oil usage

90

Asked by slingshot6401 Jul 01, 2011 at 08:48 PM about the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country Touring FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have an 08 with the 3.8 engine, it is using over a quart of oil between changes, there are no leaks it runs good does not smoke or anything. Does anyone else have this problem or any ideas where the oil is going? thanks

94 Answers

first how many miles is on it.useing a quart between oil changes is not that big of a deal.common problems,cloged pcv valve,loose or bad valve cover gaskets,loose VC bolts,leaking rear main seal,oil filter not tight enought,burning oil.but most Dodge -Chrysler vehicles use a little oil with age.

10 people found this helpful.
90

it has 40k miles. i have checked the whole motor and had the chrysler dealer check it we couldn,t find any leaks. I will check the pvc valve tho didn't think of that. A friend of ours just bought an 08 too and theirs uses oil too, so i didnt know if it was normal or if we both got bad ones. thanks

9 people found this helpful.

the 3.8 is known for useing a little oil.with 40 k i would not worrie to much,just keep a check on oil leval.

9 people found this helpful.
1,895

i have a 2008 w/ 28 k mi no leaks. 3.8 ....1qt oil per thou miles no smoke any clue why?

39 people found this helpful.

No clue,every Mopar I ever owned used some oil.think of it this way,if a valve seal or other seal is leaking oil or using a little oil,at start up,it is not starting up on a dry engine.

5 people found this helpful.
130

every Chrysler product i service burns oil even my own I'm an auto tech for 20 years now low mileage cars should not burn three qts of oil in 3000 thousand miles its not normal my brother has a Pacifica with the same problem it burns a qt every 600 miles or so and he a had to replace the cat because the ash from the oil clogged it up My Town and Country is burning almost a qt and a half every thousand miles and I only have 30000 miles on it i think the 5w20 oil is to thin and the synthetic properties of it don't allow the rings to seat properly causing blow by You can use regular 5w30 to slow it down but they still burn it my 300000 mile honda never burned a drop but the new ones do almost any car built in the last decade burns oil its a shame

13 people found this helpful.
170

This link isn't very active but wanted to add to the info. 2008 T&C 3.8 eng 44K on it and using 1 QT+ in 1700 miles. Dealer says it is the Mobile 1 that I run in all of my engines including the lawn mower. Really??? This is the third 3.8 that we have owned and none of the others had a problem with Mobil 1

5 people found this helpful.
90

Atech2 is right. I tried evrything else everybody is saying to no avail.The thing that makes me real angry not enough people are complaining to the nhtsa about it.They told me the more complaints they get the more they will try to get a recall from chrysler.Plus chrysler didn't change this motor design until 2011.Wow just imagine how many people are having the same problem.

9 people found this helpful.
1,895

love the car but oil loss is confusing no drips in driveway or on underbody, no smoke either. oft wondered 5w 20 too thin? it rattles with 20w30 also,another thing. once it stopped running except when i feathered the pedal to about 2500 rpm. no codes. after a week i opened aircleaner and idle straightened right up. was even drivable again , and gave codes finally, which was air filter. filter was very clean, no dust, no oil,still white, but new one fixed problem. i think compooter is just slow to set codes. whoodathunk?

10 people found this helpful.
90

my 2008 does it too. ive had it to the dealership and they are no help. no leaks in my driveway. ive got 50,000 miles and go through about 1q evry 1500 miles. the check engine light is on and the code said the erg valve. i had that replaced and its still on. Im very conclered about how much oil I burn though

5 people found this helpful.
200

Glad to find this site. I have a 2006 T&C and I am having the same problem losing oil. One month after having oil changed, I had to stop in the shop to have them tell me I had no oil left. I don't travel far...just local runs in town. There is no signs of it leaking anywhere...not on the ground or under the vehicle and no smoke. WHERE is it going??? I will look into filing a complaint with the NHTSA. This van is a LEMON. SO many problems.

20 people found this helpful.
100

I have a 2008 with 51,000 miles and I am having the same issues and was 2 quarts low at my last change. I change every 3 months/3,000 miles. I'm also getting terrible mileage; 13 mpg city. Dealer looked at it twice and decided the new EGR must have been bad but that only upped mileage from 10 to 13. Glad to find others with same problems. Can someone post a link to file a complaint? This model year is shit.

