David1234 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:14 am
Hello all,
I am new here. I have a 2009 Pontiac Vibe, 2.4 L engine, 285k miles that was given to us. It burns about 1/2 quart of oil every 1500 miles. There is oil around the engine cover where you put oil in and it may be leaking around the gasket too. At this mileage, do you think I should have the gasket changed or just leave it alone and add oil? Is it common for it to be burning oil at this mileage?
I like to start with the simplest solution and then start looking into bigger problems if that doesn't resolve them. You shouldn't have any oil leaking at the valve cover gasket. If it's leaking it definitely needs replaced. It's a simple fix, and the gaskets are only about 15-20 bucks so I'd recommend starting there. After replacing that your next place to look would be the oil pan gasket. Have a look under the car where the drain plug is. Look at the pan and surrounding areas. If it's all caked in oil clean it off, then check a couple days later to see if its dirty again. If so, replace the pan gasket at well. This one is a bit more involved than the valve cover gasket, but still not a difficult fix if you have some simple tools. I had similar issues on mine and after taking care of both of those have very minimal consumption between changes and mines over 300k miles. Wish I could say the same about my daily driver 2014 VW, thing burns through oil like no car I've ever owned!