I drive a '99 TJ with 227,xxx miles on her. Recently (january) I noticed an increase in loss of oil, from nearly no loss to +/- 3qts a month. I'm not noticing any puddling underneath which says I must be burning it. My best guess, considering the mileage, is that it's that the piston rings are just worn out and can't hold a proper seal anymore. Because I am on my summer break, now is the best time for me to do an overhaul if need be. Questions: How much damage (to the jeep and my pocket book) will it cause if I just keep adding oil every time it needs it instead of actually fixing the problem? Can anyone say whether this is a problem that even needs an overhaul? Advice on diagnosis? Because it's my DD, I would rather not rip it apart and be without a vehicle for so long, but if it's the lesser of two evils - so be it.

Thanks guys