Okay...nice way to start out the Dodge forum.....with a MINIVAN!!! The wife and I have a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. 3.8L V6. I'm noticing a loss of oil, somwhere, from the engine. Can't, for the life of me, figure out where, though. NO oil spots on the driveway OR garage floor. No blue smoke, or smoke in general from the exhaust. And it's only a 2006 with about 40K miles.

Any ideas. I lose about 1 qt a month....appx.

Thanks for any input.

Tim

How many miles is that? It might be normal for an ameerican car.1 quart every 500-900 miles is considered to be in the high side of the normal range for many domestics.

3-5K miles every three months....depending on the situation. So about 1,000 a month.

Check your owners manual or look up the FSM info on the net, this might be within the relm of what is considered to be normal. Newer cars have low tension rings and stuff and it seems that there is an increse in oil consumption on later model cars. Nissan has a bunch of cars that burn oil on the borderline. Ford, GM and even some toyota models have had this issue. As manufactures try to eek the most fuel economy out of engines, these things happen. Rings account for 60% of the total friction in an engine so its a major target for fiddling.

If you want to be safe do a compression and leakdown test.

Posted By smartbomb on 06-13-2009 09:34 AM

If you want to be safe do a compression and leakdown test.

Hehehe.....too much to do for my wife's kid-wagon. Washing that darn thing and changing the oil is enough for me. Just didn't know if there was something else to look for.


Thanks, Mike!

Pop off the intake and see if you're getting any oil accumulation in there. A faulty PCV system may be a cause for oil consumption.

You think on such a new car?

Nope. No oil or accumulation there. I'm trying some "no-leak" type of product just by chance that it will work. So gimme a week or so and we'll see.

EEEK!!! Have you had good luck with the snake oil you're planning to plug your oil leak with? How does it know which small holes to plug, and which to leave alone???

Would have expected someone around here to recommend an Italian tune-up prior to a liquid plug.

Did you find any info on the manufacturer's exceptable rate of oil consumption? If outa range, warranty?


hope it works-out for you,

JW

Second that x2. Most fix your engine additives are only to eek a few more miles on an engine on its last legs. On a late model engines, they will deposit everything up, stick rings,plug cats, screw up o2 sensors in addition to reducing oil consumption.

You would be better off going to a 15w50 oil. That might help a little.

Since Dodge decided to keep using the 3.8L and much like GM and Ford, the intake gaskets can leak a bit causing oil consumption.. Not really common on such a newer vehicle however, so I would get the vehicle in the air and do a good inspection with a bright flashlight.

The next common area to look is actually the oil pan gasket.. It can seep enough and your driving can easily fling it around underneath and never actually drip down onto your driveway..

-Bob

Posted By Hubbard 0 on 06-15-2009 11:37 AM
Pop off the intake and see if you're getting any oil accumulation in there. A faulty PCV system may be a cause for oil consumption.

this was my first thought. back when i was a toyota service advisor, we had a few newer highlander v6's with excessive oil consumption problems. it took a few dealerships to figure out the first one (until he came to us) and our tech found a severly clogged pcv system. this guy was losing a quart in a week for a month or two straight, driving average miles.

as far as the manufacturer's stated "normal consumption", it's a CYA clause and they have to have it because there are that one or two engines that burn more oil than the rest. when i was at porsche i think the cayenne's clause said a quart over 600 or 640 miles is normal. to prove this we would track a customers vehicle over an extended period of time and record consumption. it's very difficult, normally, for the customer to prove excessive consumption and get a rebuild or new engine under warranty. thank you cya clause.

but c'mon. how many cars, late model ones at least, are really losing 3 quarts of oil between changes? it isn't the norm so keep looking. and keep digging into the pcv idea because if its not burning or leaking, its going somewhere.

Ok, I have a little info for ya..

Coming straight off Indentifix and my neighbor (Chrysler Tech) you should check the PCV grommet.

"Oil consumption looks to have been cause by oil being sucked around PCV valve and rubber seal"