What is wrong with my 2000 Chevrolet Prism It uses a quart of oil every 300 miles It does not blow blue smoke leak oil or smell like oil burning It runs strong and gets 31 MPG?

Answer 1

check out CarComplaints.com This is a very, very common problem. The cheapest cure in the long run is to check the oil at every fill up and keep a case of oil handy. Most people do not want to do this and sell the car. Oil is cheaper than a monthly car payment. The car will normally last about 215,000 miles if you keep oil in it. The check engine light will come on. As long as it is steady and not blinking, it is probably the oxygen sensors or contamination of the emmission canister. I actually put a piece of black electrical tape over the check engine light to keep it from bugging me. This is my second Prizm. It now has 156,000 miles on it, starts every morning in the coldest weather and gets over 30 miles to the gallon. Engine failure is common because the oil light will NEVER come on and the engine destroys itself with no oil. They do not usually smoke so there is no visible indication that it is going through oil as fast as it does. As bad as this problem is, (and I am not trying to minimize it) these two Prizms have had the lowest total cost of ownership of any car I have owned. Other than spark plugs at 150,000 miles and tires I have not had to repair anything. I just get used to buying a lot of oil. Do not waste money trying to rebuild the engine. If compression drops dramatically in one cylinder, that engine's life is over. My advice is as long as the engine is running strong, keep the car.