10 people found this helpful.
110

I have a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country with Flex Fuel. It's a 3.3L and has 107,000 miles on it. My oil has been running low every time I get the oil changed. I have the oil changed every 3000 miles. Two oil changes ago the mechanic told me it was 2 quarts low. They switched me to the high mileage oil to see if that would help, and the next oil change it was still 2 quarts low. This last oil change I had about 3 days ago was 3 quarts low. The mechanic ran some BG products through my engine to clean it. Some 109 followed up with some MOA. I haven't driven but 100 miles since the last oil change, so I don't know if this stuff helps with burning oil yet, BUT I will say my van hasn't run as smooth as it is now in a very long time. I have my hopes up, but we'll see. Problems I've had with this car: Front brakes wear out all of the time! There was a recall on them. A/C hose busted and and freon leaked out at 40,000 miles. EGR valve had to be replaced, part comes from the dealer only and is on back order by 2 months. I got my part expedited along with a rental car while I waited after endless complaining to Chrysler. Y hose that goes into thermostat busted and spewed coolant all over my engine while I had 6 kids in the car out of town. Right now I'm waiting to see if my check engine light is going to come back on after being cleared last week. My CEL came on with a code of p0456 (very small leak in evap. system) Mechanic said it may only be the gas cap. I bought a new cap and had the CEL reset. I've gone 250 miles so far and no light back on..................... YET! I will never ever ever ever ever EVERRRRR buy a Chrysler again!!!!

11 people found this helpful.
100

I have a 2008 Chrysler town and country and it is burning oil in between every 3000 miles oil change. The dealer ship says its normal but i doubt it is. Chrysler really needs to recall this engine. Because mine has no oil leaks or anything else.

10 people found this helpful.
45

Same here. 2010 T&C 50K miles and burns at least 1 Qt. per 3000 miles. First vehicle to do this for me. Calling the stealership today!

3 people found this helpful.
60

I am having the same oil burning problem 2 quarts every 3000 miles. i have a 2009 town ans country touring 3.8. I have only had it 4 months. no one can seem to tell me why its happening

6 people found this helpful.
520

I had the oil consumption issue on a 2008 dodge caravan 3.8. Van has a life time power train warranty on it so I went after dodge to get it fixed. My van was using over a quart every thousand miles. First problem was a head gasket oil leak. Dealer repaired under warranty. This slowed the consumption down to one quart every thousand miles which kept it on the warranty radar screen. They tried to blow me off however stayed and the Chrysler warranty rep they continued to search and found that the valve stem seals where bad. This was my guess the entire time however they replaced the seals and we are 1000 miles in after the repair and oil still full. It's has been a long process over a year of back and forth with the dealer and the Chrysler warranty rep but I think we finally got it fixed.

18 people found this helpful.
100

We had just bought our 2008 T&C with the 3.8 this spring with 59000 miles on it. Before delivery it was serviced. I checked the oil a few weeks ago and found it 2 quarts down. What the heck??? It was do for a change so I took it to the selling dealer and discussed the usage and was told Chrysler considers a quart/1000 miles to be normal. I have never heard anything like this till now. It seems the more I read, I'm not alone. While the dealer agrees with me, his hands are tied. We're trying 10W30 at his suggestion and I also read tonight about possible PCV valve problems. I'll get into that tomorrow but wow, I've never heard of that much oil usage being called acceptable. That's just plain BS.

10 people found this helpful.
520

PCV was not the answer to the oil issue. I put 2 in my 3.8 no difference. The valve stem seal replace fixed the problem. I believe Chrysler knows they have a problem and refuse to admit it. Maybe a class action law suit would get their attention!!!

18 people found this helpful.
50

Hmm, stem seals. The front ones are certainly easy enough to get at. I may try this in mine. My 3.8 (2008) started using at 50,000. It now has 100,000. It seems to use about a qt every 1,000 or 1200 miles. Changing weights did nothing. Much like bitching to the dealer. A qt every 600 is normal. it has not been worth my effort to have them put it on a watch and for me to drain it low enough before I take it in. I have done this job before on a 4.3 Chevy so it's not too bad. Just gotta make sure you have good compressed air t hold the valve. It would be a pain to have to replace the cat because of this

5 people found this helpful.
40

My dealership told me that Chrysler allows up to 1 quart of oil loss every 750 miles, as long as it's not leaking

4 people found this helpful.
30

Have an 08 t&c touring with 80000 miles burning 2 qts of oil in between oil changes had to replace valve seals to hopefully salve the problem the mechanic that I took it to called a friend from the Chrysler dealership to have him say that this is a problem but may not be a 100% fix!!!!!! This needs addressed by Chrysler seeing how they narrowed so much of our money to stay in business stop the lies

3 people found this helpful.
40

My dealer said a qt every 500 miles is normal!! Oil light came on and it was 3 quarts low. I asked him what causes this and he wouldn't say anything but the Chrysler line. Couldn't tell me what to fix. Has 58000 miles. Oil changed on schedule every time. Giving me a reason to get rid of it. Going to try the consumption test first fuel to the warranty

