Oil level low when checked, possible cause? Pennzoil Platinum 6,200 miles since

[paoester]

As long as the Oil Pressure dash light did not come on, the engine is fine. The Oil Pressure warning light would have meant oil flow to the engine was stopping, which can quickly destroy an engine.

With oil that low, internal oil temperature got high. Synthetic Pennzoil handles that well.

Yep, check the oil once a month, on level ground, in the morning cold.

Using 5w30 syn in an engine originally designed for 5w20 is no problem in this case. Actually, Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 is almost as thin as a 5w20 hot anyway. You made a good choice using that.
Probably the best value in a full syn 5w30 oil is the Walmart SuperTech 5w30 full syn though.

I'm jealous of TX mild winters where you don't need to haul around the extra 4WD parts mass & MPG penalty just for the hope of not getting stuck in the snow. Smart to have a 2WD Patriot there.

 

[FastLane]

The joys of long OCI and people not checking their oil. Time for a compression check and see if you have a worn engine.

 

[MotoGuzzi]

Let's see, You buy a used car with about 95k on it, change the oil and then drive it 6000 miles over 10 months. When you got around to checking the oil and wonder where it went. DUH! Change the oil with a hi mileage synthetic and check the level weekly to determine the usage rate. You know nothing about the maintenance history of the car. You may have bought a neglected vehicle. If it was 2 quarts low after 6000 miles, that's 1 quart per 3000 miles, not bad for a 100k car with an unknown history. Take care of the car and hope for the best.

 

[paoester]

Car maintenance & engine knowledge is not something we're all born with. There is no "DUH" here as MotoGuzzi rudely adds.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by paoester
Car maintenance & engine knowledge is not something we're all born with. There is no "DUH" here as MotoGuzzi rudely adds.




It's called common sense. If you own something you should take pride and care of that item. A vehicle is usually the second most expensive item people will own.

If one doesn't care or feigns ignorance then they must accept the possible consequences.

 

[bubbatime]

I was reading on a car forum last year, some doofus had a Toyota something that was burning about 1 quart per thousand, if I remember right. He was one of those guys that never checked his oil, and was dismayed to find himself a few quarts low at oil change time.

His car used oil. And his solution? Have the dealership find a used engine, swap it it for about $3500. To replace a perfectly fine running engine that uses 1 quart per 1000 miles.

Yeah thats right, some absolute moron, paid a dealership $3500, to put a unknown maintenance history, used engine, into his car, because it consumed oil.

Genius could have just checked his engine oil every 1000 miles and topped it off. Instead, he probably got another engine that consumes oil.

These people are out there folks.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by TomokiSakurai
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Oil doesn't just magically disappear. It either gets burned in the combustion chamber or leaks out. A small amount can evaporate off but I don't suspect that's the source of your problem given the volume that's missing.

Have to ask, did you add enough oil to begin with when you last changed it? How much went in? Are there any leaks?

If there are no leaks, your engine likely has a drinking problem....

Yes sir I made sure it was at the correct level, I'm lucky Jeep made a easy to read dipstick unlike my Honda. It was a 5qt jug, I can't remember exactly how much went in but i don't think there was any leftover cause I put the old oil immediately in the jug. No sir, no leaks, I've been lucky in that sense. Unlike my Honda that ran dry from a cracked oil pan.

Than oils making it's way past the rings and/or valve stem seals and being burned in the combustion chamber. If that's the case, and by all indications it seems to be, there are some things you could try to mitigate this like doing an engine flush or piston soak to try and free up the rings, or using a HiMi oil to soften up the stem seals if that's the cause (no real way to know unless you do a tear down). Or just keep it topped off checking it daily, with a cheap dino and motor on...

i think you may be right, i'll try to have someone turn it on today for me while i'm at the back by the tailpipe and see if there is a cloud of smoke coming out from the oil that i read can accumulate on top of the piston and get burned up after sitting overnight and show itself during cold start. and i'll go with HiMi this time around too, ty sir.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
Try Platinum High Mileage 5w30?

