BlueXJ2000

Ok, so I have a 2001 4.7L WJ that has been burning/using/leaking oil somewhere and somehow...I do not have any smoke coming from my exhaust other than the normal white when its cold out. I do not see any physical leaks ANYWHERE in the engine or under or on the driveway.

I am having to add about a quart every 1K to 1,500 miles probably. Jeep has around 132K on it and I have owned it for a year. The jeep is running amazing (oil pressure 40-60 psi constantly) and only has a very slight tick at cold startup that usually goes away after 5 mins.

Oil is Rotella T6. I've tried using 4 different oils (different weights too) and the jeep seems to like this one better, but they ALL seem to use up about the same amount.

I looked at my coolant reservoir last night and it def looks much darker than new coolant just FYI..

Where is my oil going???

dave1123

Okay, here's my opinion based on previous experiences with V8 engines. After a while, the oil drains in the heads get partially plugged and oil hangs up in the heads long enough to submerge the valve stems of the last cylinder on each side. Some of this oil gets sucked into the cylinders and burned, not a lot of it, but some and over time, will show it on the dipstick. This hang-up of oil results eventually in valve cover leaks because the level rises above the gaskets. After shut-down, this oil usually returns to the oil pan.

Here's an extreme case in point. My friend bought a '66 327 Chevy Chevelle that sat in a barn for several years. After a few minutes of running, it started smoking badly and running very rough. When I pulled a valve cover right after shutting it off, about a quart of oil poured out! The oil drains were plugged solid with carbonized crud. After cleaning them out, the motor ran perfectly.

Right now, my '00 WJ 4.0 is using about a quart in 5000 miles, but I have a minor valve cover leak and probably some oil is being held in the head. I'll take care of this when the temp gets up to 70*F.

BlueXJ2000

Often when I check the oil after reaching operating temp it seems as if the stick is almost dry, but then i let it cool down and check and im in the safe zone. But what worries me is that my coolant seems awfully dark, but then again i havent changed it since ive owned it and am not sure ive ever added any either. Maybe very little, so it could just be dirty. Either way, I dont see any leaks or residue and am not seeing any coolant in the oil, so maybe I just have to live with the little bit of burn off until something worse comes up.

I did recently change the PCV valve and saw no difference in the oil disappearing so Im just at a little bit of a loss on what it is