2002 Lexus GS 350 consuming oil faster than expected

I stopped to have oil changed was told it w as too soon. I mentioned that when I put on my breaks my oil light will flash on. He checked my oil and said it was three quarts low! He topped it off told me to come back in 2000 miles and he would change my oil and check it then. My vehicle does not ever smell like oil is burning no visible leaks. I asked if it was that low wouldn’t my oil light stay on,he told me no. What is going on with my vehicle it is an suv either 300 or 350 with 147,439 miles on it

Lexus has replaced engine short blocks on vehicles well after the warranty has expired for oil consumption issues but your vehicle may be too old.

The GS 350 is a sports sedan, not an SUV and it was first offered for the 2007 model year. Check and post the model and year of your vehicle.

The most economical approach would be to add a quart of oil when needed.

That alone tells me you are not checking your own oil. And you need to learn how! Check every time you get gas. Engines use oil. They just do. Some more than others, especially with nearly 150,000 miles.

If you see that oil light flash, that means the engine isn’t getting any oil pressure. It is not a level sensor. Every time it flashes you’ve done a little damage. Don’t let that happen again by keeping your oil level correct. If it goes hard red, shut the car off immediately or you will destroy your engine.

A much better approach would have been to change the oil right then and there because the small remaining amount of oil in the crankcase was severely “stressed” by having to lube and cool (yes, your oil does serve to cool the engine also) the engine, and as a result it could well have suffered from viscosity breakdown or other types of degradation. Adding new oil is good, but it doesn’t un-do the damage to the oil that was already in the crankcase. And, if your mechanic didn’t say anything about the need for you to check your oil level on a regular basis, that is another serious mistake on his part.

I would recommend two courses of action for the OP:

Get into the habit of checking the oil of your mystery vehicle once every week or two, so that you don’t wind-up in this type of situation again. Your goal should be to NEVER let the oil level fall more than 1 qt below the “full” mark on the dipstick. While my car rarely needs any additional oil, I still check it regularly, and I replenish it as soon as the level falls by 1/2 qt.

Ask friends, neighbors, relatives, and co-workers for recommended mechanics, as the one who you are currently using is not fully competent.
:thinking:

Not checking your oil could cost you thousands of dollars when your engine dies. I suggest that you follow the good advice given above from now on unless you have money to throw away.

It only takes 3-5 PSI of oil pressure to turn off an oil pressure warning lamp so the residual oil will be enough to do this. The lamp will flash on when braking because the remaining oil will slosh in the oil pan and uncover the oil pickup tube. No oil briefly will illuminate the lamp.

Three quarts low is enough to damage an engine AND the oil. You really need to get in the habit of checking the oil level every few tanks of gas. Unfortunately, the majority of the motoring public also neglects to do this.