I’m a new driver. I have 2013 Buick Verano. Three weeks ago I saw that the oil level in my car was almost zero even though it had only been 1.5 months since I last changed oil. I topped it up with one qt of full synthetic oil. Today I see that oil level is again zero. Am I doing something wrong? Can I just keep filling the oil every month until next oil change.
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I believe this is a “GDI” or direct injection engine. Kias have the same problem, and badly. Sometimes the rings can sieze up on the piston, leaving a little “gap” instead of “scraping” oil from the cylinder wall.The best solution is to get the car in operable condition, then trade or sell it. Until then: rent a borescope camera from Autozone. Put the camera into each spark plug hole and examine the tops (“crown”) of the pistons. Ordinarily, you should see clean surfaces, maybe blackish-brownish coloration but NO accumulation of carbon, which would resemble charcoal. If you do see carbon buildup from burnt oil, the clock is ticking. The carbon retains heat during the combustion process and the accumulation also artificially raises the compression ratio. The carbon also becomes heated beyond the tolerance of the piston crown and can eventually weaken it sufficiently to blow a hole in the crown. The “redneck” solution which often works is to immediately begin using a GDI-specific engine oil. Next, buy a can of Berryman’s B12 from Walmart, Autozone, or wherever and one of the $5 transfer pumps from Harbor Freight. With the engine COLD, pour enough B12 into each cylinder so the piston crown is covered. Then, with spark plugs fully inserted and tight BUT NOT CONNECTED TO IGNITION, turn the ignition for just a second or so, max. Do that part again in 2 hours, and 2 more hours. Then, check with the borescope the level of B12 in each cylinder and make sure the crown is covered. Let it sit overnight. Next day: Use the Harbor Freight pump to suck out all the B12 you can from each cylinder, double check with borescope. No pools or puddles, but surface dampness is ok. Leave plugs out for 30 minutes or so for any residual B12 to evaporate. Then, replace the plugs and connect them to ignition wires or coils. Start the engine! It will smoke, smell, and maybe run funny for a minute or so but will be fine. Once smoking stops, drive it for 20 minutes or so and don’t be shy with accelerator. Last step, change the oil with the GDI-specific stuff.
If your cars oil dipstick barely any oil in it and you’re driving it on 1 quart of oil then that’s bad. Your car takes 5 quarts. Now don’t go pouring 5 qts in right now because you don’t want to overfill it, but slowly add oil till it hits the full line. Pour some in, wait a few minutes for the oil to settle, check the dipstick. Keep doing it until it’s at the full line.
Just make sure you’ve got a paper towel or something to wipe the dipstick clean each time you check it.
Make it a habit of checking it daily and topping it off. If the car gets too low on oil it’s going to destroy the engine. Are you not seeing any puddles of oil under your car or any oil dripping?
When I added 1qt, the dipstick had oil in 2 slots out of 3. When I inspected, there seems to be some fresh oil on some of the components. And no, I don’t see oil puddles under my car.
There is a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) for this exact problem. The fix is to tear the engine apart and replace the piston rings. You might have to pay out of pocket for the repair unfortunately. Chevy’s of these model years are known for excessive oil consumption to the point of blowing a hole through the engine block if not topped up frequently. They are lemons.
It says it needs 13 labor hours which can easily cost me more than $1000. Is there any problem with just topping up the oil?
Nope. Eventually it will probably accelerate to where you have to add nearly daily, and at that point you’ll know it’s time to throw in the towel.
When you say “zero” does that mean the low or add line on the dipstick? And it takes 1 quart to raise the level to full? There’s still 4 quarts in the engine when the level is on the add line - not ideal, but enough to prevent rapid major damage.
The important metric is how many miles you can drive before it needs a quart added.