I own a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse LT 3.6L with almost 71k miles. Purchased it just under a year ago with 52k miles on it. Noticed that I am 1 to 1.5qts low on oil after 4-5k miles. No signs of a leak on my driveway however, the engine has oil on the 2 bolts between the transmission and engine (oil pan, oil filter, left and right side valve covers are dry). I am almost afraid to take the car in due the the cost of reapirs. The only thing I can see causing this issue would be the rear main seal…not sure if there is anything else in that area that would cause an engine oil leak there.
Lower intake manifold gasket maybe?.. Head gasket?
Top or bottom of the bell housing??
I expect that’s the normal oil usage for your engine. The oil is most likely getting into the cylinders past the piston rings, where it is burned by the combustion process, and the gasses exit out the tailpipe. The manufacturers are trying to squeeze every last bit of mpg they can out of the engine, and one way to do that is to specify light oil. 0W20 rather than 10W30 etc. The lower viscosity allows more oil to bypass the rings. Some manufacturers say that one quart per 500 miles is acceptable.
Suggest to frequently monitor the oil level on the dipstick, top off as necessary, make sure the oil & filter are changed on schedule, use the correct spec oil, and the next time the car is in the shop ask the mechanic to check for any signs of a leak in the valve covers or an oil pressure sender.
Seems unlikely considering the vehicle’s age, esp since you report there are no signs of an oil leak onto your driveway.
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might be a possibility.
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The 3.6 seems to have chain issues. I’d do more frequent oil changes.
You should never get 1 quart low on oil. Never. If you keep ignoring your oil level, you will have far greater problems than a leak. You will ruin the engine and THAT is far more expensive than a rear main seal.
Check your oil regularly, each week is a good start. Add oil as needed to bring the level to the right point on the dipstick between oil changes.
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3.6 is a touchy motor.
That amount of oil consumption is no cause for any concern or corrective action, other than topping off the oil when it’s a quart low. Without a picture of the oil residue you are describing it’s impossible to tell what or how bad it is.
I have a 2018 GM product with that engine and depending on driving conditions it might be a quart low at 5000 miles. No cause for alarm.
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We have a ton of GM vehicles of that vintage and the same engine in our fleet and they ALL use the amount of oil you’re describing
There’s nothing wrong with them
Everything will be fine if you get into the habit of checking and topping off your engine oil level every few weeks
You should be checking your fluids and tire pressures on the weekends, anyways, imo
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It certainly wouldn’t hurt to take the vehicle to a mechanic for a checkup.
However, if it were mine, I’d just monitor the oil more regularly, and keep it topped off.
As many of the wise sages have said here before… oil is a lot cheaper than major engine repairs.
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I am sorry, but being a quart or more low after driving only 1-4 thousand miles is not acceptable anymore. And I don’t care what the manufacturer claims. If its “normal” than that manufacturer is designing defective engines, and complaints should be pouring in to the EPA and NHTSA. It’s been 40 years since I’ve owned a car or truck (or 4 cycle boat engine) that burns that much oil at even 100,000 miles. It’s ridiculous that in 2024 we still have manufacturers with engines that are polluting the air by burning excessive oil. These things are not high efficiency 100 to 1 two strokes, they are 4 cycle engines designed NOT to burn or leak oil. If your car or truck is losing a quart or more of oil at 100,000 miles or less, something is wrong with it!
They make the product. So they’re the ones who have the say as to what is normal oil consumption.
They don’t give a crap what you think.
Tester
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They may not care what one individual thinks, but they do care what their customer base thinks. The manufacturer knows the customers have a choice about which products to buy, and which not. Presumably the manufactures believe the competitive products all use about the same amount of oil, which is probably true.
Sure the manufacturer can specify whatever they want. And they don’t have to care what I or other customers think. But those that make engines that eat oil are making junk, we don’t have to buy them. Manufacturers that don’t care what their customers think go bankrupt and/or out of business. So they better care. I feel that any manufacturer that builds an engine that eats that much oil is after driving only 1-4,000 miles is making junk. And aside from a lawn mower engine, I haven’t had a 4 cycle engine that eats oil in 40 years. And yes, I have refused to buy a couple of cars that had gotten a reputation as being oil burners. I ask my own mechanic which engines and cars are mechanically better and last longer and pay attention to reports.
Most people buy a vehicle off of feelings, not logic… So people just see something shinny and pretty or cheap and don’t check the vehicles out before buying… If people really checked vehicles out, Hyundai/Kia would probably be out of business by now, have you driven by a H/Kia dealership and seen all the crate engine totes all stacked up out back??
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Then perhaps you should write off ALL new(er) cars
Because the engine oil consumption you’re talking about is common and considered acceptable for multiple brands, foreign and domestic
I beg to differ
I’ve encountered plenty of these engines over the course of my career and there was, in fact, nothing “wrong” with them
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I can imagine that over the course of a long career in the auto repair biz that you are going to encounter plenty of oil burners. As for me, as a consumer, I avoid them.
But I gotta ask… why do some cars burn oil and others do not? When a manufacturer is producing the same engine and putting them in the same model car, why will some be oil burners and others (same engine, make and model) do not? I suspect the answer is engineering and quality control on the engine production line. Either I’ve been extremely lucky for 40 years, or my strategy of simply doing some basic research has paid off. The last car that burned oil on me was a 1978 Ford Fairmont with a 2.3 liter engine.
It depends on several factors, none of which directly depend on the manufacturer.
The biggest factor is how the engine has been maintained throughout its life. I’m referring to oil changes. There’s also whether the engine has been overheated, things of that nature.
I understand that newer engines, due to EPA concerns, might use a thinner oil, some of with ends up getting burnt over time.
There are just a whole lot of reasons.
I might be wrong, but I’m under the impression that no manufacturer will accept a warranty claim for anything less than one quart per 1,000 miles. I believe at least one manufacturer uses a number of one quart per 600 miles instead.
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I believe that you are correct.
And, a few years ago, we had several posts from people who owned new/new-ish Audis, and who were concerned about high oil consumption. They were told by Audi corporate that 600 miles per quart was considered “normal” by that company.