Oil consumption, 3rd gen 3.5L with ~30K miles?

Hello! Unfortunately, this is my first post. I just got my oil changed today at an 8K mile interval (27K miles on the truck, 2019), and the shop mentioned that the oil was ~0.5-1 quart low (slightly below the bottom dot on the dipstick).

How concerning is this?

 

Idk could have been improperly filled before

just keep an eye on it this time

Welcome to TW

 

This!
Make sure you are full to begin with. Some places offer a super cheap price or a Free oil change and skeet on that half of a quart.

 

The last one I did myself, and now that you mention it, I believe I did 6 quarts rather than 6.2 quarts. Perhaps that contributed?

 

That's gonna make it look worse for sure. Any engine uses some oil, especially with more miles, like your 8k interval.
Try filling all the way (double or triple measuring), and changing at 5k for a baseline.

 

6 quarts is always about to the top of the oil level indicator on the stick in my experience. I only ever put in 6. I probably wouldn't be that alarmed though, the stick can be hard to read in general and the shop may not have followed the exact procedure to check the level and possibly got an inaccurate reading as a result. I'd just keep an eye on it and keep continuing on as usual.

 

Likely that's what happened. If it's approximately 0.5 low, that accounts for 0.2-0.3 of it. Another possibility is that you have a exceptionally minor leak, something just seeping. I personally wouldn't stress, monitor the level between now and your next oil change, and report back the result.

 

I do 5k mile oil changes and only fill with 6q. look for visual signs of leaks, check your PCV? but outside of something simple you should just live with it.

 

Not that much, i do my oil changes and always add 6 qt only.

 

Have you noticed any leaks? Sometimes it is hard to tell if you park on a street. Try letting the truck sit for a couple of hours. Pull the dipstick without wiping and check the level. I find it makes the dipstick easier to read and I can tell I am always right below the top dot.

 

That is not a lot of oil use in 8,000 mile if it really used that much oil for most vehicles. It could have been under filled too. My 2020 has 34,000 miles on it. I have never needed to add oil between my 5,000 mile oil changes. I change mine myself. I buy 5Qt jugs of oil. for my last oil change I got this to accurately measure it.

Groz 41904 Plastic Measure 6 Litre / 6 Quart, Complete with Dust Cap and Flexible spout with Cap

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079SYSX14?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

My recommendation would be to not lose sleep over it yet. Check the oil like once a month or every other time you fill the gas tank. Consider going to 5,000 mile oil changes.

 

I driven cars that ate up a quart per week. I had OPEC knocking at my door wondering if I was hoarding it or what.
Phillips 66 sniffed around when they got low and asked if I had any to sell to them. I had Shell and Chevron in a
bidding war on my front steps unbeknownst to them all that oil I was buying was going into a 1972 Dodge Dart.

I bought that sh*t by the case and kept it in the trunk.

 

Welcome to the forum

"How concerning is this?" - well, that depends...
A quart consumed over 8000 miles isn't out of the ordinary --
-- however a quart lost in a week is.

Since the shop "surprised" you with this information it sounds like you aren't in the habit of checking the oil regularly so you can't answer the question of how long did the quart take to disappear or if it was actually there after the last oil change.

The hallmark of any maintenance program is regular checks/inspections.
Check the oil on a regular schedule, every week, every other week, first of the month, etc.

After you become accustomed to doing this you will know what to expect before you pull the stick and immediately notice something out of the ordinary.

 

This is something I have tried to explain to my significant other several times. I keep hearing the response "I've never had to regularly check my oil and fluids on cars I've had before" as the excuse not to.
This was after he said a few month ago the engine in his Jeep Wrangler didn't sound quite normal. After checking the oil it was low. We had that discussion. I asked if you don't check things regularly how will you know if a problem is starting before it becomes serious? I got no good answer for that.
Fast forward to last month he comes home says something isn't right, it's running hotter than normal. I ask if he checked anything under the hood. No. I ask would you like me to look? No answer. Just finished the cigarette and never went for the keys or tward the vehicle. Next day after it was driven some we were dropping it off at the mechanic after it nearly over heated. The problem was a bad, leaking oil cooler. He came close to ruining the engine on a vehicle he is upside-down on. No joke but I don't think a lesson was learned.
Seems making this a habit is something that people for whatever reason don't do.
It was something my dad taught me was important when I learned to drive.

 

As someone stated maybe go to a 5000 mile interval on your oil changes. From my experience my work truck would start using oil right around when the service was due.

 

I had enough old, old cars in my young days that I got into a habit of checking oil every time I get gas, i.e. every 10ish days. Even on my Taco.
Enough time passes between turning off the engine and putting filler hose in the tank for the oil to drain down and get a good reading on the dipstick.

 

Same.
My first few cars. 1976 dodge aspen and 1984 Ford Escort all used oil. Like a quart every 1000-2000 miles. I always kept a quart in the trunk.

Older cars with more wear used oil or leaked it. Now with the low tension piston rings some newer cars consume oil too.