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Oil consumption and no indicator for oil change

100K views 203 replies 67 participants last post by  BooMan 62 
#1 ·
Hi,

Sorry if this may have been posted already. I searched within the forum but did not come up with anything. I have a 2018 compass that I'm leasing. 5100mi on it now. The other day the oil pressure low light/chime dinged and lit up for maybe a second as the engine start/stop kicked in after being at a stop. Happened twice. Took off the start/stop. Got home and checked oil. Stick came out dry. Added 2 1/2 quarts to get it normal range. Called my service dept and was told by the woman who schedules that it doesnt need service needs oil change every 3000mi? Really on synthetic? I leased a Rav4 for 8 years,,never had an issue and maintenance required light would come on when it was time for a change which was at 5000 .

My husband brought the car in for me and said the service tech said the Compass burns oil and service is at 4500. Really? isn't that something you should be told before leasing or buying that it is known for going through oil? He also had no idea why I did not get a call for service. Dont the 2018's come with an indicator when an oil change is needed? He was confused. I'm trusting my car to someone who isn't sure.

My question is, has anyone been told the Compass burns through oil? Does the Compass have an indicator for when an oil change is needed? Or do we have to guess when its' needed or just assume every 4500mi...

Anyone go through the same issue?

While I like the way the jeep handles, if this is truly going to be an ongoing issue I would never buy a Jeep and will be looking to get out of the lease as soon as I can.
 
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#2 ·
I was told at our service department a change oil light would turn on sometime around 7,500 miles depending on driving conditions. There is another member here that had/has an issue with oil consumption you might dig to find that thread. Because this is the 2nd report of high oil consumption I just went out and checked our compass (Been checking it every week or so). It is a couple of miles short of 5k and oil is maybe 1/4 of a quart low. My guess is ours might be 1/2 low when the oil change light comes on. So I would say you are having an oil consumption issue. They have a test they do to check for this I would have them do it ASAP.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I am that member that is having problems. It burned 4 quarts of oil between oil change intervals. Mine too was dry and the low oil pressure light came on during turning. Upon further research on other Jeep forums it's a common issue across all cars and SUV's that utilize the 2.4L TigerShark Multi Air Engine.

FCA usually does a stalling tactic where they make you perform a series of "oil mileage checks" until your warranty runs out and then deny your claim. That appears to be the common thread i've seen on the internet. None actually got them to crack the motor open and check things out. They usually make you dick around with the PCV system and "Fix" it and send you on your way only for it to continue to happen.

My advice to you is check your oil frequently, document mileage intervals and provide the evidence to the dealer and FCA Customer Care so it's at least on paper should you decide to go specific avenues.

BTW, my issue is not fixed.

Here is my master thread: http://www.myjeepcompass.com/forums...burning-oil-2018-jeep-compass.html#post132162
 
#5 ·
Bah, you made me look. I've got 3000 miles on my latest oil and the level is right where it was when I rolled out of the dealer parking lot that day, 4/5 of the way up the hash marks. Still looks pretty clean too.

I think my engine broke in well, piston rings wore in nicely maybe because I started pulling some heavy loads for medium distances right around the 600 mile mark. A moderate amount of engine load can help the rings seat better.

The vehicle computer does have a running calculation on the remaining oil life. How long it will go before it shows a message on your dash for service depends on how you are driving it, mine came on right around 8000 miles. Unfortunately there is no screen anywhere that will show you the estimated remaining life, which is a huge oversight on Jeep's part because most other cars do seem to have this now. Our Honda shows the remaining oil life as a percentage and its great to be able to see that so we can think about whether to do an oil change before or after a 3000 mile road trip, and we can avoid having the oil change message start harassing us 1500 miles from home.

A major miss for the Compass for sure, but I don't sweat it much because I am the type to keep pretty close track of it on my own. My system is the "I do one, they do one" oil change strategy. I changed the oil at home at 4000 miles (did not reset oil life counter), then the car started asking for oil change at 8000 as I expected so I brought it in and let them do that one (they reset the counter), now when I reach 12,000 miles here shortly I will do one at home again without resetting the counter, and when it asks for oil change around 16,000 I'll bring it in and let them do it again. Back and forth, essentially it will get new oil every 4,000 miles which is slightly more often than necessary but better a little too often than not quite often enough. The dealer service history will show I always bring it in for all the changes the car computer asks for to keep my warranty standing air-tight and I have the peace of mind knowing I'm not ever running the oil to the last bit of its life.

