car uses a lot of oil: Yesterday my oil icon was blinking so I checked the oil and there was barely any showing on the dipstick. I get it changed every 3000 miles and no one has ever...

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Yesterday my oil icon was blinking so I checked the oil and there was barely any showing on the dipstick. I get it changed every 3000 miles and no one has ever said the oil was low before they changed it.

Its a 2000 Lincoln Towncar with 256,000 miles on it. Is this normal when a car has that many miles on it? If I check the oil every week and keep adding as I need to will I be okay, or is this an indicator of a major problem.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Good one! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

some don't look at the level first - they just pull the plug and drain it -

with that mileage it could be numerous things -
if the engine is not putting out blue smoke, then look at the cleanliness of the engine -
take the car to a shop and have the engine steam cleaned - this will remove all the build up dirt/grime which can hide a small leak from:
oil plug
oil pan gasket
front and/or rear seal
valve cover gasket

is there any fresh oil spots on your driveway?
is the dirt/grime on the engine shiny?
look under the engine for fresh oil seeping out - check on top of the engine for fresh oil seepage -

if the engine is putting out blue smoke - it could be rings or valves - needs to be opened up and fixed...

unless you want to play mechanic - that's about it - if you can't find anything, the next step is to have it checked out by your son-in-law ;)

as far as adding oil every week - I knew a guy that did for years - if the state you live in has an emissions control law and you're burning oil, it will fail - but as long as there is oil in there, it should continue to run...

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Thanks Shellback.
Were you on the Manitowoc or Seahorse during Vietnam?

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

jim quist wrote:

Yesterday my oil icon was blinking so I checked the oil and there was barely any showing on the dipstick. I get it changed every 3000 miles and no one has ever said the oil was low before they changed it.

Its a 2000 Lincoln Towncar with 256,000 miles on it. Is this normal when a car has that many miles on it? If I check the oil every week and keep adding as I need to will I be okay, or is this an indicator of a major problem.

As Shellback stated if you keep oil in the engine it should be good for a good while. The 4.6L is a good engine I had three T/Cs all were just shy of 200k when they just let go. However none where purchased new and their history was not known to me.
If you have a good car, body and interior its cheaper to replace the engine or have it replaced than buy a new car IMHO.

pyroManiac Loc: HIXSON,TN

Old cars normally use some oil but if you see no smoke from the exhaust you well could have a leak. A pressure leak would leave oil sprayed over adjoining parts under hood. A gravity leak would show a puddle of oil under car after parked a while. Cost depends on where leak is found.

rustfarmer

No one has mentioned a bad PCV valve as a possible issue. Also note I have found it is possible to use higher number oil (20-50, or even straight 40 or 50w) to reduce consumption in cases of worn rings. If this problem developed suddenly I would first look for a leak or bad PCV valve.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

No one has mentioned 256,000 miles either,not a bad run!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The oil is either leaking out or being burned. If you don't see any oil under the car or in the engine compartment, then it probably isn't leaking. Blue smoke from the tailpipe is the traditional indication of burning oil. Since this seemed to happen suddenly, it's probably not a major problem, although running an engine with insufficient oil is never a good idea.

Please let us know how this turns out.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

jim quist wrote:

Yesterday my oil icon was blinking so I checked the oil and there was barely any showing on the dipstick. I get it changed every 3000 miles and no one has ever said the oil was low before they changed it.

Its a 2000 Lincoln Towncar with 256,000 miles on it. Is this normal when a car has that many miles on it? If I check the oil every week and keep adding as I need to will I be okay, or is this an indicator of a major problem.

If it's a minor repair go for it. (I have a 1997 Jeep with 200,000 miles on it) But you gotta look at it this way--Hey-you got 16 good years out of it. Maybe it's time to get rid of the old girl. Best of luck with it.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Theres no blue smoke, and I don't see any oil underneath the car after it sat over night.

346pak Loc: Texas

Shellback covered pretty much all you need for a car burning oil with 256,000 miles on it. If it is not leaking out, it is going through the combustion chamber and being burned during a normal combustion cycle. Typically there are 2 main culprits for this. Piston rings no longer sealing or valve stem wear allowing the valve stem seals to pass oil. There are many other potential root causes as a few have noted but these 2 are usually the offending cause when it comes to oil consumption, especially on high mileage cars.

Have someone check the spark plugs for even and good combustion residue and if they look good, I wouldn't be in a hurry to do anything drastic like sell the car if you like it. Just my .02

JohnK

Cars with catalytic converters often don't show blue smoke even if burning oil.

chazz4623 Loc: Prairieville, La

This particular engine design is more than most, vulnerable to low oil volume, due to its overhead cam layout. Inadequate oil available in the engine deprives the upper end (valves and camshaft bearings) and they will quickly fail due to lack of lubrication. KEEP A CLOSE WATCH on the engine while using it and troubleshooting the oil loss source. If the engine needs repair that requires a rebuild, it might be better to find and install a fairly good USED engine (readily available) and inexpensive (comparatively) rather than repair this one.

4uiprnt Loc: Iowa

Since you didn't say how many miles since the last oil change, it makes it a little difficult to come up with a reasonable answer without doing a little research under the hood or out the tailpipe. No one mentioned the possibility of a leaky oil filter gasket from the last oil change or an oil plug not tightened sufficiently. Just random thoughts from a Sunday morning mechanic. Good luck on your investigation.