4 people found this helpful.
150

I have a 2008 T&C and from the get go it "consumed oil" to the point at 2500 it was bone dry. Took it to the dealer and they told me consuming 1 quart every 1000 miles was within industry standards. I contacted better business bureau and they said because Chrysler stipulates its within standard to consume 1 quart of oil every 750-100 miles that there is nothing they can do. SOOOO all you have to do as a company is say that your defect is a standard and nothing will get done. Shady business tactics by Chrysler

4 people found this helpful.
520

I've been the industry for 40 plus years and never have seen any car or truck that consumed the amount of oil that the 3.8 engine does. I was fortunate to get a life time power train warranty on my Caravan and when they replaced the valve stem seals the oil consumption slowed to 1 1/2 quarts at 5000 miles. Still not acceptable but I can deal with that. I currently have 47,000 miles on the vehicle. I as others have stated Chrysler does have a problem with this engine and refuses to admit it!!!!

5 people found this helpful.
30

2008. Problem started at 20K miles. Continues to this day @ 40K. 5 quarts between changes. Just spoke with Chrysler again. Phone number is in back of owners manual for customer service. This was my 3rd call. They r now having a rep speak to the local service manager who keeps pressing me to get them involved. I will update on what developes.

3 people found this helpful.
150

I wish you the best but I have been down that road. I have a letter Chrysler wrote to better business bureau that states my engine consuming 1 quart every 750-1000 miles is an INDUSTRY standard. Better business wouldnt do a thing about it and Chrysler told my dealership there is nothing wrong with the oil consumption. I always appreciate the suggestions people have with mechanically how to fix this issue but when you take it to the dealership and they say there nothing wrong there isnt anything you can do. Because if you take it to a mechanic they will void the engine warranty. We would go to valvoline to get our oil changed and they would tell us we were low. Take it to Chrysler and they would not believe the oil place, do another oil change, have the same issue and Chrysler would tell us nothing is wrong. Sad part is my dealer at one point admitted they wouldnt buy back a car with the issues we have. Chrysler is a TERRIBLE company who doesnt stand by their product. But what do you do?

2 people found this helpful.
170

I think I posted before but will advise again. Our '08 was doing the same thing. Our dealer got Chrysler to pay for doing a ring job (means dropping the engine). That solved the problem no more oil consumption.

9 people found this helpful.
150

I think its awesome you have a dealer that did that for you but our dealer wouldnt, wont and says they cant because Chrysler said there is nothing to do about it. According to Chrysler 1 quart of oil consumption for every 1000 miles is industry standard.

5 people found this helpful.
20

I had a 2005 T&C with a 3.8 and found that if I go to a heavier (10w40) oil it lessened the amount it burned. I also found oil in the intake and it was coming from the PCV valve which I then replaced. That does not stop it from burning oil but will lessen it.

2 people found this helpful.
20

It is the PVC valve. Common for 3.8 PVC to plug up and PVC hose to collapse. Replace with dealer OEM valve and hose.. Some aftermarket PVC valves for some reason don't work as well. If you use synthetic oil (I have used it in my 08 Caravan since new) it will burn cleaner than petroleum oil and not smoke as much, thus hiding the symptoms. my wife ran our Caravan down to 1 qt. and the synthetic Mobil 1 saved it-no harm done.

2 people found this helpful.
10

I had the same issue on my 2008 with the 3.8 l engine. After doing an oil consumption test for 20.000 KMs it was diagnosed that the there was an issue with how the rings are seated in the cylinders. Apparently my dealership had already changed out the bottom end in 5 jeeps with the 3.8 l motor for same issue. I was going through a minimum of 3 litres of oil in 5000 km. We did the PCV valve change and all the tubing to boot. Chrysler knows about the issue and don't want to admit they screwed up on a shipment of engines.

1 people found this helpful.
20

I have a 2009 T & C touring 25th anniversary with 3.8 liter , 40k miles (bought it with 25k miles) and was always adding oil . I have it serviced at 3k miles and the first episode I though I put 2k or so, it was 1 quart low. But when I checked the odometer my wife put only 500 miles since oil change. I feel like I have a 1970's clunker that I used to put a quart of oil every gas tank fill up. I have a 2011 Chevy Cruze with 99k miles in 3 years and never add oil in between 3k oil changes. I like the T & C but I can,t believe I have to explain to my wife why I have add a quart of oil every 500 mile (every 2 weeks) for a Van I paid 30k $ for. Chrysler should step up to plate. I can't believe how many other owners have same issues. If Chrysler says a quart is normal for 500 to 1000 miles then this will be my last Chrysler Junk.

2 people found this helpful.
150

Good luck getting Chrysler to do anything. I would never buy another and would never recommend it. Its sad when companies dont stand behind their product. Heck if you try to get Better Business Bureau to help they will only mediate with Chrysler but they wont get involved. I went so far to open a case with Better Business Bureau regarding my issue with Chrysler which as a result Chrysler sent me a letter stating that my oil "consumption" was "industry standard" when I stated my van had no oil in it after 2500 miles and Better Business Bureau simply forwarded me the letter and said the case was closed because Chrysler said it was industry standard. Very disappointed in both BBB and Chrysler. There is no way BBB can look at the situation and not think something is rotten.