Synthetic doesn't really wear out but the additives and modifiers do, I would rather spend a little to make sure the oil is always at top performance. Chances are I will never rack up enough miles on it to enjoy the added life the engine may have but you never know, I am increasingly disinterested in newer vehicles as they become worse and worse with the amount of electronic nannies the government requires. I heard all new cars have to have advanced assisted braking technology by 2022 or something like that, and I am not a fan of self parking or self lane maintaining junk tech. I think this buggy has about all the electronics I can stand as a reasonable tradeoff for modern safety and efficiency my old SUV lacked, so who knows maybe I will drive this one into the ground. I do seem to have gotten one of the "good ones" compared to some of the horror stories from the forum here.


A quick note on the comment:
Upon further research on other Jeep forums it's a common issue across all cars and SUV's that utilize the 2.4L TigerShark Multi Air Engine.
Can you substantiate this at all? I'm just saying anything mass produced is going to be prone to a percentage of lemons and its a bummer when that happens, but you have to think about it in perspective. Over 75,000 of these new 2nd gen Compasses have been sold now, even if you find 1000 documented lemons thats still only 1%, and lets be honest I doubt the number is anywhere near that. You may read a dozen reports of people having massive issues in the forums and get freaked out about it but that percentage is almost too small to measure compared to the thousands upon thousands of good ones driving along happily every day. Expand out to include all the recent FCA vehicles that use the 2.4 besides the Compass and even if you read dozens of reports of excessive oil consumption it is a minuscule percentage of the hundreds of thousands of 2.4-powered vehicles that are running without issue globally.

I look at that and say the evidence suggests its highly inaccurate and misleading to assert that excessive oil consumption is a "common issue". It may feel that way because people who are having problems are far more likely to post emotionally about it online vs everyone else driving around happy as can be, and to us 20 is a large number but the truth is only a tiny tiny fraction of a percentage win the genuine lemon lottery. Its too bad but its not common, and its not a reason to avoid the Jeep brand when you (un)lucky winners get out from under your lemon (every other mass-producing manufacture operates the same lottery with roughly the same odds, give or take).

Anecdotal experience simply doesn't hold up with regard to getting a lemon when you buy a new car. You may own six vehicles from six manufactures in your lifetime and if the one bad one just happened to be a Chevy you may be left feeling bitter when that brand comes up in conversation but your personal experience and sample set is still way, way too small to then turn around and use that as evidence that Chevy (or any other brand) is an inferior brand. Just some food for thought.
 
#6 ·
Can you substantiate this at all?
I've reviewed several car forums ranging from Jeeps, Chrysler Cars & Dodges. The common thread i've found on each forum, while there is usually only one-two posts at most, several users from each forum comment on the one thread to state that they too are having the problem with oil consumption but haven't chimed in on it as they don't know what to make of it. Others likely don't know about the issue and likely don't check or service there own vehicles so it's foreign to them.

When going to the dealership, they showed me a screen with a TSB (Didn't catch the number unfortunately) showing several models and brands lumped in with oil consumption concerns for the 2.4L and "instructions" on how to troubleshoot and document in detail. Nothing within it actually shows how to repair the problem. Usually an auto manufacturer doesn't make a TSB unless the issue is wide spread and frequently documented or have had enough concerns to warrant it.

Some members of various forums go on to say that the motor was opened and determined that the piston rings were defective or simply installed upside down and having them replaced corrected the consumption to varying degrees but still was having the issue persist for some.

I've personally owned majority GM vehicles (GM Family), own two fords now and this Jeep. Had previous T&C minivans before this and never have I owned a car that has been in the shop as much as this car has sans a 2005 Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged (this car was mostly in because of aesthetics issues typical Cobalt stuff peeling trim, sun roof bezel falling, clear coat peeling, warping dash) but this Jeep consumed at this point no less than 7 quarts of oil in 9,000 miles (4 between an oil change). Its enough to get your attention. Never owned anything that burns the oil but certainly owned GM's that were great at leaking oil (thanks gaskets).
 
#9 ·
Well I called and spoke to one of the salesman and asked about a light. He told me I need to check the oil life percentage through the vehicle settings and when it gets 25% to make an appt for oil change. Told me not to wait until a light comes on because it is way low and can do damage by that point. Also said to carry some synthetic oil in the car and check it every 3 weeks..or every 1000mi. Said oil change should be at about 6,000 miles. He also said the 4liter engines are known to go through oil. He was very matter of fact about it. Wish that was something they would have disclosed. Have to carry oil around like in the old days and be on top of it. I'll have to give up manicures for the oil. :)

Maybe there are not a high amount of owners/leases that experience that problem but That said, I guess I am one of the unfortunate ones to get one as well as Mikeexelby. Frustrating.

