Every month or so I check the engine oil on my wife's 2006 XC-90 with 92,000 miles. Every month, it's over a quart low! I discovered it when I checked after a 3 month period this past winter and SURPRISE . . . it was multiple quarts low. So now I make a monthly oil level check. It's always low!

No oil under the car on the driveway. No oil marks on the undercarriage. Removed the shield under the motor . . .. totally dry.

No smoking when start-up or driving down the highway. No oily residue inside the tailpipe (finger probing method).

Motor runs as strong as the day we bought the car new. Engine is quiet. Passed emissions test at annual inspection.

So where the heck is the engine oil going?

Anyone have any ideas?

Ken

 

Onto the ground, through the tailpipe or into the coolant.

If none of the above
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Then it must be aliens. No evidence of any oil anywhere that I can find.

 

When posting messages, please post engine type.

I assume you have 2.5T, if so, then the 2.5T is known to consume oil.
Search the web and you will see this is "normal".
Likely from the turbo seal.

My 2005 XC90 2.5T with 90K miles consumes about 1qt per 1,000 miles.
The local Volvo mechanic told me this is "normal".

 

Mine is at 120k miles 2.5t burns around a quart every 3000 miles

 

you can do a compression check to see if you you have piston ring issues and a coolant test (testing for a headgasket/cracked head) - but a more likely cause is valve stem seals where oil can get pulled into the intake when you back off the throttle. Short of finding a leak that's sucking oil into the intake, not much you can do here other than check the oil every 2nd or 3rd fill up as all the repairs are expensive. Also make sure you are using the proper weight oil.