2000 Chevy Prizm STD High Oil Consumption

“I own a 2000 Chevy Prizm STD and I am in real trouble. The vehicle drinks oil like a hell. After a 600 miles trip, the low oil pressure blinked. I took out the dipstick when the engine was cool and found there was not a drop on the dipstick. I kept adding oil at every fill-up to get home. No leaks, no blue smoke out of the exhaust pipe, but there are indeed some oil stains on the engine and intake conduit. Weird thing is the mechanic inspection found other normal wear and tear but nothing with the engine! I have read some guys complaining the same problem and tried some remedy by using higher grade engine oil combined with oil additives. The outcome is unsatisfactory if any. It still burns heavily, about 1 qt/ 250 mi and 1 qt/100 mi once going above 60 mph. What’s wrong with it? Is it still fixable or I need to get rid of this lemon? PS: the 3 spd transmission really sucks. The lack of OD makes the engine rev high on the highway :(“

First, change out the PCV valve on the engine. If it gets stuck open, raw oil will get sucked into the engine and you’ll lose a lot of oil. Hopefully that will fix it. But if not, have wet and dry compression readings done on EACH cylinder in the engine. Then you’ll know the true condition internally inside the engine. If the pressures are bad on any of the cylinders, the engine is just plain worn out. Let’s hope it’s just a bad PCV valve, I have seen that happen more than once. And yes, their trannies are REALLY bad, I’ve seen scores of them just go out and they end up sounding like coffee grinders when they do.