Engine Oil Level Low at less than 2900 miles

jainraghav74

Hello
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Richard53

Make sure you are getting an accurate comparison. If you check the oil level just after you switch it off, your level will be well down. Always wait 5 minutes for the oil to drain back into the sump before you take a reading.

At 2890 miles from purchase, the dashboard has "Top Up Engine oil Level" at start-up.
Car was then switched off, Engine level checked and confirmed just above min level.

Going from the top to the bottom mark in 1000 miles I would consider heavy oil use, although many manufacturers would tell you it was normal. For comparison, I had a Ford which didn't fall below the 'full' mark between oil changes (annual/8000 miles), not even a millimetre.


Learning to do your own oil changes could save you a lot of money. With a few basic tools, it is not difficult.

Nobbie1967

You only need to top up the oil to the max level. However before doing this make sure you check the oil level with the car on level ground like a supermarket car park rather than at the side of the road where the camber can cause false readings.

Richard53

jainraghav74 wrote: »

Also it is only in the last 300 miles that some distance was done on motorway.

So it has used almost nothing in 2000 miles, and then a lot in the last 800, including some fast motorway miles?


That sounds to me like engine wear. It's fairly oiltight at normal temperatures, but when it gets hot, all the tolerances in the engine get wider and the oil starts going where it shouldn't.


You don't say what car it is, or what the overall mileage is, but in an older car I would say that was fairly normal.


Important thing is to check it regularly (e.g. first thing in the morning, once a week, same location) and monitor the levels. Having a clear picture will be useful in any discussion with the seller.

Norman_Castle

jainraghav74 wrote: »

Car was then switched off, Engine level checked and confirmed just above min level. Car not driven.

Is it parked on level ground? I had an older diesel which would always tell me the level was low when parked leaning to the left.
You can drive the car if the oil is at the minimum level, just don’t plan to go far. Park somewhere level, leave it 10 minutes then top up to the maximum. Monitor the oil consumption carefully.

AdrianC

jainraghav74 wrote: »

Checked Engine oil at 2050 miles from purchase - it was just below the max level on the dipstick.
At 2890 miles from purchase, the dashboard has "Top Up Engine oil Level" at start-up.
Car was then switched off, Engine level checked and confirmed just above min level. Car not driven.

There's probably less than a litre between min and max. The total sump capacity will be around 4-5 litres.

Questions
1 - In this case, I need to go to garage and get Engine oil changed - correct? Or can I buy a bottle of Engine Oil and top-up myself? I would assume it has to be a garage draining old oil and putting new oil, but want to check.

Seriously? No, just top it up... Make sure you get the right grade of oil - the owners' handbook will tell you.

And, yes, you can drive it. It's above the minimum mark on the dipstick.

2 - I did not see any leaks but being a novice in car maintenance, I may have missed something. Is it usual for car (automatic gearbox, petrol, 2013 model) to have this rate of Engine oil level depletion?

If this was a manufacturer warranty question, I doubt you'd find a manufacturer that'll get concerned over anything more than 1 litre/1,000 miles, often 1 litre/1,000km (620 miles).

For a 6yo car, relying on consumer rights...? Not a hope.

3 - Car used for around 400 miles per month only - does that have any bearing on this?

No, but using it more wouldn't hurt it...

So how long since you bought it? You've done ~3,000 miles at an average of 400 miles/month - so you bought it at the end of 2018...?

4 - Car did not go on motorways until 2590 miles from my purchase but regularly goes on 60mph speed roads. - does that have any bearing on this situation

None whatsoever.

AdrianC

jainraghav74 wrote: »

you bought it at the end of 2018...?

Yes...

So forget any consumer rights comeback - it's over 6mo, so the onus is on you to prove the fault was present at the time of purchase.

Brewer20

I'm thinking that engine sounds dodgy, loss of coolant now excessive oil consumption.

peter12345678910

jainraghav74 wrote: »

Is this something that can be investigated and repaired under used car warranty?
"

I think you can check the oil cap. And for a few pounds you can get a bluetooth
OBD. On your phone search for an app Torque Pro using that you can do a few compression tests, just google it, or yahoo it which ever you prefer or duckduck it.

Scrapit

Why has no one said try the warranty? Worth a try.

mattyprice4004

jainraghav74 wrote: »

Citroen | 2013 model | 37000 miles | Petrol | Automatic gearbox

Citroen make more than one car, and with more than one engine size...
If you want people to provide advice specific to the car, we need to know the exact model and engine size.