Hi
I bought this 1991 Geo Prizm about 2 months back. I had an oil change
done as soon as I bought it. I drove like around 2000 miles on it. I
checked my engine oil dipstick reading and it shows about 25% above
the MIN reading. This was not the case when I had the oil change done,
the oil level was just below the max level. I dont have an oil leak. I
am wondering where did all the oil go if I didn't have a leak.
Thanks for anybody helping meon this
Sri

Sri proclaimed:

> Hi
> I bought this 1991 Geo Prizm about 2 months back. I had an oil change
> done as soon as I bought it. I drove like around 2000 miles on it. I
> checked my engine oil dipstick reading and it shows about 25% above
> the MIN reading. This was not the case when I had the oil change done,
> the oil level was just below the max level. I dont have an oil leak. I
> am wondering where did all the oil go if I didn't have a leak.
> Thanks for anybody helping meon this

See how much oil it takes to move the mark back up to near where it
was right after the change. If you need to add a quart, it means
your engine is leaking and/or burning oil at about a quart every
2000 miles. That is a bit high, but not unusual.

You'll need to check your engine for dark spots along the sides and
bottom before deciding you don't have a leak... unless all the
gaskets and seals have been replaced regularly it would be very
rare that your engine isn't leaking a bit of oil. If you don't
see spots, it probably isn't worth the money to fix compared to
simply adding oil as needed.

Your engine could be leaking the oil internally past worn valve
seals. Your engine could also be burning the oil past the
rings. If you regularly run the engine at high rpm, it will
burn more oil.

Have someone follow you on a highway, drive about 65 miles per hour,
then let off the gas and let the car coast until it slows to about
60. Then step lightly on the gas and with your follow looking for
telltale bluish smoke as you step on the gas. Then slow again to
about 55-50, and then step hard on the gas to climb back to 65 or
so. Again, look for bluish smoke.

Engine repairs will probably cost a lot more than just adding oil. Try
one of the high mileage engine oils suitable for your local weather.

Then again it could be that you also changed your filter at the time and
since you topped it up its filled the filter with that missing quart? Top it
up, drive another 200miles and see whats happened.


"Lon" <lon.stowell@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:N0DPc.198799$a24.86684@attbi_s03...
> Sri proclaimed:
>
> > Hi
> > I bought this 1991 Geo Prizm about 2 months back. I had an oil change
> > done as soon as I bought it. I drove like around 2000 miles on it. I
> > checked my engine oil dipstick reading and it shows about 25% above
> > the MIN reading. This was not the case when I had the oil change done,
> > the oil level was just below the max level. I dont have an oil leak. I
> > am wondering where did all the oil go if I didn't have a leak.
> > Thanks for anybody helping meon this
>
> See how much oil it takes to move the mark back up to near where it
> was right after the change. If you need to add a quart, it means
> your engine is leaking and/or burning oil at about a quart every
> 2000 miles. That is a bit high, but not unusual.
>
> You'll need to check your engine for dark spots along the sides and
> bottom before deciding you don't have a leak... unless all the
> gaskets and seals have been replaced regularly it would be very
> rare that your engine isn't leaking a bit of oil. If you don't
> see spots, it probably isn't worth the money to fix compared to
> simply adding oil as needed.
>
> Your engine could be leaking the oil internally past worn valve
> seals. Your engine could also be burning the oil past the
> rings. If you regularly run the engine at high rpm, it will
> burn more oil.
>
> Have someone follow you on a highway, drive about 65 miles per hour,
> then let off the gas and let the car coast until it slows to about
> 60. Then step lightly on the gas and with your follow looking for
> telltale bluish smoke as you step on the gas. Then slow again to
> about 55-50, and then step hard on the gas to climb back to 65 or
> so. Again, look for bluish smoke.
>
> Engine repairs will probably cost a lot more than just adding oil. Try
> one of the high mileage engine oils suitable for your local weather.
>

That could be but there is NO way the filter on a geo prism could hold a
quart. At most it would be about 8 ounces. What size engine do you have? The
2.2 and up usually don't lose oil but the smaller ones are oil eaters. Had a
1.9l and it used so much oil I would swear it was a 2 stroke.
"Scotty" <noricer@comeagain.com> wrote in message
news:410efdf8$0$2542$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Then again it could be that you also changed your filter at the time and
> since you topped it up its filled the filter with that missing quart? Top
it
> up, drive another 200miles and see whats happened.
>
>
> "Lon" <lon.stowell@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:N0DPc.198799$a24.86684@attbi_s03...
> > Sri proclaimed:
> >
> > > Hi
> > > I bought this 1991 Geo Prizm about 2 months back. I had an oil change
> > > done as soon as I bought it. I drove like around 2000 miles on it. I
> > > checked my engine oil dipstick reading and it shows about 25% above
> > > the MIN reading. This was not the case when I had the oil change done,
> > > the oil level was just below the max level. I dont have an oil leak. I
> > > am wondering where did all the oil go if I didn't have a leak.
> > > Thanks for anybody helping meon this
> >
> > See how much oil it takes to move the mark back up to near where it
> > was right after the change. If you need to add a quart, it means
> > your engine is leaking and/or burning oil at about a quart every
> > 2000 miles. That is a bit high, but not unusual.
> >
> > You'll need to check your engine for dark spots along the sides and
> > bottom before deciding you don't have a leak... unless all the
> > gaskets and seals have been replaced regularly it would be very
> > rare that your engine isn't leaking a bit of oil. If you don't
> > see spots, it probably isn't worth the money to fix compared to
> > simply adding oil as needed.
> >
> > Your engine could be leaking the oil internally past worn valve
> > seals. Your engine could also be burning the oil past the
> > rings. If you regularly run the engine at high rpm, it will
> > burn more oil.
> >
> > Have someone follow you on a highway, drive about 65 miles per hour,
> > then let off the gas and let the car coast until it slows to about
> > 60. Then step lightly on the gas and with your follow looking for
> > telltale bluish smoke as you step on the gas. Then slow again to
> > about 55-50, and then step hard on the gas to climb back to 65 or
> > so. Again, look for bluish smoke.
> >
> > Engine repairs will probably cost a lot more than just adding oil.
Try
> > one of the high mileage engine oils suitable for your local weather.
> >
>
>

If you figure you are supposed to change the oil every 3000 and at 2000
you are down just over a pint, then likely it will use a quart between
oil changes.

That is pretty normal for an older engine.

Our 88 Cherokee has 300K km on it and we think it's great it 'only' uses
a quart between changes.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Sri wrote:
>
> Hi
> I bought this 1991 Geo Prizm about 2 months back. I had an oil change
> done as soon as I bought it. I drove like around 2000 miles on it. I
> checked my engine oil dipstick reading and it shows about 25% above
> the MIN reading. This was not the case when I had the oil change done,
> the oil level was just below the max level. I dont have an oil leak. I
> am wondering where did all the oil go if I didn't have a leak.
> Thanks for anybody helping meon this
> Sri