my 2012 chevy equinox doesnt go more than 2000 miles and needs two to three quarts of oil after an oil change, dealership says its a known issue but no one knows why or how to fix?
I don’t know how to fix this but I suspect that you are not checking your oil level often enough . You should check at least once a week and keep the level at the full mark . Constantly letting it get low enough you need to add 3 quarts will insure engine failure.
GM has issued a warranty extension on the 4 cylinder engine for the oil consumption issue to 7 1/2 years/120,000 miles.
They know how to repair this but if your car is out of warranty it will be an expensive repair.
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Google “equinox oil consumption”. The oil consumption is primarily due to premature wear of the oil control rings on the pistons on the 2.4 4cyl Direct Injection engine.
This was my experience with my 2013 Equinox.
The short version, between the 20 and 25k oil changes I first noticed the oil level dropping. At 42k the dealer did an oil consumption test and the Equinox was using a quart/1500 miles. I documented all the oil changes and added oil as needed between changes. The dealer replaced the pistons, rings, and a timing chain in March 2016 under warranty. It has 84k miles at this point and oil consumption is 1/2 to 3/4 qt between 5k changes.
Based on my experience and my belief that DI engines are hard on oil I use full synthetic oil and change the oil every 5k miles.
The best thing you can do for your Equinox is check the oil level frequently and add oil as needed between changes. I’ve found it’s best to wait an hour or two before checking the oil. In my experience it takes a long time for the oil to drain down to the oil pan for this engine.
Good luck,
Ed B.
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