Just got back from the shop with the VX. Was going to do a few things to it this morning, but wanted to check the oil first to see how much it burned in the first 1000 miles since I bought it. There was no oil on the dipstick. I couldn't pull the plug as I did not have a socket big enough. I added one quart of oil and still nothing registering on the dipstick. Engine sounded fine and no oil pressure warning light. Drove it down the road to the shop. They pulled the plug and the oil that came out was the blackest, dirtiest that I have ever seen and extremely thin (watery). Supposedly the dealership changed the oil just 1000 miles ago (I have confirmed that some of the other services the attested to have indeed been done). I had the system flushed and a synthetic put in. It's running fine - quieter now than before. Any thoughts, oh mechanical gurus? Had the previous owner simply not changed the oil in the last 10,000 miles? Seems if that were the case it would have been tar and not water. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'm ever mindful of those ill-fated 99's that have blown there engines after 60,000 miles. I'm sitting on 71,000. Isuzu's warranty is, of course, long gone, but I have a little time on the dealership's "gee, is you new-used car a piece of crap?" warranty. Thanks.