Oil usage / levels

[engineerjim]

We have just returned from holiday in Southern Umbria and I have a couple of questions which I would like some advice. I will be good though and put them on separate posts.

The first relates to oil usage.

From home in Oxfordshire to Umbria is about 1500 miles going via Northern France and Switzerland. It was done at a reasonable pace with stops at Strasbourg and Milan (French and Swiss traffic cops are too quick to take the cash) but from Milan to Umbria, about 600km on the A1 was taken at, shall we say a good lick, resulted in the oil level dropping to register half full. There it stayed all the holiday, which included a further belt down to Naples and back, including driving up Vesuvius. All in temperatures well over 30C.

The oil level stayed constant at half all the way back to Milan and then into Switzerland on the way home. However at the first stop in Switzerland it had dropped to just on the min mark which it still registered at the stop in Strasbourg again. I topped up for the rest of the journey but the question is, (At last) is such consumption normal when driving at prolonged high speeds?

Did the same trip last year without such a drastic drop in level.

The car is just under three years old and has done 30k miles.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Hmmm.

Done many similar trips - including several high speed runs across Germany - 120mph norm - topping out at 150mph where possible, and I've never needed to top up.

 

[A Clift]

Whilst in Germany last weekend, I was surprised to note that the oil level on the electronic gauge had dropped to nearly half way down - the first time it has ever moved in over 5 years. I made a note to add some more when I returned home, but the level is now showing full. I can't remember how long the car had been stopped when I checked in Germany, but it was quite warm and I've put it down to a combination of temperature and sensible motorway speed limits allowing the revs to breathe!

So in short, like Mark, I've never had to top up my oil either.

 

[BrianJ]

Just come back from Tuscany and Umbria in similar conditions. My 61k 03 2.7 has never dropped more than 1 division in the electronic gauge between any 12000 mile service interval. I always check when cold (if you can call 35C cold!) or rather when having been standing for a few hours and check with the dipstick occasionally (OK for those of us that still have them).

 

[JCB..]

I'd be inclined to check to see if you haven't over-filled it.

The digital indicator usually reads low for some time when the engine is hot.

 

[engineerjim]

Thanks all for the feedback.

Perhaps I was being a tad overcautious. fortunately I only topped up with about .25 l being worried about over topping.

So far the level has remained at 1 bar down from the top so I will keep an eye on it. until it goes in for a service and first MOT at the end of next month

 

[Gary C]

Love that run back from Milan,

Did you come via Basel then up throught the Vosges hills ?

Lovely winding mountain roads, with good quality tarmac and no traffic.

17 hours Milan to Lancaster , including the ferry, in a car that could only do about 130 miles on a tank of fuel.

 

[engineerjim]

We took the A2 through the St Gotthard tunnel but then turned off and took the road across the Sustenpass to Interlaken and then to Basel via Bern.