Our 2001 T&C has 88,000 miles and in the years we've had it there have been absolutely no problems. About 3 months ago the wife told me a light had come on that had something to do with the oil. I checked the level and had to add over two quarts to bring it up the the proper level. We have never had any indication of it using oil. No oil on the garage floor and no smoke. I had the oil changed and after about 2,500 mile I checked the oil level and it was down about a quart and a half. DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING!

There was earlier thread on this topic but no explaination came out of that. I sent two private messages to the author to see if he ever found out the problem but he never responded.

 

First of all it's not that unusual to be down by a quart every 2 or 3K miles-- especially with an engine with some age/miles on it. You should probably work a more frequent check into your habits-- I check at the gas station every couple of fill-ups.

You can also go underneath and look for leaks-- don't expect any big spots on the driveway. One thing I found recently was that my rear valve cover gasket was leaking and the whole back of the engine was covered with a thin coat of oil. I had no spots on the ground, but it was clearly losing some oil that way and a quick gasket change fixed it. Other places to look are the front and rear main seals (look around the front and rear of the engine) and around the oil filter (check if it's tight enough). Leaks in these areas can add up over time in terms of oil loss, but never show a spot on the ground.

 

Thank you for the advice. I will check those areas and check the oil more often.

 

I agree with Rick about the age of an engine. My 01 with a 3.8 started using a little oil recently (103K miles or so) with no signs of drippage on the underside.