QuestionTwice now, my car has sputtered a little when I start it and the check engine light has come on and then gone off. I checked it over in advance of bringing it to the shop and found my oil was VERY low. But I had it changed 2,000 miles ago and I'm sure there's no leak. Are these problems connected? Can anyone help me solve them?
The car has 95,000 miles on it but I've been obsessive about maintenance and there's never been a problem before.
AnswerThere's an outside possibility the problems are connected. You could have excessive blow-by allowing oil into the cylinders and fouling the spark plugs. But that's very rare.
Check your trouble codes and perform normal diagnosis first. For example, if you have a misfire code, start by checking the plugs, wires, and coil.
Most manufacturers consider up to one quart in 1000 miles to be within the normal range. Although I personally think that's excessive, it's still low enough that you shouldn't be experiencing any other symptoms.
