2 quarts low on first 4,100 miles

[dansenander]

I checked the oil on my car this morning while filling the gas tank.

Knowing I was approaching the 5k mile oil change, I though I would check the level and condition of the oil.

To my great suprise, I was TWO QUARTS LOW!!!

I only have 4,100 mile on the car! That's a QUART every 2,050 miles!!!

No leaks found.

The car is normal driving conditions with a K&N filter added 1,500 miles ago and Superchip added only 90 miles ago. I don't feel at this time that these would have any relationship to the oil loss.

I call Mercury Dealer and all they can tell me is to take it in. I am scheduled for late next week.

Any thoughts??? My 1992 PI with 158,000 doesn't even use near this!

[FiveO]

Give it an oil change or two....


If it keeps up....then address the problem.

[MERCMAN]

perhaps they didn't fill it at the factory, was it full when you took it home?

[merc406]

Take it in....... Have it documented.....

[03SILVERSTREAK]

I checked the oil on my car this morning while filling the gas tank.

Knowing I was approaching the 5k mile oil change, I though I would check the level and condition of the oil.

To my great suprise, I was TWO QUARTS LOW!!!

I only have 4,100 mile on the car! That's a QUART every 2,050 miles!!!

No leaks found.

The car is normal driving conditions with a K&N filter added 1,500 miles ago and Superchip added only 90 miles ago. I don't feel at this time that these would have any relationship to the oil loss.

I call Mercury Dealer and all they can tell me is to take it in. I am scheduled for late next week.

Any thoughts??? My 1992 PI with 158,000 doesn't even use near this!

Just remember to remove your superchip or reinstall the factory stock program (if you have the supertuner) and reinstall your factory air cleaner just in case your Dealer is not Mod-Friendly and records on a dianostic sheet that you modified your ECM and have an aftermarket air cleaner . I suguest this cause a Dealer I went too a while back ago recorded on their computer system that I was using an aftermarket air filter , and one other member posted that during service call on his vehicle he forgot and didn't remove his special ECM mod and the dealership reflashed his ECM (computer) without his permission and that erased his program . Just a word of caution . Good luck and I hope they find the problem...

[RF Overlord]

I'd be willing to bet that the dealer will find exactly nothing. The Workshop Manual states: "Oil use is normally greater during the first 10,000 miles of service. Vehicles in normal service should get at least 900 miles per quart after 10,000 miles of service."

This topic has come up a number of times on CVN, and each time the dealer said as long as the oil consumption is less than the above, it was considered "normal" and they could do nothing. If nothing else, at least you will have it documented in case anything arises in future.

[Ross]

OK, someone educate me on this. I have never had a new car which used oil when it was a new engine. My MM certainly didn't use any (and still doesn't after 40K), but then maybe it's because I am very old fashioned and believe in breaking in a car very slowly and gently. If a car was using oil when it was new, wouldn't you see smoke from the exhaust?

[woaface]

http://www.drivingforcemag.com/articles/0604f2.html

Also, the song itself...click the little beside the song to hear a sample, it's the last song listed

http://www.mp3.com/John-Cowan/artist...0/summary.html

[RF Overlord]

If a car was using oil when it was new, wouldn't you see smoke from the exhaust?

At 900 miles per quart, maybe...at 2,000 miles per quart, no...

My interpretation of dansenander's post is that he hadn't checked the oil AT ALL in the first 4,100 miles, so his oil level may not have been correct from the get-go. If he was just ½ quart low to start, using 1½ quarts in 4,100 miles is not excessive for a new engine.

[Merc-O-matic]

I have 3 cars with the
Ford 4.6 (281 CID) engine

Lincoln 122,000 miles
Grand Marquis 60,000 miles
Marauder 5,000 miles
and not one of these engines has
burned a DROP of oil between oil changes!

Gotta Love It!

[Ross]

Yeah, I'm with Merc, and I have to say, I don't care what the factory says about "normal" oil consumption in a new engine. That's why I trade in old cars which ARE using oil, to get a new car which DOESN'T use oil. If I ever got a new car which used oil, the dealer would find it parked on his front steps. I know I don't know nearly as much about engines as a lot of folks here, but this idea of a new car using oil sounds really weird to me, especially since it is so contrary to my experience. It's also just not what you pay for.

[TripleTransAm]

Went to check the Marauder downstairs in the parking garage at lunch... I don't recall EXACTLY where I would have had the dipstick reading at after my last oil change (done by me) but I know more or less where I would have wanted it.

The reading was at about a 3/4 of the way into the hashed area, and given that I'd probably have filled it to just under the top of the hashed area, I'd say it's okay for about 4800 miles (been only about a month and a half, but there was a LOT of highway mileage before and during The Move (tm) ).

I also get the occasional Puff of Smoke (c) upon startup, although it's much less intense than it was before my head-change incident.

[bosstweed]

I have an 04 and it takes 5 1/2 quarts every fill. If you change oil and only put in 5 quarts, it would always be low. I get my oil changed at a local Goodyear store and my mechanic says that this is normal for Ford products.

They always go by the dipstick reading rather than the book capacity.I am not sure if thats the problem or not, but my two cents.

b

[LVMarauder]

I'm not at all surprised. The engine is brand new, losing a little oil is part of the breaking in process. have you been reving extra high for a low mile engine? i didnt take mine over 5500 for about 6k miles, then started to let her rip. I dont want to start a thread on break in procedures so back to the point, dont worry.

[RF Overlord]

The specified oil capacity (for an '03) is 6 ± 0.25 quarts...the days of engines automatically being "5 quarts w/filter" are long gone...my buddy's BMW 528 has a 2.8L I6 that takes 7½ quarts ...