Tommy suggested to a caller that she try something called FAST to try to fix a leak in her engine. My daughter’s car has 160,000-ish miles and uses oil due to the wear and tear on the motor. Would FAST work for the car? There is no visible leak. Just a slow use of engine oil over time. If not, any other suggestions? Or is it “check my daughter’s car every month or 500 miles whichever comes first” for the life of the engine? Thanks!
Keep the engine serviced and check the oil regularly. Adding a quart of oil every 750 to 1000 miles is quite acceptable for any automobile.
Oil leaks are one thing. It sounds, however, like your daughter’s car is not leaking, but the oil is being burned in the 160,000-mile engine. This is not at all unusual, but there are no miracle products that can reverse the effects of time and miles. The engine will continue to use oil, and its appetite may increase, as it accumulates more miles. I suggest you learn to live with it. The option is to purchase a newer car or rebuild the engine in this one, either of which is much more expensive than adding oil now and then.
I suggest you (or someone else) teach the young lady to check the oil (and all the other fluids, as well) on a regular basis and make sure the oil and other fluids are kept at the proper level. Yes, girls can do this, and its a valuable life skill. A month is too long to go between checks of the dipstick. For this car two weeks MAX.
She should check the oil while she fills it with gas; every time. They have paper towels to wipe the dip stick and she has time while she waits for the tank to fill. She might do it every other fill, but if the pace picks up she runs the risk of running nearly dry between checks. You can try FAST and see if it works. It can’t cost more than a few dollars per can. That’s a low risk. Here’s a flyer for it: