Prizm going through 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles

My car is a Chevy Prizm, 1998 it goes through a quart of oil every thousand miles. Sometimes even less then that. It also has its check engine light on, along with a knocking noise when i reach the speed of about 55 or higher. My friend told me it could be a piston rod or ring. Does someone know who could give me a guess??? Please Help... I know nothing about cars.

take it to Autozone and bring back exact code. they'll read the code for free. should be able to help after we know the code

I go through a quart every 200-300 miles on the highway, maybe less in city. Soot is visible on rear bumper above tailpipe. At least one other Prizm in my town has the same tell tale soot on the bumper.

Is this typical of Prizms of this vintage? I tried the Toyota dealer (because I've been less than impressed by the Cheverolet shop) but there do not seem to be any bulletins on this so it must not be hugely widespread.

I hope to check for pressure or vacuum in the crankcase but haven't gotten around to it yet. Excess vacuum could indicate a PCV problem. Excess pressure is probably more serious; excess blow-by from bad rings/scored cylinder wall or leaking headgasket maybe?

Anyone have this problem fixed that can tell us what it was?

Just wondering if you ever resolved this issue? I am having the same issue on my 2001 Prizm that I just bought (using a quart every 200-300 miles). Took it back to dealer (still under 30 day warranty) and they say it's a plugged PCV . Supposed to pick it up tomorrow so we'll see if they've resolved it. Can this cause other internal issues that I need to be concerned about down the road? Thanks!

No, I've not had/taken time to mess about with it. It's mostly an issue on long trips. I bike/walk to work most days so the car doesn't get used heavily at home. And I don't care to work on cars much so I have been putting it off.

Just wondering if you ever resolved this issue? I am having the same issue on my 2001 Prizm that I just bought (using a quart every 200-300 miles). Took it back to dealer (still under 30 day warranty) and they say it's a plugged PCV . Supposed to pick it up tomorrow so we'll see if they've resolved it. Can this cause other internal issues that I need to be concerned about down the road? Thanks!

I think it's problematic of this engine, from all I've heard.. Although it could be the pvc. I think they are just oil hungry..but 1 qt/tankfull of gas..that ain't good at all.

When you get it back, take her on a long trip at highway speed. Noting the oil level, write it down and show them BEFORE your warranty expires. If it is still using oil, and your not happy adding oil, tell them to void the purchase contract. Also take it to Autozone and see if the PO441 code has been set,

Thanks for the info. I got the car back last Monday and sure enough, it was still using oil after about 200-300 miles. I've taken it back today and they are keeping it for awhile til they can figure out the "real" issue. Got another loaner car from them so I guess I'll be racking up the miles on their car rather than mine.

Another person told me that they would probably find the rings bad in it and that they would probably just try to get by with replacing the bad ones rather than all of them. Is it always advisable to replace all rings and re-sleeve each cylinder or can they just do the bad ones?

Is it possible for them to void the sale after it's already been a month and the vehicle title in my name with new tags on it? Could I expect to get the amount paid plus taxes back on it? One fortunate thing is that they have been very nice to work with. At least I don't feel like they are trying to rip me off. Unlike other dealers I've dealt with in the past.

Thanks again!

Thanks for the info. I got the car back last Monday and sure enough, it was still using oil after about 200-300 miles. I've taken it back today and they are keeping it for awhile til they can figure out the "real" issue. Got another loaner car from them so I guess I'll be racking up the miles on their car rather than mine.

Another person told me that they would probably find the rings bad in it and that they would probably just try to get by with replacing the bad ones rather than all of them. Is it always advisable to replace all rings and re-sleeve each cylinder or can they just do the bad ones?

Is it possible for them to void the sale after it's already been a month and the vehicle title in my name with new tags on it? Could I expect to get the amount paid plus taxes back on it? One fortunate thing is that they have been very nice to work with. At least I don't feel like they are trying to rip me off. Unlike other dealers I've dealt with in the past.


Thanks again!


I'd exchange it for another. Look, it ain't gonna get better is it? As long as you can document that this problem was from the get-go, they should be abliged to refund

The problem has turned out to be the rings (which is what I was suspecting). They are in the process of replacing the engine. Of course they are not putting in a new one but one from a salvage yard. Looks like it may be getting one with 30K miles on it with a 12 month parts and labor warranty. The current engine had 75K miles on it. Should I go with this deal or just ask for a refund?