2 people found this helpful.
10

I hate my Dodge Grand Caravan 2010 I will never get another Chrysler or dodge minivan this is my last vehicle from them oil consumption is not normal. R. Castro

1 people found this helpful.
40

This has been a problem for our '06 Grand Caravan for a while (no leaks, no smoke), but what happened today was crazy. My wife was driving to work and the temp gage suddenly shot up and the car started dinging. I got there and checked the oil. It was bone dry. We had an oil change just two months ago! No oil light came on. This is a dangerous problem. I'll try some of the suggestions here, but it's time for a new car anyway... and it won't be a Dodge.

4 people found this helpful.
50

Got a 2007 T/C. Looses about three and a half quarts of oil between oil changes which begs the question why go for a oil change at all, it's allways fresh. I bought a life time bumper to bumper insurance policy on this van when I bought it new, I'm retired and have all the time in the world to bring it back to Chrysler each time. So far they changed a piston a head, a catalytic converter, two EGR valves, two powered steering pumps, alternator, cvr boot and as we speak its back,in the shop again. Hey Chrysler I've got the time if you've got the dime. I think the only car maker that offers a life time bumper to bumper is Nissan, why anybody would not buy this is beyond me. That'll be my next purchase. Chrysler your engines suck. And by the way for all you people experiencing oil consumption, ITS YOUR VALVE SEALS in about 75% of the time.

5 people found this helpful.
10

2004 Chrysler T&C 3.8... 105,000 miles. Have to add a quart every 1000. Mechanic said I have a back cylinder burning oil. Is it worth the cost vs. blue book value to have a ring job done??? In my wallet - no! Cheaper to invest in quarts of oil, say, +/- 5 bucks every 2 months. Next time in for a repair will have pcv valve checked and consider changing to heavier oil to see if it helps... tho highly doubt it.

1 people found this helpful.
20

I have Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L with 100Kmiles. I use PetroCanada semi sinthetic 10W40 for the last 70Kmiles of using my van. Oil change interval is 10Kmiles ( 90% of my miles are highway). Keep speed 60- 75m/hr. Oil consumption is 2.5 liters between oil changes.

2 people found this helpful.
20

I have a 2008 Dodge Caravan that started using oil at about 50,000. Uses a quart every 1000 miles.Not smoking , no oil on garage floor or anywhere I can find it would be losing it. Where is it going? Doing consumption test now with dealer. They say a quart every 750 miles is normal....maybe in a Dodge but not in GM cars I have had, they didn't use oil at all.

2 people found this helpful.
60

2006 Chrysler T&C 3.8 Liter with now 90K Mi . Less than 2000 Mi per qt new and now about 5-600. All the same story with dealer run around and Chrysler's "normal" oil consumption. My old 94 3.3 liter with 160 k Mi was using about half as much as the 05 3.8 L with 60 k Mi. Unfortunately the wrong one got totaled. Finally gave up and just buy oil as not worth my time at dealers. Now hoping for a theft. Like others I'm done with Chrysler products.

40

Thanks God i am not alone with this oil consumption problem. I have 2010 T&C and got in this problem last summer in 2014. first there was a leak but not on the ground, only at the engine. Got head gasket replaced in sep 2014. But now again there is a low oil warning. I guess we all should file a lawsuit against Chrysler then they will work on the engine to make it safe and non oil consumption.

4 people found this helpful.
30

I've got a 2005 3.8, too. Always a mystery why it used so much oil. So after reading all this, I guess it's the valve seals. Are the new engines better?

3 people found this helpful.
20

My oil light came on before the 3000 mile oil change. I was down 3 1/2 Qrts. It burned that in the winter due to cold weather I suspect. Just did a test for 1000 miles to see consumption and was about 3/4 of a qrt. low.Maybe we can just change filters as new oil is constantly being added. The Chrysler corp better get it together or fiat or whoever wants to have a job in the future! I understand what they are telling me keep adding oil. NOT EXCEPTABLE

2 people found this helpful.
60

I interpret their advice as being to buy a different product.

3 people found this helpful.
40

This thread is 3 years old, but still very informative. Same here. 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. 97K miles and I go through 2 quarts of oil between changes. No spots on garage floor or drive...using synthetic 5/20. Is that too thin? Should I go back to conventional or will that mess things up?

4 people found this helpful.
150

Doesn't matter what you use. In my case with the Town and Country its empty at about 3000 miles with no burn or leak. Dealership won't fix it because Chrysler says its not an issue.

