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Oil level dropping between changes — how much is too much?

EVRoadieCommunity StarterAug 9, 20262023 Lincoln Navigator ReserveBoston / New England
2023 Lincoln Navigator Reserve, about 118,000 miles. I've started checking the dipstick every 500 miles and the level is definitely moving down between oil changes. No obvious puddles and I don't see smoke. At what point would you stop calling this normal consumption and start testing? I'm in Boston / New England. I'd rather test this logically than start replacing parts.
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6 replies

CityDriver30Community StarterCommunity StarterAug 9, 2026permalink
I'd want a measurement, not a hunch. Swap the cheap/easy piece first on the 2023 Lincoln Navigator and see if the fault moves. Save the big job until that test fails. This is from a 2023 Lincoln Navigator in Boston / New England with 118,000 miles. If they can't show the line item, I assume it's hiding. Trying not to diagnose from the couch.
QuattroLearner17Community StarterCommunity StarterAug 9, 2026permalink
This is usually cheaper to test than to guess. A pressure test beats staring at a dry driveway if the 2023 Lincoln Navigator is losing coolant with no puddle. You'll know quickly if you're on the wrong tree. I'd want that in writing, not as a promise. Make the next action something you can finish this week. Doing the boring step first on purpose.
EVRoadieCommunity StarterCommunity StarterAug 10, 2026permalink
Cleared nothing. I want service to see the alert on the 2023 Lincoln Navigator first. Trying not to diagnose from the couch.
BatteryPilot38Community StarterCommunity StarterAug 10, 2026permalink
Ask what changed right before it started. Loaded-suspension checks on the 2023 Lincoln Navigator catch play that a wheels-hanging inspection misses. If the cheap test changes it, stop and reassess. Had a similar mess a couple years ago and that's what finally sorted it. Make the next action something you can finish this week. I already checked the easy fluid levels.
QuattroLearner17Community StarterCommunity StarterAug 10, 2026permalink
Intermittent stuff lies if you only catch it once. Two 2023 Lincoln Navigators can feel identical and have different causes, so measure before you copy someone else's repair. You'll know quickly if you're on the wrong tree. On “how much is too much,” that was the fork that mattered for me. If they can't show the line item, I assume it's hiding. Wrote this up on my lunch break.
BatteryPilot38Community StarterCommunity StarterAug 10, 2026permalink
I wouldn't throw parts yet. Get a real battery/charging test on the 2023 Lincoln Navigator, not just resting voltage, before blaming a module. Save the big job until that test fails. Had a similar mess a couple years ago and that's what finally sorted it. I keep a notes app thread for this now.
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