Down a Quart After 2,000 Miles - 2015 Kia K900 Long-Term Road Test

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Down a Quart After 2,000 Miles - 2015 Kia K900 Long-Term Road Test

I checked our 2015 Kia K900's oil level and found it was a quart low, which was a little surprising given that our last service with an oil change was just 2,000 miles ago.

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kirkhilles1

Um, ok. You couldn't make it to an auto parts store? You didn't care about getting a higher quality synthetic in there? Why was it a quart low? Not aware of Korean cars having this problem.

dm7279

Usually best to let it sit for 15 minutes or so before checking oil level.

stever

Manuals I've read typically recommend a 5 minute wait if you don't have a cold engine, but the difference may be negligible (see this post by @thecardoc3 and the other posts in that thread)

gslippy

Maybe it wasn't filled completely at the last oil change.

schen72

i'm not used to cars burning oil so much. My 16 year old Acura TL with 270k miles on it doesn't burn a drop of oil. Every time I check the dipstick (cold engine) the oil level never budges.

misterfusion

kirkhilles1 said:

Um, ok. You couldn't make it to an auto parts store? You didn't care about getting a higher quality synthetic in there? Why was it a quart low? Not aware of Korean cars having this problem.

Why would the Shell synthetic oil be considered low quality? Is there something we should know?

Mr_Shiftright

On a DOHC 32 valve V-8 you have to wait a while before checking the oil level. I suspect that if you checked it again with the engine stone cold, you'll find that you are now overful? Let us know!

ebeaudoin

That is surprising. Why such a dusty engine bay? That looks like you've gone through a sandstorm! Maybe I missed a long-term update of a desert road trip.

yellowbal

Many modern cars use a bit more oil between oil changes. Not too big of a deal unless the consumption increases. Oil change intervals are also longer now and personally I don't mind adding oil between the long interval because it replenishes additives.

allthingshonda

I'm sure if it was low by a quart you would have seen a "Check oil level" message. I agree with others, I don't think you waited long enough for the oil to drain back into the pan.

tlangness

We've checked it since we added oil, it's now at the full line (not above it) after sitting overnight. It was definitely a quart low. Hopefully this restores some of your confidence in our ability to check oil.

s197gt

i guess i'll post this again:

http://www.cartalk.com/content/when-are-you-supposed-check-your-oil-when

RAY: But a few years ago, Ford Motor Company started recommending that people check their oil on Fords, Lincolns and Mercuries when the engine was warm.

TOM: "Warm!" we said. "How can this be?" So we called Ford and they told us that they determined that very few idiots like us were going out first thing in the morning in their bare tootsies and checking the oil. Most people, they said, tended to check their oil when they stopped for gas, when the engine was warm. So they simply recalibrated their dipsticks to read correctly in a warm engine, when the oil has heated up and expanded.

........

RAY: He said the amount of oil at the top of the engine wouldn't be enough to make any significant difference. "Unless the oil passages are all plugged up, you're probably talking about an eighth of a quart or less," he said. Not enough to induce you to add a quart when you don't really need one.

TOM: So there you have it, folks. The answer is; it hardly matters. So our advice is to follow the instructions in your owner's manual when you're in the mood for a really accurate reading. If it says to check the oil cold, the dipstick has been calibrated for cold, unexpanded oil. If it says to check it warm, we and Deep Dipstick hereby give you our heartfelt blessings.

marvinlee1

Oil consumption reflects many factors, including how much money the automaker is willing to pay for higher quality engine cylinder, piston, and piston ring package. Other factors include oil leakage through the turbocharger, cylinder block distortion, clearances between parts, etc. etc. One reason I purchased a Mercedes V8 instead of the BMW V8 was that BMW seemed at the time to receive more owner complaints about high oil consumption. The Mercedes goes 10,000 miles between oil changes without my having to add oil. I like that aspect of the car, though not so much several other issues.

ryster

This isn't surprising. My 2011 2.4L GDI Hyundai Sonata was using a quart of oil every 800-1,000 miles with no visible leaks from the oil pan or anywhere else. It reached a point where I would buy the cheapest conventional 5W-20 I could get to top it off between oil changes at the dealer.

allthingshonda

ryster said:

This isn't surprising. My 2011 2.4L GDI Hyundai Sonata was using a quart of oil every 800-1,000 miles with no visible leaks from the oil pan or anywhere else. It reached a point where I would buy the cheapest conventional 5W-20 I could get to top it off between oil changes at the dealer.

Guess they're all different. My girlfriend's 2011 Sonata doesn't use a drop between oil changes. I think oil consumption can be either a design flaw of the engine or not following break in procedures. Some engines have widespread oil consumption problems. Subaru 2.5 Flat 4 for instance. Others are on a case by case basis. I do know that if you drive it hard (revving above 3,000 RPMs) when there are only 5 miles on the odometer then you will probably have issues later.