High Oil Consumption ????

Are you saying that this is the first time in 6k miles since the oil change that you have checked? If so, I would respectfully suggest that you are taking very big risks with the longevity of your engine.

As far as I am aware, the only dash warning light is for oil *pressure*, not level. By the time that illuminates whilst driving, the engine is likely to be terminally damaged.

Could it be that you changed the oil, checked the level before starting it, and never checked it later? If so that would account for the level being low as the filter needs to be filled by virtue of the engine running at first start after an oil change. This would drop the dipstick level from the full mark to near the low limit.

My Focus is coming up to 7 years old and is on 80k miles. I have never needed to top up between changes. I still check it fortnightly in case a leak has developed, in the same way that I check the tyre pressures at the same time in case I have had a small puncture.

As a point of interest this is the 3rd Zetec engined car I have owned going back to 1994. I have never needed to top up any of them, so in answer to your question regarding oil consumption I would say that no, they normally don't use oil.

Even if your car had covered 2 or 3 times the indicated milage it is unlikely that the oil level would fall from full to empty in 6k miles providing it had been properly looked after.

HTH

Chris

In message , Jeff UK wrote

I have a 1.6i with slightly less mileage but practically zero oil consumption.

Are you now checking the level with the car on a level road/driveway?

When you changed the oil/filter did you check the oil level after you had run the engine for a short time? The oil filter needs to fill with oil before you check the final level..

Very Very unusual for any of the Zetec's (E, S , SE, whatever) to use any measurable amount of oil at all, even between 12.5k changes (I change mine at 6k intervals)

There was a spate of the 1.6 having problems with oil rings breaking up when the car is driven hard from cold.

I'd keep a very close eye on the 'stick and for any odd noises at cold start / warm up.

Tim..

Jeff, one lesson to learn from this, regardless of the ultimate reason for the current low oil: never trust that a service garage will have carried out the oil change correctly. I always take 30 seconds to check the oil as soon as I find the car in the lot, after service. Short of that, you don't have any more than a speculative arm-waving case against your service guy. Also, some of these guys have been known to put crap oil in and keep the good oil you brought in - as they like to use it on *their* cars. This is an extremely hard crime to detect, even with good supervision at the shop.

I have known of this and fitted bottom ends to 1.6's. Its A LOT more likely to happen to a 1.4 and 1.6 than the others.

I had one that in 300 miles went from MAX to MIN in one night!!!! AND NO SIGNS OF SMOKE at all!!!!

MC.

You should always check the oil level before and after taking it for an oil change. I had a SpeedyLube place "change oil and filter" just to find it was at the same level as before and just as dark. I took it back, told the guy what I found, and he tried to get "hot" about it ans asked " Are you accusing me of not changing your oil". I told him "Nope, just stating the facts, oil level is same as before and just as dark"...he huffed off and told them to change it again.