1 people found this helpful.
45

Seems to me that there are a lot of people with this same issue. My 3.8 has consumed oil since the start(about 1 Qt per oil change). This issue tells me that this engine is low in quality. I've never had this issue with any other manufacturers. Chrysler has a problem and they need to be held responsible to fix their oil consumption issue.

1 people found this helpful.
150

How? I wrote Better Business Bureau (BBB) and they said because Chrysler says its a "standard" then its not an issue. That I think was more disappointing than the actual issue. BBB knows that its a ridiculous statement to make yet they totally backed down on it.

1 people found this helpful.
60

I tried 10w - 40 in my T & C and it made only a little difference in consumption.

2 people found this helpful.
20

2008 Grand Caravan SXT with 3.8 engine.....at 70,000 it started using a bit of oil. Now at 82,000 miles it is going through 2 to 2.5 quarts between oil changes. Oil is ALWAYS changed at 3000 miles even though the "change oil" display comes on at 2400 to 2600 miles. Changed PCV valve.....ran "Sea Foam" in engine....no difference. Now check engine light is on and catalytic converter code and EGR code pops up when I scan computer. Ran a bottle of CATACLEAN through gas tank ($25!!) and catalytic converter code is GONE. I was quite impressed. Bought new EGR valve at dealer and that code is now also gone. Bought stainless steel y pipe on e bay to replace plastic junk on coolant hose. Getting tired of fixing what Chrysler wont. Still consuming oil anyway.......decided to give up on the specified 5w20 oil and go with 5w30....we shall see if this helps. EPA squeezes automaker with CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) and automaker squeezes consumer by sticking him with a piece of junk. All under the good intentions....(?)......of saving the planet but guess where all this oil is going?......out the tailpipe and into the air anyway........real fricken nice.

2 people found this helpful.
40

I just visited the dealer re oil use of 3 qts. in 5371 miles. The service manager suggested carbon removal process. His reasoning is that carbon is blocking injectors causing excessive gasoline and the oil is thinned allowing blowby of the rings. I am going to spend the $120 to see. More to follow.

2 people found this helpful.
50

Adding my vehicle to the pot. 2010 with the 3.8 I switched to amsoil

3 people found this helpful.
50

Whoops. Sorry. Bought at 78k. switched to amsoil at 82-85k (never had enough time to notice oil loss) 3 qts low at 92k. Hoping to follow everyone's advice that claims a fix and confirm.

1 people found this helpful.
520

anyone with problem check this out. class action investigation http://www.consumerclassactionlawyers.com/chrysler-dodge-and-jeep-oil- consumption-class-action.html

4 people found this helpful.
520

Check this out class action law suit. I'm inhttp://www.consumerclassactionlawyers.com/chrysler-dodge-and-jeep- oil-consumption-class-action.html

520

every one that has a problem should visit this website. I've suggested that they expand the model years to include as early as 2006 model years. http://www.consumerclassactionlawyers.com/chrysler-dodge-and-jeep- oil-consumption-class-action.html

1 people found this helpful.
520

something else to check out http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/06/excessive-oil- consumption/index.htm

1 people found this helpful.
170

Just to update you all the ring job Chrysler did nearly three years ago (and paid for) is still working. No oil consumption in our '08 T&C!

3 people found this helpful.
520

Don't what happened to the class action site however you can go to consumer reports and search excessive oil consumption and there's a good article there. Hope this helps. My 2008 3.8 Grand Caravan is still consuming 3 quarts every 5,000 miles even after Dodge changed the valve stem seals,pcv and repaired a head gasket leak . Currently have 59,000 miles on the van. I still believe it's a problem with the piston rings. I have a lift time power train warranty so will drive it till they replace the engine just for the aggravation this has caused me.

1 people found this helpful.
230

2006 Town & Country. Oil Consumption began at about 60K and climbed to current rate at 108,000 miles of 1 qt every 1,000 miles. The vehicle has been meticulously maintained with regular oil changes. PCV valve swapped no effect. New plugs no effect. Restore engine treatment no effect. Seafoam in crankcase no effect (although it quieted the motor down significantly - eliminated any valve train ticking). Heavier weight oil no effect. High mileage synthetic no effect. So I dug into the motor this weekend and swapped out the valve guide oil seals. Front bank easy, rear bank is a nightmare especially cylinders 3 and 5. Total job 8 hrs. Total cost $45 for rocker cover gaskets, guide seals, and Lisle valve holder attachment for hooking up compressed air to cylinders (worked beautifully). Valve spring compressor free loaner at AutoZone. Old seals were absolutely shot with no seal between seal and valve stem. I expect oil consumption will likely become negligible but will post follow up after this weekends long road trip. BTW the inside of my motor was as clean as the day it was made with no sign of deposits or sludge - either due to the regular oil changes or recent Seafoam cycle in the crankcase. Vehicle still runs beautifully and does everything I've ever asked of it. Hope this works