Thanks to you all for replying.
 
#126 ·
Our dealership has been monitoring our 2018 Jeep Compass Trailhawk's oil consumption for 7 months now, and have just confirmed they have ordered a new engine. We are hopeful that this will fix the problem. Anyone else out there had the engine replaced? If so, did it solve the problem? Our's has been going through 750 ml to 1 l of oil every 1000 km.
 
#10 ·
Well I called and spoke to one of the salesman and asked about a light. He told me I need to check the oil life percentage through the vehicle settings and when it gets 25% to make an appt for oil change. Told me not to wait until a light comes on because it is way low and can do damage by that point. Also said to carry some synthetic oil in the car and check it every 3 weeks..or every 1000mi. Said oil change should be at about 6,000 miles. He also said the 4liter engines are known to go through oil. He was very matter of fact about it. Wish that was something they would have disclosed. Have to carry oil around like in the old days and be on top of it. I'll have to give up manicures for the oil. :)

Maybe there are not a high amount of owners/leases that experience that problem but That said, I guess I am one of the unfortunate ones to get one as well as Mikeexelby. Frustrating

Thanks to you all for replying.
 
#11 ·
Hi,

Sorry if this may have been posted already. I searched within the forum but did not come up with anything.

My question is, has anyone been told the Compass burns through oil? Does the Compass have an indicator for when an oil change is needed? Or do we have to guess when its' needed or just assume every 4500mi...
Try reading your owners manual. Its in there.
 
#12 ·
Salesmen don't really know diddly squat, especially not whatever one you talked to based on what you said about the conversation.

He also said the 4liter engines are known to go through oil.
Well that has nothing to do with the price of tea in China because none of the Compasses have ever had a 4 liter engine. He might have been thinking of the 4.0 in the old Cherokees which is a totally different vehicle, its still neither here nor there.

He told me I need to check the oil life percentage through the vehicle settings and when it gets 25% to make an appt for oil change.
You are going to be searching for a long long time because there is no such screen on these cars, again, he doesn't seem to know what vehicle you are driving at all. There is no way to see the estimated % remaining of the oil life. The car will start showing a message at startup when it thinks it is time, based on how you drive, and when that happens you need to try to get in for service within the next 500 miles. This is described on pages 109 and 367 of the owners manual.

Seriously, find a new salesman that guy doesn't sound like he knows a Compass from a Caravan...
 
#14 ·
Report problem online to the NHTSA. Having same problem. Leased (unfortunately for 3 years) a 2018 Jeep Compass and we have to continually check the oil manually as it is burning up oil. They had a very small recall (357 cars) for a problem with the oil pump but report it online to NHTSA. The more complaints they have they can make the automaker recall these cars! My friends Compass actually ran out of oil and it was no where near the oil change due date! Jeep you are a joke!
 
#16 · (Edited)
Well, as anyone who has the new generation Compass knows, these things drink oil. Unlike 10-64 I'm not seeing any drips, but I am seeing the oil level decline on the dipstick. These 'new' engines use about as much as a well-worn engine would. In fact as I've stated on other posts I don't think I've had any engine (including Jeeps) use as much oil at any age/mileage, and I've taken several engines past 250,000.

Sooner or later somebody with the time, money and attitude is going to take FCA to court over this and only an idiot judge will buy their excuse that these engines are designed to use oil. If they are designed to use this much oil, its a poor design and nothing else. Can you imagine a tire manufacturer saying they design their tires to lose air and go flat at 2000 miles?
  • Can you imagine stereo manufacturer saying they design the speakers to go fuzzy after 100 hours of use?
  • Can you imagine a dairy saying they design their milk with a 24 hour shelf-life?
  • Can you imagine anyone calling a design flaw intentional? But that's what they're doing.

What I can imagine is a recall coming that will include a software update to flash a warning on the EVIC when its down a quart. That would be a reasonable compromise. It wouldn't solve the problem, but at least the consumer wouldn't find themselves stranded. Now I carry a spare quart of oil in my trunk -- something I haven't done since I sold my faithful Ford Falcon in 1974.

My fear is if these engines use this much oil when they're new, how much more will they be using as they age??? Or maybe they'll say they aren't designed to last that long.

