I believe that if a vehicle is using or losing oil, there is something that
is not right.

1,000 miles bottom limit of "acceptable", and the reason they tell you it's
"acceptable" is because a new motor which has that kind of consumption has
some sort of defect (assuming no abuse or neglect), and will end up being
replaced under warranty soon anyway. So there's no point in doing anything
with it.

Keep a sharp eye on your consumption, make certain you never allow the
level to dip below minimum, and know exactly when your engine's warranty is
up.

You have to tell them, and tell them as soon as possible. You are still
under warranty. You MUST keep them abreast of this problem and give them
ample opportunity to fix it under the warranty period. If you never bring
it in until the very end of the warranty, they could have cause to be able
to claim neglect or abuse.

Dig up EVERY oil change receipt you have. This will be critical.

Oh, I thought you were using a quart per thousand. You're actually using a
quart per 6,400, which is pretty good and nothing to worry about.

Are there TWO cars involved here? You mention only one, but allude to a
second.

My '04 6 cylinder takes no oil in between changes.

disgusted???  why?  are you an engineer?

does that mean you let it idle on the driveway before moving off?  don't
do that.  excess fuel is injected at startup and this dilutes the oil
film on the cylinder walls.  if you start & drive, [as per the owners
manual], this action is over as quickly as possible.  if the motor idles
to warm up, the process is much prolonged - oil gets washed away and burned.

factory spec has been stated by others.  it's possible you have a dud,
so again, as stated by others, keep an eye on the warranty.  try the
above and see what happens.

Are you saying you are using a half a liter (the rest of the world
doesn't know what a quart is) in 3200 miles?
That is about a quart between changes, even if you push it out to 6400
miles. Normal.

All engines consume oil.  It is a plain matter of physics that each time
a piston travels a full cycle, a minute film of oil is deposited on the
cylinder walls and consumed during a power cycle.  The amount may vary
depending on the fit efficiency of the the seal, but some oil is ALWAYS
consumed.  It can range from barely noticeable to requiring frequent
topping off.

Regarding the "1K" bottom line acceptable limits, it's just a standard
established by the manufacturer.

In your case, (you didn't mention the total miles on your car), I would
think it to be a little high.  Certainly, I would expect a Honda to
consume more than a quart between scheduled oil changes.  YMMV depending
on the engines condition and your driving habits and the oil that you use...

JT

1996 4 Cyl with 173,000 and I add no oil between it's changes (every 7500
miles with full synthetic).
2001 V-6 with 142,000 and I add no oil between it's changes (every 7500
miles with full synthetic).

If I had to add one quart between changes I would not fret.  But what you
are describing would disturb me.

G-Man

I"m wanting to know how much oil consumption is too much
Is it what the factory would lead one to believe

I find it hard to believe, and disgusted that I'm expected to believ
that 1 quart per 1000 miles is the acceptable limit

My 05 Accord, 4 cyl,  5 spd manual, 40 mile commute each way uses fa
less, but still uses some

I'm in a debate wether I should just add oil and not indicate to th
dealer that it consumes oil, so I can trade it in, and say hell wit
it. They never told me. I won't tell them.  OR find out more abou
this oil consumption test, and what it entails.  And more importantl
what they'll do about it, if it doesnt meet the 'excess of
quart/1000 mile"

I have never missed a scheduled appointment.  I keep my tire
inflated.  I do run it at 70-75 mph for a good part of my commute
I warm it up well, and I get 28 - 31 mpg tank to tank

I'd say that I'm using 1/2 a dipstick mark in 3200 miles
22,400 miles on the car, and the consumption has seemed the same
throughout, since new.

Please advise
let me get this straite  George your saying that when you pull the dipstick to check the oil the oil level is in between the low & middle right?  so its half way on the dipstick correct?  witch is about half a bottle of oil thats low.  after  3.200miles witch in canadian is about 6.000kms".  well george  "theres always a small amount of oil thats needed to lubricate piston rings"  and is then burned in the combustion chamber this is normal  woulden"t you agree  TeGGeR

--
johnin

r u sure u dont have a oil leak ??  never heard of a  car with less
than 25 k  using oil that noticeable!

Using 1/2 quart in 3200 miles of driving is well with reasonable
expectations, particularly for the fairly thin 5W-20 oil modern Hondas run.

If you are loosing sleep over this, stop!

John

I forgot to post back here the results of a lengthy oil consumption
test.

None, zero, zip.  That's how much oil my 05 Honda had been burning.
Why the low dip stick? Some tech most likely didn't fully top it off.

3000 into prev. oil change, I posted my original message.  Had it
topped off, tested again 2000 miles later. Then, sched maint.. 2000
miles into new oil change, no loss (I mean not a drop, AFAICT).