4 people found this helpful.
230

I am happy to report 1,500 miles driven (combination hwy and cty) with ZERO oil consumption! This includes a 500 mile hwy trip at sustained 80mph with a full cargo load in the hills of Iowa. If you chose to do it get the FELPRO premium seal and valve cover sets from AutoZone online. Free delivery, total cost $30 and my local auto zone lent me the valve spring compressor. Buy the Lisle valve holder from Ebay for $15 delivered. You need a good compressor. Remove the wiper tray assembly and all plugs. Remove hoses to front and rear valve covers. Disconnect rear electrical connectors at rear of engine near throttle body. Remove plugs (put in new ones OEM Champions $2 each - don't do Bosch they burn out). Remove valve covers. Remove rocker arms (they come out as an assembly after removing 7 bolts). Put paper towels in oil return holes. Don't remove push rods they are mated to rockers. Now all the cylinders valves will be closed. TDC doesn't matter. The compressed air will push the cylinder your connected to to the bottom of the stroke. My compressor is set at 90 psi. This doesn't hurt the cylinder cause the pressure is nothing to it but it will hold the valves in like a rock. The spring compressing valve stem keeper removal is the hardest part. Do front bank first so you get the knack of it. Capture the keepers with a strong pickup magnet. Remove spring (keep it set on compressing tool). Remove and replace the worn out seals (easy). Put spring back on stem. Install keepers. Release tension on spring compressor tool. Valve is done. Front easy. Passenger rear ok. Rear middle and driver side took longer than the other four. Total job for me 6 hrs. REMOVE paper towels. Use torque wrench to install rocker arm bolts ( I think 200 inch lbs or 17.3 ft lbs). Make absolutely sure push rods are set in place properly on rocker arms. Use a mirror to double check rear. You can see all of them from passenger side fender with flash light. Install valve covers (105 inch lbs). Make sure you use the new grommets for the bolts and take care to pull flat retainers of bolts into the cover gasket. The gasket is designed to mate with the bottom flange on the bolt to hold it in place - a very clever design. I almost missed this. Reconnect all electrical connectors Hook up hoses. Start If you've taken good care of your van/engine this should do the trick. My engine was like new inside. I think I'm good for another 100,000 non oil burning miles now. The old seals hole that meets the valve stem was completely worn out. THIS WAS THE PROBLEM!

13 people found this helpful.
230

Sorry I should have noted that I would have normally had to add about 1-1/2 to 2 quarts for this type of driving in the past. I also should have noted that i did this with one arm basically as I had recently had my shoulder replaced. Good luck if you chose to attempt this. It may be a pricey job to have a shop do this but if its under $300 and your van is otherwise in good shape you may want to consider farming it out?

6 people found this helpful.
10

I own a 2005, 3.8 town&country with 243171 miles. It uses about 1 quart of oil every 1500 miles. I perform 95% of my mechanical repairs. This vehicle has performed extremely well with very few mechanical problems. The gas mileage is not terrific but the vehicle has served us well. I'm presently looking at some similar vehicles with low mileage. I'm wondering if a little heavier oil may be a good idea. I previously owned a 1994 3.0 town&country that had 260000 miles on it when it lost a rod bearing on my way to the junk yard to get parts for another vehicle. I figured the vehicle didn't owe me anything more and sold it to the junk yard for about $350. Ironically, my wife came to pick me up, she's the one putting all the miles on these vehicles. I don't know about her but that 94 felt like family to me. We had kids born in 95 & 97. They are both in college know. Sorry if I got to far off topic.

1 people found this helpful.
40

Thanks for the info. My dealership did a decarbonization of my engine and slowed greatly the oil usage. The tech told me that partial blockage of a fuel injector allowed raw gasoline into the cylinder and caused oil thinning. The oil then blew out the exhaust unburnt. Seems to have worked. I have over 2500 miles since oil change and am not down quite a quart as yet.

1 people found this helpful.
10

I HAVE A 08 JEEP WRANGLER X WITH A 3.8 IT USES 3 QTS. OF OIL BETWEEN A 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE IM HOPING MY DEALER WILL DO SOMETHING I BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRENTY NOW THE CODE FOR EGR VALVE IS ON CAN ANY ONE GIVE ME ME INSITE ON THIS PLEASE

1 people found this helpful.
40

Have your engine de-carbonized. My '09 Caravan with 3.8 was using oil at about the same rate but an alert serviceman at the dealership indicated that the injectors were partially blocked allowing a stream of gasoline instead of a mist to be injected into the cylinder and thinning the oil which caused oil to bypass the rings and be blown out the exhaust. It stopped after a $120 service.

