Why is my car using up oil?

Question

I have a 97 buick park avenue with about 115000 miles on it. It is using up about a 1/2 to 3/4 quarts of oil per month. It is not smoking nor is the oil leaking out. The car runs perfect and ive never had any problems with it. I know it needs a tune up so could this be the reason OR what else could it be.

Answer 1

change the pcv valve are you 100% there are no oil leaks with that kind of mileage. you gotta check underneath. oil pan gaskets, front and rear seals, valve cover gaskets. see if you have oil in your air filter if so change the pcv valves first and see if this helps

Answer 2

If it is not leaking or blowing smoke the only thing I can think of would be a blown gasket. It is likely leaking into your cooling system. Probably a blown head gasket, but it could be an intake gasket. Both are common on cars with high miles. Also take a look at your valve cover gasket, if that is leaking the oil often gets burnt off when it drips down on the the exhaust. You will see fresh iol on the head just below the valve cover gaskets.

Answer 3

"1/2 - 3/4 of a quart of oil a month" - without knowing how many miles are put on it each month, it's difficult to say. If you are using 5w30 oil, for instance, you might significantly reduce this usage by simply switching to 10w40.

When you have your next oil change, have the mechanic carefully check it over for any leakage. Odds are, if there are no leaks, the consumption is a combination of valve seals and ring wear. I certainly wouldn't get overly concerned with this amount of oil usage at this time.

Answer 4

depending on how many miles you drive in a month, 1/2 quart is not excessive oil consumption. After 12 years and 115,000 miles, your engine is a little worn out. Don't worry about it.

Answer 5

yep, check for the oil pan gasket, see if ur leaking.

Answer 6

loosing this much or little oil is not noticeable from the tailpipe

Answer 7

look for leak