Or a BITOG favorite, Maxlife High Mileage 5w30?

yes i've heard good things about that maxlife, would you know if it's GTL as well as the PP?

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by GMBoy
I agree with the others - your engine is consuming oil. The rule of thumb is usually 1 qt to a 1000 miles is considered "acceptable" An inch down the stick from the fill mark probably equals about 2-3 qts low....so with the 6000 mile range on the oil it seems that you are consuming about 2-3 qts an oil change. That, to me, is high.

The first thing to do is try a different oil to rule out your theory and see if the motor responds more favorably to a different oil. My personal recommendation would be to try Valvoline Max Life High Mileage or Mobil 1 High Mileage. Your choice - heck even Supertech Synthetic High mileage would be ok. But switch oils and see what happens.

will do bud, i'll try to set alarms to remember to check it, we just had a baby so my attention is focused right now, but last thing i want is engine trouble so i'll get better at the maintenance.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by Char Baby
[quote:TomokiSakurai]
Changed my oil 6200 miles ago on January 1st, 2019...

...I got around to checking the oil today and it was about an inch below the min line of the safe zone.

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You probably have some mild burnoff/blowby which is not unreasonable in the 10 months during your oil change interval(OCI).

You need to learn a vehicle/engine etc when you first buy it and check the fluids more often. I could be wrong and may have missed something in your post. However, even though you put in the correct amount of oil during your OCI, are you saying that you didn't check the oil level otherwise for 10 months?

yes, unfortunately as i was making the post i started to realize i think i just flat out didn't pay attention to the time length and instead focused on the mileage instead. that was too long now that i think about it to not be checking it, i'll get a rotation going.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Are you checking the oil level in the same location every time (ie, in a level garage or driveway), and by the same procedure (ie, 15~20 min after shutoff or with a cold engine)? The level can vary some if not, and can vary alot if done on ground that looks level, but isn't really that level.

interesting you mention, my driveway is at an incline, i'll try to get it to a flat spot today and see if there is a difference, but yes, shutoff and cold engine i did.

 

[paoester]

2 quarts in 6,000 miles isn't abnormal. For example, GM doesn't consider anything better than 2 quarts in 4,000 miles serious enough to warrant engine replacement (in some warranty-recall 4-cylinder history recently).

You can use any 5w30 SN (spec on the front or back of the jug) you want in this. Checking oil level once a month is fine. With oil filter, after draining out all the oil, you should never put in more than 4.5 quarts into that engine, since over-filling is always bad (foaming, lubricity reduction). Don't just dump in the entire 5 quart jug in there.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
Another question, is this your first time using Pennzoil Platinum? If so there are some engines that burn oil when you switch brands/viscosities/between types/etc for the first few oil changes. It may not burn much or any PP next time.

yes, it was the first time, it was my first oil change on this vehicle, perhaps the previous owner or owners didn't use synthetic or didn't change often, no way to know really. I thought it might be a symptom of the GLT base that caused it, i wonder if Valvoline maxlife is crude based and group 3?

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by Railrust
You'd better keep an eye on it...bummer that you just bought the car and now this is happening.

But it could be from a number of factors...rings, PCV system, valve seals, external leak. Have you looked underneath it? Could be something simple like the drain plug or oil filter...maybe a valve cover gasket.

Worst case scenario...you're going to have to add a couple quarts between oil changes.

yeah, at least i caught it before going a lot more miles and just expecting synthetic to last longer, i changed the pcv filter about 4 months ago, i'll double check the valve cover gasket today, i do know i changed both o2 sensors a couple months ago, it looked like they had never been changed and afterwards for a couple months i got this P0133 Oxygen Sensor Circuit Slow Response error, but it went away after a couple resets with the scan tool and never came back, i did notice that when that error came on and to this day my mpg went down a little bit.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by dpaldino
OP, I believe that it was my review, on the Pennzoil website where I stated that I had more consumption with this natural gas-based oil than with others. Since then I have used Mobil1, Castrol Edge and currently Quaker State. In all these cases I have experienced less consumption than I did with Pennzoil Platinum. My car currently has 220,000 miles on it so I live with some consumption with no worries. With the Pennzoil Platinum I was adding about 1 1/2 qts over a 5000 mile OCI. With Mobil1, Castrol and Quaker State, it's been about 1/3 to 1/2 qt over the same 5000 OCI. If your car seems to drink a little too much of a particular oil, try another and see what happens. There are many great oils out there. In Pennzoil's defense, it worked fine in the wife's car with no consumption over a 4000 OCI. Of course, as the wife, she drives the newer, nicer car with a lot less mileage so it is comparing apples to oranges for sure.

