My car is old almost 200k miles 05 malibu 3.5l v6. It burn literally 3 quarts oil every 6.000 miles so 1 quard every 2000 miles which chevy says it is normal for my car. Is it safe to not add any oil and change it every 5-6k miles ? no low level oil or any warnings pop on 2 quarts oil left, or should I add oil ?
Depending on how much you drive dictates oil consumption.
Check the oil level every week. And when it’s down a quart, add a quart.
Tester
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Add oil and keep up with the changes. Have it checked out, could be a pcv valve or something.
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Oil is cheap, check often and add when it is a quart low.
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You really want to drive with only 2 quarts of oil in the engine. Well , that will move the engine overhaul or vehicle replacement up to sooner than you planned. If it really bothers you that much why not start looking for a replacement vehicle.
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It’s more than average, but this car is close to 15 years old and has 200k miles on the clock.
It is not. You should continuously top off the oil, I would check it weekly. Continuously running the engine low on oil will decrease the life of the engine.
You should add oil, not all cars have a low oil level warning.
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NO…
YES…
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You might as well be asking it with the question you did ask
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@gandhi_s_flip_flop , Sorry you have a problem with a direct honest answer. You were given a couple results of those actions, you need to decide if it’s safe for you. After all you did ask, on a public forum. You get what you get, suck it up buttercup.
Maybe you just shouldn’t ask such ridiculous questions. and read a little more of your owners manual. Especially the part about checking the oil and maintaining the correct level. If it is too much to open the hood, check and\or correct the oil level you need to rethink your maintenance habits. And don’t ask questions, if you don’t really want answers.
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Hi gandhi_s_flip_flop:
For a car with this many miles, burning a quart every 2000 miles isn’t cause for concern.
Just keep adding a quart of oil when needed, and you’ll be fine.
Letting your oil go more than a quart low makes the oil to be more prone to coking and sludging, which is not what you want.
One quart/2000 miles is very good for a vehicle with 200,000 miles on it.
Now to your question is it safe to drive until the oil pressure light comes on—only if you only drive where you can safely coast to a stop when the engine seizes.
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This was my reaction when I read the question:
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My 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue GX has over 119,600 miles on it and would lose a quart of oil every 2,000 miles as well. Fortunately, my car has a low oil light on there and if there wasn’t enough oil or no oil in the engine, the sensors will tell the computer to not make the car start unless there’s oil in the crankcase. I replaced my PCV Valve, IAC Valve, and engine air filter recently as preventative maintenance.
Also, some oil changing companies or shops only add 5 quarts of the 6.5 quarts my car takes and I always have spare oil with me at all times, along with more essential fluids, like brake fluid, power steering fluid, and engine Dex-Cool coolant 50/50 mixture.
Why not find a competent oil change shop and stick with them? You shouldn’t have to check your oil when you leave and carry spare.
Maybe not , but what if that good oil change person has left for a better job and a new person just did the service. It is not that hard to check oil before you leave and it is just a good idea.
When I think of “oil change shop” Iffy- lube and it’s ilk come to mind, and none of them can be considered to be competent. Even if their radio ad say they have “highly trained technicians”. Sure they do.
Based on your numbers, it is a quart low after 2,000 miles, and being three quarts low between oil changes could be catastrophic.
You should be checking your oil level often. I recommend checking it at least once a week. If you go on a road trip with a car this old, I’d check it at least once a day.
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You’re right, I actually misspoke as my typing got ahead of my thinking. What I mean was, take it to a competent repair shop that you use for all maintenance. They usually don’t mind doing oil changes because it’s quick simple high-margin. Why anyone
would take out a 5 year loan on a $40K car and then trust the entire engine to someone making minimum wage escapes me.