JK Oil Burning?
 

I have read a lot about the JKs and their oil burning potential. I changed mine yesterday and got almost five quarts of used oil after about 5k miles. My reading on the dipstick was below the "normal" range before the change. Does anyone know how low would the "actual" oil level needs to go in order to cause engine damage?

There isn't a specific answer to your question.
Less than the recommended quantity of oil means the oil needs to be changed more often. One quart would go bad before 6 quarts.

If the quantity is low enough to cause the oil pressure light to come on when accelerating, braking, going uphill or down hill, and turning corners, then a little damage occurs each time the light comes on.

Quantity low enough so the light stays on, damage is happening every second the engine remains running.

I'm sure you knew all that. I'm just illustrating there is no specific quantity where damage starts happening.

This seems to be a huge problem for these 3.8l Jeeps. Mine did the same thing lost about 1/4 -1/2 qt between changes until I began using the proper oil weight 5W-30 and now it stays full!

I know this is a different beast but my wifes traverse has the 3.1 chevy in it and they told me all new aluminum motors use between 1-1 1/2 qts between 3500-5000 miles on an oil change. I told them b.s. A car with 12,000 miles should not burn oil so now we have to go to dealership every 500 miles so they can do an oil consption test.

The way I guess it is now every fill up check the oil while pumping!!

I wouldn't be too concerned.
About +- 60,000 miles ago my wife's 07 Grand Caravan with 3.8 motor was taken in for oil change on an impromptu trip; to my surprise they said the oil level wasn't showing on the dipstick! I didn't know the van used oil, even though I'd been changing it every 3,000 miles.
After that incident, there was another instance when the oil was barely on the dipstick. :mad:
In both those cases the oil was about 1.5-2 quarts low :eek2: No light ever came on, the temperature was normal and there was no indication of a problem.
I've since kept a much closer eye on the oil level.
We have continued to drive the van without any obvious problems.

After revving up to about 5 grand on an on ramp I could smell what seemed like burning oil from the cabin. Is this normal? Note: it was a very short on ramp.

My JK is just shy of 40K miles and it does not burn a drop of oil. Stays full between changes and I check it regularly.

My husband constantly bitches about my oil being low. He just checked it this passed weekend and was a quart low. From what I am reading on here this is a common problem. Mine is a 6 speed not an automatic. He calls my jeep a piece of shit but I still love it.

I guess I lucked out. Mine doesn't burn a drop even on 6k intervals. I usually stick to 5w-30, but I'v never burnt any 5w-20 either.

Just do what the owners manual says. Check it when you gas up. As long as it isn't fouling up the combustion chamber and you keep it topped off, it shouldn't cause any problems. I would run some seafoam once a month if your burning alot of oil to keep the combustion chamber clean.

i replaced my pcv and that fixed the oil consumption on mine. However, now I found leakage at either the timing cover or the crank seal. Gonna clean up the motor tonight and hope I can pinpoint the leak. Hopefully its not both places