I have a ML350 - 2006 I have been getting a low oil level message and have been burning off about a quart of oil every few weeks! How can I fix this or prevent it from happening. And why am I suddenly burning oil?

Could be oil pooling in the valve cover caused by a partial blockage of the drain gallery, but you'd almost certainly get a oil low message too. I assume the oil and filter is changed regularly? You could try adding Marvel Mystery Oil, about 12oz for about a hundred miles and then change the oil and filter. Depending on your level of adventurism, you could drain the oil and replace it with new oil, except add a quart of automatic transmission fluid in place of one quart of oil. Some people say ATF is bad for seals, some people use ATF to rejuvenate leaking seals. I don't know who to believe. Run that for 100 miles and change the oil and filter. I've even seen someone replace their oil with kerosene and a quart of oil and run it at idle for 5 minutes, then change the oil and filter. Instantly freed 2 stuck lifters and the engine was fine.

Best bet would be to run the Marvel Mystery Oil first. Then, if the problem persists, either change the pressure sensor and see where that gets you or go for the ATF in the oil trick.

Driving around for a couple days- is one thing

Not caring at all & driving for weeks with a check light
on,hope for the best & no damage or at least something
you can afford

Low oil level by a few quarts,really,how's that possible?

the low cost fix would be to use an oil additives. I recommend lucas from experience with a few oil burning subarus I have owned. The link is for the high mileage formual as I found it worked better. http://lucasoil.com/products/engine-oil-additives/high-mileage-oil-stabilizer

Get a compression check at a modern shop.

Hard acceleration will burn more oil, also the 5.3l V8s are well known burning oil. so just check the oil every time you fiil up with fuel. Seriously, your already waiting for the tank to fill so grab a towel and check the oil level- if its low put a bit in. Trust me, you dont want to have to replace that engine just because you didnt want to pop the hood!

My 1993 voyager is like that. It may burn some , it definitely leaks some , and it could be just sending some through the PCV valve. Oil leaks and burning oil causes pollution . If you can fix it with a new seal or a valve cover gasket it is easier than constantly checking your oil. Temperature, trailering, speed, outdoor temperature, and engine RPM all can be factors if you are losing oil. If your engine is a quart down, the engine oil consumption rate doubles or triples. In other words the lower the oil level the faster it disappears. High mile cars will drive for years as long as you add oil when it is needed (keep the oil level between the marks). Fix any obvious leaks. Then determine your oil change interval (3000 miles, 4000 miles, 5000 miles). I change between 4000 and 5000 miles. If i am a quart low at 3500 I add a quart. If I am a quart low at 4500 miles I just change the oil in the car. A good practice is to carry a quart of oil in your vehicle just in case you need it. It is far cheaper to add a quart when needed than to go to the dealer once to maybe fix a problem that they may not be able to find or fix. Older engines (even some newer ones) just use oil , especially in hotter climates. Fix the obvious and carry a quart.

All engines burn oil. Yours burns 1/2-qt every 3,000 miles. That's NOT excessive

I assume you have no leaks as you say. Your van does hold 5 quarts of 10w30 oil with filter change. The level was 1/4" above the add mark, which is less than 1 quart low. You drove the van 1,300 miles so it is very possible that it could burn that much oil in that many miles without you seeing much smoke. Top it off and have someone else drive it. Have them get up to around 60 mph, then let off the accelerator and let it coast down to 30 mph, then accelerate fully while you follow in another vehicle. If your van is burning oil you will see a big puff of blue smoke when they accelerate after coasting. If you do not I would suspect you were cheated out of about 1/2 quart of oil. You would not be the first person this has happened to. Top it off and check as I described and then check the level after driving another 1,300 miles. If it is still full find another place to change your oil as the place you went are crooks.

Your oil level is low. Wait until the motor is cold and check your oil level. You could also check your level after a drive just shut the motor down and wait 20 minutes for the oil to seep back down out of the block. Pull the dipstick, whipe it clean and did it in again and see what your reading is. If it is between Min and Max towards the middle of both it is fine. If It is all the way up by Max you may have too much, but I bet your oil level is low, I bet when you check it, it will be down near the min mark. If thats the case, find out what type of oil your car uses and buy one quart of oil and add some of it to your motor. I recommend you add about a quarter of the bottle, then stop check the dip stick if still low add a little more. If the level is good then stop. It is critical not to add too much oil. When cars get older they tend to run hot and burn oil. My van does the same thing, I can change the oil and add 5 quarts and about 3 weeks to a month later I have to add a little more and I usually can hear when i need to add some oil because I get a rattle/ping and the idle just doesnt sound right, but once I add the little bit of oil everything is all good.

You must use 5w\40 or 10w\40 remember BMW recommends castrol for engine oil