Hello all

Have a 1998 Dodge stratus sedan 6 cyc model. Has 118000 miles on it. Runs great have it in shop every 2 months for checkups and preventive maintenance. I put 1200 miles a month on it doing a lot of stop and go driving. The car was having no major problems until about a month ago when we started having these cold snaps with wind chills 25 below zero.

Now it went in for a oil change etc Jan 18th, 2004. Then about 2 weeks later my oil light went on while I was driving. I stopped at a gas station and lo and behold it needed about 3 quarts of oil. The oil was put in and the oil light stayed out. Okay that was around the 3th of Feb. Then about a week later it needed another quart. Now checked it and its down about a quart again.

Wondering if having to run my heater temperature and fan in car on HIGH full time is causing the engine to work even harder and to burn more oil? Could it be that this extreme cold weather is causing the car to burn more oil? I drive it making deliveries between 2am to 6am est in morning every morning and I always let it warm up at least 30 min before I drive it.

Thanks for any help,

 

If your oil light is still on then it isn't the oil level doing it, it's a lack of oil pressure. This is why I bought gauges to replace the idiot lights on the dash, by the time the light comes on your usually screwed. I take it that it isn't leaving oil puddles under it, since your saying that it's burning it. Have your oil pressure checked first. Police cars are ran longer and harder than your car and do not go through that much oil, something is wrong. Also, check your coolant to make sure the oil isn't possibly getting into it. Let me know what you find out.