My sales rep told me "new engines use oil" and I've known that, indeed, brand new engines may consume a couple extra quarts during the break-in period. I didn't realize he meant that it would continually use a lot of oil throughout its life. After 10,000 miles a well-designed and well-built engine should have no appreciable oil loss until it is well-worn, meaning over 200,000 miles.

This is a problem that is going to come back and bite FCA. Count on it.
 
#195 ·
Well, as anyone who has the new generation Compass knows, these things drink oil. Unlike 10-64 I'm not seeing any drips, but I am seeing the oil level decline on the dipstick. These 'new' engines use about as much as a well-worn engine would. In fact as I've stated on other posts I don't think I've had any engine (including Jeeps) use as much oil at any age/mileage, and I've taken several engines past 250,000.

Sooner or later somebody with the time, money and attitude is going to take FCA to court over this and only an idiot judge will buy their excuse that these engines are designed to use oil. If they are designed to use this much oil, its a poor design and nothing else. Can you imagine a tire manufacturer saying they design their tires to lose air and go flat at 2000 miles?
  • Can you imagine stereo manufacturer saying they design the speakers to go fuzzy after 100 hours of use?
  • Can you imagine a dairy saying they design their milk with a 24 hour shelf-life?
  • Can you imagine anyone calling a design flaw intentional? But that's what they're doing.

What I can imagine is a recall coming that will include a software update to flash a warning on the EVIC when its down a quart. That would be a reasonable compromise. It wouldn't solve the problem, but at least the consumer wouldn't find themselves stranded. Now I carry a spare quart of oil in my trunk -- something I haven't done since I sold my faithful Ford Falcon in 1974.

My fear is if these engines use this much oil when they're new, how much more will they be using as they age??? Or maybe they'll say they aren't designed to last that long.

My sales rep told me "new engines use oil" and I've known that, indeed, brand new engines may consume a couple extra quarts during the break-in period. I didn't realize he meant that it would continually use a lot of oil throughout its life. After 10,000 miles a well-designed and well-built engine should have no appreciable oil loss until it is well-worn, meaning over 200,000 miles.

This is a problem that is going to come back and bite FCA. Count on it.
What kind of oil do you fill? I read that if you go from 0V -20 (it is recommended by the FCA) to 5Ts-30, the flow is significantly reduced.
 
#17 ·
As I've said on other threads that broach the oil consumption topic, we are getting a very real horsepower and fuel economy bonus with the way these engines are designed. They have more power than some old V6 engines, hell they even make more power than some V8 engines of the late 80s (when emissions was choking out things like the Chevy 305).

I will admit though, that they have gone a bit too far and the oil usage is a bit too high. I change oil 2x as often as the computer asks for it and that is so far just barely enough to get fresh oil in it before the level on the dipstick is too low for my liking (not anywhere near the point where it would shut down though). If the dealer doesn't make sure they fill it to the tippy top, I end up adding a half a quart halfway in-between the next oil change interval. I can live with that, but I know others have it much worse. There is no good excuse for it when a small, tightly built V6 would have done just as well or better, but realize the sticker price would have been all the more higher for it.
 
#18 ·
As I've said on other threads that broach the oil consumption topic, we are getting a very real horsepower and fuel economy bonus with the way these engines are designed. They have more power than some old V6 engines, hell they even make more power than some V8 engines of the late 80s (when emissions was choking out things like the Chevy 305).
These do an anemic 0-60 in 10 seconds (good luck merging on a freeway from a dead stop) and are on par with a late model Toyota Prius. The HP is awful for a this day in age car (your comparing apples to oranges on cars from 20 years ago and those cars didn't consume the oil this one does). and I never got advertised sticker MPG for my Jeep. It got basically the mileage of a 3/4 ton gas job pickup (13mpg combined) and that was in a 60/40 city/highway split. I'd say the trade off for economy over power/oil consumption doesn't make this any better.

If anyone is OK with a car burning the most important fluid in any engine to save a few MPG, you've come to "accept" the line they give you.

Read about 2018 SUV of the Year Finalists:
2017 Jeep Compass Trailhawk 4x4 2017 Jeep Compass Limited 4x4
0-60 MPH 9.4 sec 10.5 sec
QUARTER MILE 17.2 sec @ 77.2 mph 17.8 sec @ 76.1 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 144 ft 133 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.73 g (avg) 0.75 g (avg)
 
#21 ·
Been reading these your reports lately on abnormal oil consumption in new jeeps, it's out of mind, totally insane and unacceptable. This should be a premium SUV not some 3rd world country scrap..

