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Oil consumption 3.6l v6

jaozus

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Hey y’all, sorry for bringing up this topic again. I usually change my oil every 5000ish miles and it seems like i’m burning a lot of oil. Theres maybe 3.5qts if not a little less that comes out.
This time I’m at 20.5k miles, about 500 miles over my 5000 interval and i checked my dipstick - there’s barely any! Planning on adding a little oil tomorrow morning since I wont be able to change my oil til later in the day

how much oil are yall burning? I use 0w-20 mobil 1. No visible leaks that i’ve seen when changing oil.
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I changed my oil last weekend well below the 5k interval (installed a sthalbus plug) and got out less than I expected as well. I wasn't expecting it so I didn't really measure the amount, but I'm keeping an eye on it from here out.
 
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ChattVol

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Hey y’all, sorry for bringing up this topic again. I usually change my oil every 5000ish miles and it seems like i’m burning a lot of oil. Theres maybe 3.5qts if not a little less that comes out.
This time I’m at 20.5k miles, about 500 miles over my 5000 interval and i checked my dipstick - there’s barely any! Planning on adding a little oil tomorrow morning since I wont be able to change my oil til later in the day

how much oil are yall burning? I use 0w-20 mobil 1. No visible leaks that i’ve seen when changing oil.
That's not normal if there's barely any oil on the dipstick after going 5500 miles from your last oil change if you're checking it correctly. I changed mine every 4k miles or every 6 months and it was always close to full. I would get it looked at ASAP...gotta be a leak or something is wrong to be burning that much oil. :beer:
 
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Paluss

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I probably average 6-7K miles between oil changes, never had to add any and the mark on the dip stick does not change, you have an issue. Also, if you are only draining out 3 1/2 quarts you should not allow the level to drop that low as it can cause damage.
 

DanW

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I agree with @ChattVol that you should get it checked. That said, you should be checking the dipstick ever 1 to 2k miles anyway. Also, when changing oil on the Pentastar, let it drain a long time. You'd be really surprised how long it takes to get it all out of there. But the dipstick is your friend here and doesn't lie if you are checking it correctly. That means after the engine is fully warm, shut it off and check it after 5 minutes, as per the manual. But if you are down a quart or more, it'll be obvious that you are low no matter when you check it. But that procedure DOES make a slight difference, as in up to about 1/4 quart indicated.

Oil consumption isn't reallyi that common in the PUG 3.6, so if your dealer has a good service depatrment, they'll likely find something.

That said, many engines consume some oil. If you consumed a quart and a half in 5k, that's not out of the range of what is considered normal, although I'd still have it gone over. I'd also have them replace the PCV just to eliminate that as a potential source of the problem, too. They also need to check around the oil filter housing. A good dealer technician will know exactly where to check on this engine. They work on Pentastars more than any other engine, by far.

If your dealer finds nothing, then let us know and I'll give you something else you can suggest to them or even try on your own.

Another thing to remember when topping it off. You can go up to a quart over the 5 quart capacity. I wouldn't press the far edge of that, so I'd do maybe 1/4 to 1/2 quart over. All FCA engines are designed to pass all operational certification tests with up to 1 quart overfilled or 1 quart underfilled. (That comes striaght from a friend who was on the Pentastar design team.) That little extra can help a bit if you forget to check it. (If you off-road at extreme angles, then keep it at 5 quarts.)

If it turns out it is using oil and there are no leaks from any gaskets or other areas, then just make a routine of checking and topping off.

Everyone will tell you it isn't normal, but it actually is quite common and can be normal if no leaks or problems are found. My Jk has jused 1/2 to 3/4 quart of oil ever 1k miles for the last 10 years. That's alot. But less than the 1 quart per 1k that is the threshold for major repair or replacement under warranty. (I have a lifetime warranty) Along the way, they've replaced the upper and lower oil pan gaskets and the valve cover gaskets. It's tight as a drum now, and guess what? Still uses oil. It is at 148k miles now and runs like new. A friend has one with 140k and his doesn't burn a drop. Mine actually runs better. I just check oil ever 1k and I top it off about 1/2 quart over full, for insurance.

One last thing I'd try if all else comes up with nothing. Try a different brand of oil. It is unlikely it will make a difference, but there's nothing to lose. If you are using Pennzoil Platinum, change it to Mobil 1 EP, for example, but just try another brand, whateer it is. I also like Valvoline Advanced Syn, Quaker State (No, it is NOT the same formulation as Pennzoil Platinum, even though both are from Shell), Castrol Edge or Edge EP, Chevron Pro DS, or even Walmart Supertech. If you want to spend some money, Shaeffers, Redline, or Amsoil are all excellent. Doesn't really matter the brand, but I've found my 3.8 JK uses a little less when I run Mobil 1 EP. (I run the high mileage version. It won't hurt anything to do that, but I'd recommend the "regular" version of oils at this point with your engine.) You might find a particular brand that it likes a little better. Do NOT use Lucas oil stabilizer, whatever you do. I would never add any kind of additive to your oil. And while it would do no harm, I would not mix brands, either. The reason is a whole other discussion that would turn into a flaming debate. I just wouldn't recommend it.

Keep us posted on what you find. It will help somone here, even if they find nothing.

In the meantime, keep it topped off and enjoy it. I've taken my JK off roading all over the country for the last decade with it using oil the whole time and its never had an issue.
 

