Thread: Really... low oil level?

I start the car up bout to leave work tonight and as my DIC goes thru its startup cycle i see it displays LOW OIL LEVEL. So i turn car off and popped the hood and sure enough pull the dipstick and not one hole has any trace of fluid on it,the level is right below the first hole(1qt). Im like what in the hell? So I go back inside my job and buy 2 qts of pennzoil just somethin to get me home while im puzzled as to how my car ate thru oil like that. Heres some info car has 105k, last oil change was end of Aug i am due for another since i have tracked it mileage wise in one of the DIC mileage displays.Its been 4100 miles since last oil change and I know i need to change my LIM gaskets along with oil change that whole project will be done on Wed. my next day off. But can anybody explain to me if this is normal which i doubt or do i have bigger problems on my hands.?

Edit: and I have no leaks on the ground what so ever.

when was the last time you checked the oil level? it has been stated here that 1 qt per 1000 miles is actually acceptable by GM standards

Around a month ago, it seemed fine then. But this dosent seem right to me to go thru nearly 5qts in 3 months? Car drives fine and everything,no smoke except the questionable white smoke upon cold starts which points to LIM gasket failing.But other then that im puzzled.

I know from experience, the k-frame will hold a pile of oil. Check and make sure your valve covers are not leaking (especially the rear) and that the oil pressure sending unit is not leaking. The k-frame may be holding quite a bit of oil.


Jay

Very dirty pcv?

Causing extra oil eating?

My sisters 02 bonneville burns about 1 quart every 2000-2500 miles, its very strange. I have yet to replace the pcv yet as she lives at college and isnt home often.

What is a K frame? And i have reason to believe my valve covers are leaking due to some sludge and dark oil residue around LIM and on top of tranny but would they leak that much oil without me noticing within a 3 month span?

And I didnt think of that,PCV.

The k-frame is also known as a sub frame. Its the structure that your engine sits directly above. Your lower control arms bolt to the subframe also.

Jay

Ok I know the subframe.Ill check rear tomorrow when I can.So its narrowed down to bad PCV and bad VC gaskets.

Your engine didn't burn 5 quarts of oil. You added 2 quarts and that put it to the full mark or over, didn't it? That's 2 not 5, low plus two equals full would mean that you were only down 2.

It depends on the driving etc. If you were beating the engine quite a bit, it'll use a little more. You were at 4100 miles on an oil change, that's at least a quart in most of our cars if not a little more.

I'm not sure im followin you Bill. I checked dipstick before I added oil since my display said low level. On the stick I didn't see any oil until after all those holes. And if im correct each hole represents the qt. Level? I dont beat on it too much, I would think my oil level would be higher after only 3 months.

The holes don't represent quart increments. The dipstick only reads 2...maybe part of a third quart.

When you do the oil change this week, put in 1 quart and check it, then 2 then 3 and so on. You'll better understand what I'm saying.

Ohh was I wrong. Aight ill do that then,so maybe it is normal,but just for good.measure I think ill change my pcv