Why is my old car so low on oil?

Question

I got an oil change for my 1980 Toyota Cressida 3 months ago. Since then my car keeps running out of oil. I put 3 or 4 quarts in and a month later my oil light comes on & have to put more in. I'm confused, my car does not appear to be leaking anything & I dont smell oil burning from the engine area, what could be happening?

Answer 1

CDB, if you look under the car where the oil plug is and look straight back toward the rear of the car and find its wet, you likely will find the answer. often small shops do oil changes and either dont proporly tightenthe plug, strip it or fail to ask to replace the drain plug gasket! oil thins with heat and the dripping starts from the plug and the air flowing under the car pushes the oil accross the belly of the car not enough to cause puddles but drips. If you didnt have the same oil loss before the oil change and they didnt overfill the engine I wouldnt suspect the burning or leakage into the cooling system but anything is possible im mechanics!

Answer 2

It has to be leaking or burning oil, no two ways about it.

Answer 3

Only two reasons:

Leaking or burning

Answer 4

there is only three places it can be going,leaking it-burning it-or a blown head gasket and its going into the cooling system.

Answer 5

if there are no visible leaks or spots under the car, the oil is leaking into the cylinders

Answer 6

consumption of oil is due to the Major problem . Your car engine cylinder is Oren out and the piston rings also Oren out.Only the alternative is to overhaul your engine.Even you can change the over size piston rings for an immediate relief . But it is better to overhaul the engine or change the new engine, it is left to you to choice which ever is economic.

Answer 7

It's not necessary to smell oil burning as far as I know..  

Answer 8

Well the fact that it is 28 yrs old may have something to do with it. It could also be the type of oil you are using. And you would not smell oil burning in the engine area , it would be coming out the tailpipe. Have someone follow you around for a few miles and watch for bluish white smoke out the exhaust