matured and would never do this.