1 people found this helpful.
30

For those who own a dodge grand caravan with the 3.8 with high oil consumption between oil changes our shop has found the problem and it's an easy fix while you wait,about 30mins. Repair cost only $80,repair garunteed. Call for an appointment (615)922-0893, Randell's Automotive Springfield TN

3 people found this helpful.
520

Would be curious to hear your repair fix for this problem. Would make a appointment at your shop be a long drive. Please share so this rest of us can fix the problem. Thanks!!

3 people found this helpful.
60

Just living with it. Cheaper and less stress than working with Chrysler. Last Chrysler product in my stable.

1 people found this helpful.
40

Glad that worked for you Bam. It didn't work for my 2010. Changed it 2 times, still burning oil.

25

Got a 2009 Grand Caravan with the 3.8L ... I do my own oil changes every 5k miles and notice that it uses about half a quart every 1k miles ... Living with it now because oil is cheap.But I do however have the "LIfetime drivetrain warranty" to fall back on for what it's worth ... Sad thing is, I worked at and retired from the very engine plant where these engines were built in Trenton Michigan. The bean counters probably saved a few thousand a year by using inferior valve seals that obviously are not holding up. It's a shame too, because some of the best engines have come out of that plant for the last 50+ years ... including 440 V-8's ... the indestructible slant 6 ... the dependable 2.2L 4 cyl ... and now the 3.6L Pentastar V-6 that replaced the 3.8 oil user ... ... The 2.0L 4 cyl world engine in my Dodge Caliber runs like a top... and doesn't use a drop of oil between changes ...

2 people found this helpful.
10

Just bought a used 2008 dodge caravan with 3.8 engine in it at 75,000 miles no issues Im at 90,000 and its burning a qrt every 600 miles. Noticed the problem start after 84,000 mile oil change because oil light kicked on just as i arrived home checked the oil nothing on dip stick at 86500 miles. Big issue, going to try pcv valve and maybe steam seals if valve doesnt work. As for now bought 5qts STP 5w20 on sale so i can add some every 600 miles. Should of never bought a Chrysler

1 people found this helpful.
25

... Ok ... I've decided to just start checking it every 1000 miles now ... and adding what is needed at that time ... Instead of a complete oil change and filter every 3 or 4 thousand miles ... I'm just going to do it every 6k miles (recommended in the manual) ... I figure adding 3 or 4 fresh quarts of oil between changes and a complete change and filter at 6k ... it will be more than adequate ...

I have 2008 dodge grand caravan and it consumed 2 quarts at 3500. Took it to dealer and was told it was normal for 1 quart at every 1000 miles. They showed my the Chrysler bulletin for that issue. I replaced spark plugs at 94K miles and saw #3 and #4 plugs were really wet with oil. So, I got rid of the dodge.

20

I have a 2008 Town and Country with the 3.8 engine. Bought new. At 45,000 miles it started using oil bad. Three to four quarts between the 3000 mile recommended change. Bought at a local dealer new and they have done all maintenance. They did all the above and finally I asked to speak with a factory rep since I bought the life time warranty. I knew it was the rings and sure enough it was. They put in a new short block. Everything has been fine until the last month or so. And go figure. The Van now has 96,000 and is doing the same thing. The dealer's maintenance department told me today that it was considered normal oil consumption. Normal my a**, I told him their was nothing normal about this. Then I proceeded to tell him about my Honda that has 196,000 miles on it and the Honda dealer changes the oil on it. But every 5,000 miles and it has never used one drop between changes ever. He said that was a different product with different parts. Then I ask if he was telling me that Chrysler has bad part in their engines. He turned red and started giving stupid answers. Anyway I had him to put it on a oil consumption test for every 500 miles. And this is what we have as of today. I also told them that I was going to keep the Van and drive it until the body fell off. But it would still have a good running gear. You have rights if you bought the vehicle new and with a lifetime warranty. Don't believe what they tell you about oil consumption.

2 people found this helpful.

I have a 2006 Caravan with the 3.8L also. It started using oil like yours at about 85000 miles. The tail pipe went from a healthy gray to a sooty black then I had to replace the catalytic converter. I finally was able to contact some wheel at Chrysler about the problem. He said to replace the PCV. I did and the oil consumption in gone. Maybe that will work for you. Those converters are not cheap.

10

have a 2006 3.8 grand caravan 230,000 miles will use about 1/2 quart between 3500 mile oil changes been using motorcraft 5W20 synthetic blend since 35,000 miles used purchase - tried full synthetic Pennzoil at 31,000 to try to loose a cold clatter for first cold start lasts about 4-5 seconds then quiets down but would burn 1 quart per 1000 miles that's why I switched to motorcraft synthetic blend and lucas oil stabilizer still have cold clatter but still runs well about 200,000 miles later oh forgot only oil filter used is Wix 51085 - in my opinion there is nothing like a good filter they cost a little more but they work a lot better these filters have about twice the paper in them as almost any others cut them open with a can opener and see for your self

1 people found this helpful.