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DanW

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I forgot to answer your question. Mine tends to need about 1 cup of oil over 7500 miles. So when I change oil, I just put 5.25 quarts in it. when it settles in, it sits right at the full mark all the way to 7500 or 8000 when I change it again. I've run mostly Mobil 1 AP/EP but have run Pennzoil Ultra and Shell Rotella Gas Truck, all 0w20, and all with the same 5.25 quart trend. I've done used oil analyses with Blackstone at every change and all appears nominal.
 
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jaozus

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Checked dipstick this morning w/o turning car on, it was just below the low mark. When i checked last night I couldnt see any on the dipstick, but I was able to wipe some off.

So just changed the oil, ~3.5qts came out. Burned roughly 1.5 quarts in 5.6k miles. Checked while I was under and saw no visible leaks. 5 quarts of mobil1 0w-20

will continue to monitor dipstick every 1000 miles or so.

in the case that i need to bring it to dealer - would me changing my own oil lead to them denying any warranty work if necessary?
 
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jaozus

jaozus

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Old oil, roughly 3.5qts

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DanW

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Checked dipstick this morning w/o turning car on, it was just below the low mark. When i checked last night I couldnt see any on the dipstick, but I was able to wipe some off.

So just changed the oil, ~3.5qts came out. Burned roughly 1.5 quarts in 5.6k miles. Checked while I was under and saw no visible leaks. 5 quarts of mobil1 0w-20

will continue to monitor dipstick every 1000 miles or so.

in the case that i need to bring it to dealer - would me changing my own oil lead to them denying any warranty work if necessary?
No, especially if you kept records. And they probably won't even ask, but you never know. I keep a maintenance record on my vehicles and when my JK has gone in for things such as oil pan gaskets or valve cover gaskets, they never asked. But they know I maintain my vehcles better than they do. On my JL, I keep the record and do a UOA every change. I'll probably stop doing those ever change at some point. If you have receipts, that's even better, but I've never had to produce anything like that in 35 years.

How many total miles do you have on it?
 

DanW

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One more thing...oil consumption would have to be oil related to attempt to deny coverage. If it involves gaskets, it has nothing to do with the oil itself.

Most issues that would cause it are probably well known, so I wouldn't fret. Take it in, explain what you've seen, let them do their thing.

Just keep in mind that if they find nothing wrong, 1.5 quarts in 5600 miles is well within the normal range of oil usage. You'd have to get to 1 quart per 1k miles to trigger a repair if it was something internal.

Be sure to ask them to check gaskets, seals including the rear main, oil cooler, oil filter housing, and the PCV valve and housing. There may be other things, but these would be the obvious ones. They should know this engine VERY well and know where to look.

If they say it is normal without taking it in and checking it over, don't accept that answer. Make them explain what they checked and if they left something out,
insist they check it.

What do you know about the dealer? Good rep? Do you have a good relationship with them? If so, they'll likely take good care of you and give it a thorough going over.
 

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jaozus

jaozus

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No, especially if you kept records. And they probably won't even ask, but you never know. I keep a maintenance record on my vehicles and when my JK has gone in for things such as oil pan gaskets or valve cover gaskets, they never asked. But they know I maintain my vehcles better than they do. On my JL, I keep the record and do a UOA every change. I'll probably stop doing those ever change at some point. If you have receipts, that's even better, but I've never had to produce anything like that in 35 years.

How many total miles do you have on it?
currently have 20.6k
 
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jaozus

jaozus

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One more thing...oil consumption would have to be oil related to attempt to deny coverage. If it involves gaskets, it has nothing to do with the oil itself.

Most issues that would cause it are probably well known, so I wouldn't fret. Take it in, explain what you've seen, let them do their thing.

Just keep in mind that if they find nothing wrong, 1.5 quarts in 5600 miles is well within the normal range of oil usage. You'd have to get to 1 quart per 1k miles to trigger a repair if it was something internal.

Be sure to ask them to check gaskets, seals including the rear main, oil cooler, oil filter housing, and the PCV valve and housing. There may be other things, but these would be the obvious ones. They should know this engine VERY well and know where to look.

If they say it is normal without taking it in and checking it over, don't accept that answer. Make them explain what they checked and if they left something out,
insist they check it.

What do you know about the dealer? Good rep? Do you have a good relationship with them? If so, they'll likely take good care of you and give it a thorough going over.
the dealer i plan to go to is where I bought my jeep from. I havent gone enough to build a relationship. Only went for my clutch recall and another clutch related issue. I cant say theyre the best but theyre one of the higher Yelp rated Jeep dealers so we’ll find out. Fingers crossed
 

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That is within spec, there’s probably not much that can be done.
 

_olllllllo_

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Checked dipstick this morning w/o turning car on, it was just below the low mark. When i checked last night I couldnt see any on the dipstick, but I was able to wipe some off.

So just changed the oil, ~3.5qts came out. Burned roughly 1.5 quarts in 5.6k miles. Checked while I was under and saw no visible leaks. 5 quarts of mobil1 0w-20

will continue to monitor dipstick every 1000 miles or so.

in the case that i need to bring it to dealer - would me changing my own oil lead to them denying any warranty work if necessary?
I use the Jeep app to capture all the maintenance I do to my Jeep. The dealer can see this as they add to the same log (clutch recall and steering box TSB). I take pictures of the oil and filter I am using sitting on the bumper with the hood up and take
a pic of the mileage on the Jeep. I use the SimplyAuto app on iPhone to include the pictures I took.

I check my dipstick at every few fill ups for fuel after it has sat for a a few minutes. I have never shown anything but full even going to 8,000 miles on an oil change. I run Amsoil, but the brand of synthetic oil shouldn't matter related to oil consumption. I will start capturing how much oil came out just to track any consumption metrics for the future.
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