ah ok, yeah it was on the right as a critical review and when i read it i was glad in a way I wasn't the only one experiencing it. yeah i'll try another GTL first, then go to crude, but for sure monitor it better and add if needed, ty.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by BigCahuna
Check to make sure your PCV valve isn't stuck open. You could be sucking oil in there, and burning it.,,,

for this do i simply remove it from the location and shake and make sure it moves freely?

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by paoester
As long as the Oil Pressure dash light did not come on, the engine is fine. The Oil Pressure warning light would have meant oil flow to the engine was stopping, which can quickly destroy an engine.

With oil that low, internal oil temperature got high. Synthetic Pennzoil handles that well.

Yep, check the oil once a month, on level ground, in the morning cold.

Using 5w30 syn in an engine originally designed for 5w20 is no problem in this case. Actually, Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 is almost as thin as a 5w20 hot anyway. You made a good choice using that.
Probably the best value in a full syn 5w30 oil is the Walmart SuperTech 5w30 full syn though.

I'm jealous of TX mild winters where you don't need to haul around the extra 4WD parts mass & MPG penalty just for the hope of not getting stuck in the snow. Smart to have a 2WD Patriot there.

yeah i'd have to agree it got high, but glad that the oil took it well. when i would get home i would notice walking past the engine compartment that it would smell slightly like burned but definitely hot, i just assumed it was all the heavy stop and go driving or the terrible cvt transmission i have. if the walmart supertech is good, then i could switch to that change more often based on color/miles and have a cleaner engine over time.

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by FastLane
The joys of long OCI and people not checking their oil. Time for a compression check and see if you have a worn engine.

yeah for sure a first for me, bad move on my part by not checking it better and just assuming synthetic would last longer than factory OCI. Lesson learned, hopefully there is no damage, any clue how much a compression check would cost me at a service center? ballpark at least?

 

[TomokiSakurai]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by paoester
Car maintenance & engine knowledge is not something we're all born with. There is no "DUH" here as MotoGuzzi rudely adds.




It's called common sense. If you own something you should take pride and care of that item. A vehicle is usually the second most expensive item people will own.

If one doesn't care or feigns ignorance then they must accept the possible consequences.

yeah it's definitely my mistake on not checking it more often. I guess I just fell for the hype train about synthetic oil lasting longer and yielding more miles between oil changes over factory OCI. I'm sure I have common sense, otherwise, I wouldn't have accomplished what I have in life with my career and raising 2 kids, I just think I made a simple mistake of bad maintenance and falling for marketing and advertising. I do take pride in owning a vehicle, I've had many crap vehicles that have either caught on fire, left me stranded or been flooding and lost forever, this was my newest car year-wise I have owned. It's true it was the most expensive item, not from lack of care did this happen, more ignorance (lack of knowledge) on auto-related issues and the behaviour of synthetic oils. And I do accept the consequences, just wanted help in knowing if anybody had experienced or heard of this theory and if they knew it was true with this brand of GTL oil. but thanks for using words that were positive, productive and put me in my place, much appreciated.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by TomokiSakurai
I guess I just fell for the hype train about synthetic oil lasting longer and yielding more miles between oil changes over factory OCI.
It does but that's unrelated to your problem.

Originally Posted by TomokiSakurai
I just think I made a simple mistake of bad maintenance and falling for marketing and advertising.
The first part is correct but the second part is not.