Hi,

Not at all!

There are SO many factors involved in oil consumption that even a given
engine will experience sometimes wide variations in oil consumption. For
many years the tolerances in engines were greater than they are now, so
1 qt/1000 mi was ABSOLUTELY normal! If one's engine used LESS, that was
quite a blessing.

Today some new engines will go 5000 miles or more w/o going thru a whole
quart. But don't think they're NOT burning oil--they're just doing it at
a very low rate. As the engine ages, valve stem seals become brittle and
allow more oil passage, rings wear and/or get sticky, PCV valves get
gooey, etc. So don't be surprised if your "1 qt/4000 mi" complaint is
met w/ less than perfect attentiveness!

Some people say their engine never uses any oil because it hasn't
dropped below the "Low" mark on the stick. Many shops "overfill" engines
when they do oil changes. Some, of course, do this just thru ignorance.
But others will add an "extra" quarter to half quart knowing their
customers seldom check the stick and this gives 'em a bit of "safety
factor" before they run low. So "My engine doesn't use any oil" needs to
be defined and qualified.

Then we have engineering parameters. A figure of 1 qt/700 km was
mentioned. For many years, that was pretty standard w/ many German cars.
The reasoning was that out on the autobahn, running wide open for
prolonged amounts of time, the engine should be loose enough to let some
extra oil thru everywhere to keep it lubricated and prevent excessive
wear, perhaps even seizing up. Japanese engines have been at the
opposite end for quite some time, being very tight and using very little
oil. I've been led to believe that early in the game (at least before
oils have become what they are today) this was problematic w/ excessive
wear to the engines under such use.

So... if you came to me w/ your "problem," I'd be polite and try to
explain to you w/ a straight face you have no problem. I imagine your
dealer will do the same.

But before going there, do you do your own oil changes? If so, do one.
Use the "proper" oil grade for your driving conditions from the manual,
and see where you stand. It's hardly unusual for shops to put the wrong
grade in: for example, I spent 600+ miles in 100-110 deg F temps on a
trip this last week. 5W-30 and 10W-30 are both ok'd for my vehicle
according to the book. The shops will put in 5W-30 all year, but this
time of year, I use 10W-30 as the consumption's less. A friend, w/ the
identical engine, uses 10W-40 and uses less than I do. And his engine's
got 250+k miles, mine "only" 100+k!

Point being, if you've got the wrong grade for the conditions, you may
experience "excessive" consumption, even if everything else is
"perfect." You may also wish to try one of the "high mileage" oils to
see if that has a positive effect. If your valve seals are getting a bit
stiff, these products can sometimes help. Synthetics are known for
getting varnish out of many engines, and generally burn off slower than
dino varieties. There are many things you can try.

Good luck w/ your "problem!"

Rick