How often do you top up your car oil?

bazster

cardinalbiggles wrote: »

I was believing you till the Renault bit

Quite true I assure you!

Gloomendoom

If you have modern diesel car with a non additive type DPF, it makes sense to check the oil level occasionally between services in case it is going up. It may be getting diluted with diesel.

I don't think it is a particularly common occurrence but it does happen.

kingstreet

My 13 year old (151k) 3L Saab Turbo never needs topping up.

I do have the fully-synth oil and filter changed every 6,000 though.

Ishtar

My old Corsa used to need topping up - a litre over the course of a couple of months (I would guess around every 1000 miles or so).

The 206 never needed topping up.

Don't know about the new one yet - only had it a couple of months and doesn't seem to be losing any.

Of course, back in the day, my dad used to do six-monthly oil changes on my old bangers....and I always used to keep a litre of oil in the boot in case it needed it. They were always old heaps, though, so I thought nothing of having to add oil/coolant/brake fluid from time to time.

Notmyrealname

Last car I sold a few months ago was a MK3 Mondeo with 165k on. Didn't need topping up between services. Current one is on 44k and similar so far.

vikingaero

I never top up my car with oil, but I do check it weekly and before the start of any important or long trip.

gkerr4

i check both cars regularly - my wifes a 2.0ltr, 4cyl diesel and i have a 3.0ltr 6cyl diesel - both BMW's - the 2.0 has never needed topping up but then we only bought the car at xmas and it had been serviced then!

my 3.0 has used a single 1ltr top-up pack in the 30,000 miles i;ve driven in it, which is OK in my book. and reminds me i need to buy a new one as I like to keep a top-up pack in the boot.

the 3.0 petrol I had before it (also a BMW straight-6cyl engine) used to use a fair bit and it was deemed fairly common on that N57 engine, when I say a fair bit, i mean like a litre every, hmm actually i'm struggling to remember - maybe a ltr every 5 or 6,000?

Tobster86

gkerr4 wrote: »

my 3.0 has used a single 1ltr top-up pack in the 30,000 miles i;ve driven in it, which is OK in my book. and reminds me i need to buy a new one as I like to keep a top-up pack in the boot.

You need to service it more often. Generally 6000 miles/twice annually for diesels and 10000 miles/once annually for petrols. The car will be more efficient and last longer.


Regarding other comments:
Small petrols with lots of valves (i.e. 1-1.4l, 12-16valve) do use a lot of oil by design; indeed my friend's Corsa stated 1l/1000miles.

My current BMW (110k miles) and previous Audi (160k+ miles) used no oil between services. Peugeot 306 DTurbo used about 1 litre. 1992 Ford Escort used more oil than petrol!

TrickyWicky

Never in two years of owning my volvo. It's still using the last owners oil (possibly from the owner before them too). It doesn't burn oil at all so I don't worry about it.

Never done the spark plugs or filters yet either..

gkerr4

Tobster86 wrote: »

You need to service it more often. Generally 6000 miles/twice annually for diesels and 10000 miles/once annually for petrols. The car will be more efficient and last longer.

I can't decide on this.

my mechanical sympathy wants to agree and at least increase oil change frequency - i service my motorcycle myself an change oil twice a year. But if you actually take it to a dealership they won't actually touch it unless the "computer says yes".

They must spend a fortune on developing sensors and oils and blah blah to keep these things. But interestingly, I had it services 14,000 miles ago and the computer says it stil has 15,000 to go before the next oil service - a service interval of nearly 30,000 miles!! - can't be good for it can it..