Hi,
have a 2004 Chrysler 300m, 3.5L.
I recently bought an oil change plan, which is
When I noticed my vehicle going thru the oil. No leaks or smoke coming from exhaust. I took the car to the dealer, and they put a new PCV valve in, and performed an oil consumption test. (this consists of changing the oil and filter, then returning after 1500 miles for an oil check to see how much has been consumed.
I lost NO OIL during that entire 3000 miles, but went back th the shop that does my oil chane plan, got my oil changed, and sure enough, I’m going thru oil again. I called the dealer, and they used Penzoil 5w30. The place with my oil chg plan uses Chevron 5w30. Is it possible that the Chevron oil just has a much higher evaporation or something?
I’d appreciate any input. Thanks!
OIl does not EVAPORATE! It takes more tests to find out exctly how much oil your car is using. Only YOU can do that.
First of all, did the dealer put in the EXACT amount of oil to bring the level up to the FULL mark? If they put a little extra in to get you to believe that with their oil, you don not consume any, they have sucked you in to stay with them.
On the other hand the other oil change place could have put in not enough to save money, so that it looks like your car is using oil.
There are no technical reasons why oil consumption with two generic 5W30 oil should be different. Your DRIVING STYLE has much to do with consumption. Fast highway driving and towing loads will consume more oil. I believe the dealer must be charging more for their “good”, which is fiction.
I recommend you stick with your other oil change place, check the oil level after having it changed, and keep a detailed record of you driving style, and measure (YOU) the oil level regularly so that you know how much oil is consumed between oil changes.
I have (and always do) check the oil after an oil chg. Both places generally are a bit over on the dipstick, but I measure it from that point so I know for sure whether I’ve lost oil or not… This is really odd.
Forgot to mention- 95% of my driving is city. I go thru more when on the freeway. Ido not drive the car hard, nor do I tow.
Many years ago when servicing a fleet it became convenient to use Union 76 oil. In a matter of months it was quite apparent that the volume of oil that the trucks were burning had jumped astronomically. I switched back to Havoline and the oil consumption problem soon disappeared.
What exactly do you mean by ‘going thru oil’?
How often (time & miles) and how much do you need to add?
In 500 miles going through about 1/1 quart. (City driving). Highway driving- 1/2 qt in 300miles.
Sorry- typo: 500 miles- 1/2 qt (City). (Highway)- 300 miles 1/2 qt.
My Honda - same thing. Be carefull what you say up here. OIl consumption sparks serious debates. Have someone do a compression test, check valve guides and seals or send off an oil sample. This much consumpsion is going to cause other issues. If it is a high mileage engine or there is a ring issue you could be looking at a large bill. Or drive it and correct the symptoms as they arise - may be cheaper.
Engine- Only 65k miles. Oil changed every 3k miles. It still has a powertrain warranty. I am trying the Penzoil oil again right now. I will see how it does this 3k interval…
What is an “oil change plan”? I really don’t know.
Why don’t you change your own oil?
Just an idea. If the car goes through more while changing driving, then I would guess It would not be a leak unless it is around the filter. Did you try to put a piece of card board under your can and letting it run. while looking at your tail pipe for smoke. Does it smoke any right when you start it up?
Some brands of oil do burn off more rapidly than others in my experience. Have the oil change place switch to a different brand of oil. Or, buy and carry a quart of oil in your trunk for top offs. Or, get your money back from the oil change place and dump the plan and go somewhere else for your oil changes.
Check you oil level every 2 weeks, top off as needed and worry about something else.
When I was a writer we had plans avaiable but I never sold one. They were coupon books and typically would only pay $20 toward change. If you used sythetic they would’t cover it. Ripoff in my opinion.
“My Honda - same thing.”
I thought your Honda was 1qt in 1200 miles or more.
Tottie says 1qt in 600-1000 miles. That’s different.