What I'd do meanwhile waiting for evental factory recall or something, I'd check valve stems, guides and seals, and piston rings and replace them with higher quality aftermarket if possible. Also, would try with with thicker oil gradually... Yeah under warranty which obviously doesn't matter a thing here. I really feel for you guys, you should maybe make some online group online Facebook or similar just to check the amplitude of this disaster.
 
#22 ·
At least I'm getting better fuel economy. Maybe I drive easier than others, but my AWD Compass is getting 31.4 average MPG since I've owned it (17,000 miles). I've checked the EVIC with actual math and it seems pretty accurate. This is about equal to my Wife's FWD 2.0 5-spd Patriot and mine does have more power than Hers does.

Checked the oil just before my oil change this morning and it was only down 1/2 quart so I think my engine is finally breaking in. I am recording the odometer reading every time I refill the oil so I'll report back when I add my next quart.
 
#23 ·
Those of you with oil consumption problems, did it happen right away? Was there a certain mileage where it seems to just suddenly start consuming it, or was it a gradual thing that slowly got worse? I checked mine every 500 miles when I first got it and saw no signs of oil consumption; last time I checked it was at 2500 miles, and I'm approaching 5000 miles now. Just curious if I got a good one, or if I should still be worried.

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#24 ·
Started from the get-go. I know that new engines can use some oil so I checked after a few hundred miles and it was down some. By 1000 miles I added a quart. Still wasn't worried and continued to check it. What surprised me is that it continued to use oil even after the first couple thousand miles, up to the present (17,000).

I think it is gradually improving, to better than 2000 to the quart, and I'm hoping it will continue to improve to where it can make it between oil changes -- that's all it really needs to be.
 
#28 ·
I've got a 2017 1/2 Trailhawk with 18,000 kms on it. About 8 months old. I've never had a vehicle "drip" oil on my driveway before, let alone as many as this one has already.

I've driven vehicles 200,000 kms without ever having a drop of oil on the driveway!

Should I be concerned? I'm thinking I should be.

Running 100% synthetic, and due for it's second change
 
#29 ·
If it is leaking oil, you should be concerned. People in this thread are talking about oil consumption, which is not an external leak. An external leak should be fixed ASAP. Just make sure it’s an engine oil leak, not tranny or ptu (or A/C condensate).


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#32 ·
Asking for a friend, did anyone get the oil consumption issues corrected? I've had several members privately message me recently asking If I ever remediated it, answer in short.... you can't. They won't fix it. They will tell you to kick rocks, do oil consumptions tests and waste your time before the powertrain warranty expires. I just told one guy to cite in the manual on what page does it say it's OK to burn the amount of oil some users are saying it's doing? Not in there? Then stop stalling and fix the problem.
 
#33 ·
As a former GM tech of 25 years and possessing MASTER ASE certs, I tell you oil consumption should NOT be high. I don't care what the dealer says. There are MANY Compasses out there that do not use oil or VERY little. The engine has a mechanical problem. If it's under warranty, TAKE IT BACK! They will lose if you take them to court. The warranty contract binds them legally. I have seen this MANY times (I have been in the automotive business for 46 years). Anyone that needs help please contact me. I can help you navigate the dealer system. Also in the back of your owners manual, you will find a 800 number to complain to the manufacturer. When you tell them you are going to place your complaints online, you will get their attention. NO manufacturer wants negative publicity all over the internet. It hurts their sales and ruins their image. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Hope this helps.
 
#34 · (Edited)
I'm reporting back. I had my oil changed about 1000 miles ago and I was down less than a quart before the change. Since then I've used virtually no oil, so maybe we are just dealing with an unusually long break-in period. I just turned 19,000 miles tonight.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Now I admit I drive a lot of miles. In six months I've racked up more than most people drive in a year. Obviously excessive oil consumption is a concern for me, and it probably feels worse for someone who has had their Compass for a couple years and is still experiencing oil consumption. On the bright side maybe I've gotten past the worst of it and maybe there is hope for others who are wondering if the oil consumption will ever drop. There might be light at the end of the tunnel -- its just a 20,000 mile tunnel. :plain:

Anybody's Compass still sucking up oil after 20,000 miles?
 
#37 ·
well, being picky here, the oil doesn't evaporate and the molecules don't become smaller. However, when you spray oil from a nozzle for a purpose such as the oil spray cooling of the pistons, some of the oil becomes aerosolized. That just means that some of the oil droplets are so small that they won't settle out by gravity. The question then is what happens to that portion of the oil, and is enough oil becoming aerosolized to account for the oil loss. And why does it happen in some engines but not others.
 
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