Addition to my post of about 6 months ago. My 3.8 now has about 111,000 miles and uses oil like mad! PCV replacement didn't last, now uses about 2 qt between changes at 3000 mi. I would go for the valve seal replacement, that has been my repair for past engines that started using oil abruptly and it always worked. I also an '87 Toyota 4 cyl with over 130,000 on it, doesen't use any oil between changes. Yea Toyota!

My '06 TnC does the exact same. Oil in the throttle body, excessive consumption, etc. Cleaned the pcv, throttle body, inside the cover, engine always on, can't figure this out. Anyone wanna buy a van?

As fast as it uses up oil I have just decided not to bother with changing oil anymore just change filters and continue check the oil level and adding more oil. I think the valve seals are the problem and would like to replace them but cannot afford to have the van tied up for 2 or 3 days, it has been modified to a wheelchair accessible van and is on the road every day.

I have the same problem with my 2010 Volkswagen Routan, which is a glorified Chrysler T & C. Was burning about 1 Qt between oil changes and now burns about 2 Qts. in between. I have no leaks or smoke. I have used 100% synthetic oil since purchased and it has about 65,000 miles on it now. Has anyone tried using any of the stop leak products out there? It runs great other than the oil burn.

This is not helpful, but I had to replace my catalytic converter because it was plugged up, I guess thats where all my oil has been going. When the oil gets into the converter, it burns so hot that shows at the tailpipe. My 3.8 van sill runs good, it just uses more oil than I think it should.

50

2010 town and country. I'm convinced it's the valve seals, as mentioned by someone else in this post, however, I had the PCV valve replaced and oil usage went from 1qt every 1k miles to every 2k miles instantly.

10

We have a 2008 t&c 3.8 (on lpg) with 160k miles and it only uses around 2qts of oil every 10k MILES which is quite ok I guess. This is combined city highway but more highway, and often driving long distances at 90-100mph. Also fuel consumtion is quite well: 18 mpg with lpg and over 23.5 average on normal gasoline.interesting people are having so many issues with their chryslers, we got our 91 tc to 270k 2.5 crd still working and our 2001 tc 2.4 se to 384k (!) . We live in europe and all the other cars we had/have are less reliable.

1 people found this helpful.
157,445

2 quarts in 10,000 miles is just fine. I would not worry unless oil consumption was 1 qt. at 1,500 miles or more.

I have the same problem - 2007 3.8 Grand Caravan. It started at 20,000 miles. Dealer put in a brand new engine at 55,000 miles. 20,000 miles later started using oil again. Second engine now has 54,000 miles and uses 1 quart in 800 miles. Doesn't speak well of Chrysler!

30

I have a 2003 T&C with the 3.3L. You all will not believe our good luck. 18-19 mpg around town. 26.5 - 27.7 on the highway. Always used conventional oil and burned nothing between 3K oil change intervals. Switched to Mobil 1 synthetic (5W30) and now I burn maybe 1/2 - 3/4 quart total on 4K oil change intervals.

it is your fault.american made cars don't last.i have always own Toyotas.they outlast any American cars.dont get me wrong,.im American.

520

I found pitting in my cylinders. The picture is of #2 was bad. # 6 looked like the surface of the moon. It has a lifetime power train warranty. off to Dodge dealer we go!!!

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Town & Country

Looking for a Used Town & Country in your area?

CarGurus has 113 nationwide Town & Country listings starting at $3,400.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Lisa Klancher
    Reputation
    3,580
  • #2
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    3,280
  • #3
    thejeepdoctor
    Reputation
    3,160
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Dodge Grand Caravan
128 Great Deals out of 2,018 listings starting at $2,995
Used Chrysler Pacifica
26 Great Deals out of 750 listings starting at $15,995
Used Toyota Sienna
47 Great Deals out of 631 listings starting at $2,499
Used Honda Odyssey
35 Great Deals out of 836 listings starting at $2,495
Used Ford Explorer
63 Great Deals out of 2,041 listings starting at $6,990
Used Kia Sedona
11 Great Deals out of 183 listings starting at $7,000
Used Ford F-150
314 Great Deals out of 13,742 listings starting at $3,800
Used Honda Pilot
42 Great Deals out of 913 listings starting at $1,230
Used Toyota Highlander
44 Great Deals out of 816 listings starting at $7,498
Used Chrysler 300
26 Great Deals out of 539 listings starting at $6,898
Used GMC Acadia
32 Great Deals out of 651 listings starting at $6,900
Used Chevrolet Equinox
92 Great Deals out of 3,307 listings starting at $1,695
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
13 Great Deals out of 822 listings starting at $9,980

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.