A little low on oil (concerned)

[FordRacing1]

Today I was just doing kind of a routine fluid check and noticed when I pulled my oil dipstick that it looks like its about a quart low. I rechecked it twice and it seems like it still is at the bottom dot and not the top like it should be. I have gone close to probably 2500 miles and im running mobil 1 synthetic. Is it normal for it to burn or do I need to switch oil brands? There is no leak that I can see. Im not leaking anything in my driveway so I may be missing it but I crawled up under it a few times and I saw nothing. Its a 2000 4x4 with a 5.4

 

[panda24619]

thats all? your lucky. my truck burns about 4 out of the 6 quarts every oil change. i drain it and theres like nothing coming out. okay maybe not that much but still. its not enough. im not sure if its normal. well... burning oil is never good but mine has done it since ive been doing the oil changes. my dad dosent remember when hes done it.

 

[KWT2000]

did you take a road trip latley? check the oil lines from filter to motor...

 

[nvycrmn]

if its been awhile since your last change, you could be low. panda, that is not good!

 

[FordRacing1]

No I havent really been long distances other that like an hour trip. It hasnt been very long since my last oil change. the oil is just now starting to turn brown

 

[joezek]

My 98 explorer had a lot of oil in the intake, and I wasn't sure why. It did happen to have 178,000 miles on it so I thought it could be a build up over the years.

I installed a home made oil seperator in the PCV line to catch any oil before it gets sucked into the intake plenum. I used a $10 Harbor Frieght air compressor water seperator, and also shoved some copper pan scrubbing material into the pcv hose to strain the air as it gets sucked into the oil seperator.

It worked, I collect about a shot glass of oil every 2-3 months, oil that would have been sucked right into the intake manifold and all over the back of the intake valves. So much for the "EPA" and cleaning the environment, why didn't they think of that. You can even have a drain line that runs back to the valve cover, and check valve that lets it return when the engine's not running (using the vacuum from the PCV valve).

 

[panda24619]

yeah i know its not good. i just have to add oil every now and again.

 

[Eric]

For proper comparison, make sure you always check it with the engine cool and on a level surface and that the dip stick goes all the way in, sometimes mine hangs up on the o-ring. I think it's about a 1/2 quart to get it from the bottom hash marks to the middle so it's not that low. If it still reads lower than when it was changed and you don't see any leaks then the only explanation is it's being burned. How many miles are on the engine? 1/2 quart at the oil change interval is not terrible but is a sign of things to come.

 

[FordRacing1]

My 98 explorer had a lot of oil in the intake, and I wasn't sure why. It did happen to have 178,000 miles on it so I thought it could be a build up over the years.

I installed a home made oil seperator in the PCV line to catch any oil before it gets sucked into the intake plenum. I used a $10 Harbor Frieght air compressor water seperator, and also shoved some copper pan scrubbing material into the pcv hose to strain the air as it gets sucked into the oil seperator.

It worked, I collect about a shot glass of oil every 2-3 months, oil that would have been sucked right into the intake manifold and all over the back of the intake valves. So much for the "EPA" and cleaning the environment, why didn't they think of that. You can even have a drain line that runs back to the valve cover, and check valve that lets it return when the engine's not running (using the vacuum from the PCV valve).

My lightning had that problem with oil getting into the intercooler. I didnt know that non supercharged trucks had that same issue. L&S makes an oil seperator and I had to do the same thing. Ever so often I would have to drain it