Check Engine Light Comes On/ Burning Excessive Oil

Wait a minute. You need to ADD oil every two to three months? If you drive a hundred miles per day, in 30 days you're due for a scheduled oil and filter change. If you're going longer than that, it's common for the level to go down for a couple of reasons. First of all, additives in the oil wear out in about 3,000 miles. That, coupled with blowby, can thin the oil and allow it to sneak past the piston rings and be burned. You can find that by adding a small bottle of dye to the oil, then searching with a black light after a few days. In particular, check at the tail pipe. If oil is being burned, the dye will show up as a bright yellow stain.

Second, all engines burn some oil today because of low-tension piston rings that reduce friction. It is normal for the oil level to go down between oil changes. To stop the complaints from owners, all manufacturers now stamp "min" and "max" on their dipsticks instead of "add" and "full". As long as the level remains above the "min" mark when the next service is due, there isn't a problem.