Engine using Oil

I've recently bought a 1994 Volvo 850. All appeared fine, it had been recently serviced, with some history. A week ago the oil light flashed whilst braking, so when i got home i checked the oil. The level was low so i added about 1 litre. Today the same happened and the level is low again. There are no visible leaks, and oil is not being burnt, as there is no smoke from the exhaust. it must be going somewhere, any ideas??

Get the car up in the air and have a good look for any leaks. The most common place appart from loose oil filter and sump plug is the rear main seal. If you don't have acces to a ramp then pop it down to you local fitter and ask nicely if you can borrow thiers. If it's the rear main seal you'll find a damp area where the gearbox joins the engine on the near side. The wierd thing about this leak is that it's worse when driving because of oil pressure increasing so can seem like its disapearing into thin air. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

thanks for the info, when i said it used about a litre, i'v just managed to get another 3 litres in. so it's used 4 litres in 1000 miles..not good...i'll try what you mentioned...cheers