2014 5.3 Silverado excessive oil consumption

Felix Perez · January 8, 2020

My 2014 5.3 Silverado is in the dealer at this time because of premature oil consumption. Service rep called and said factory approved replacing pistons and rings. Truck has 80,000. Got lucky with extended warranty. Can't understand how an engine this new has such serious problems

papageoff · January 8, 2020

My '15 has about the same mileage and the older it gets the more concerned I am about it's longevity. It's already had to have the AFM lifters on one side replaced and the y-pipe with the cats replaced. Both done under various warranties. I'm rapidly approaching the end of my extended warranty and powertrain warranties.

I'm afraid the days of the 25 year old chevy cruising around are nearing an end.

mookdoc6 · January 8, 2020

1 hour ago, Felix Perez said:

My 2014 5.3 Silverado is in the dealer at this time because of premature oil consumption. Service rep called and said factory approved replacing pistons and rings. Truck has 80,000. Got lucky with extended warranty. Can't understand how an engine this new has such serious problems

What is premature oil consumption?

HeySkippyDog · January 10, 2020

My '15 has about the same mileage and the older it gets the more concerned I am about it's longevity. It's already had to have the AFM lifters on one side replaced and the y-pipe with the cats replaced. Both done under various warranties. I'm rapidly approaching the end of my extended warranty and powertrain warranties.

I'm afraid the days of the 25 year old chevy cruising around are nearing an end.

Disabling AFM seems to put you on a trend of more longevity.

I'm still reserving judgment on catch cans. My 17 has one, my 2014 did not. I drove the 14 until I had to trade to a crew cab for the arrival of my tricycle motor. It had 110k, all stock, no modifications, and 90% highway mileage.

My dad has a 2017, and his is unmodified and he has a Range V8 but doesn't consistently use it because he's a stickler for fuel mileage.

Time will tell what the winning combo is.

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Donstar · January 10, 2020

On 1/8/2020 at 6:38 AM, Felix Perez said:

My 2014 5.3 Silverado is in the dealer at this time because of premature oil consumption. Service rep called and said factory approved replacing pistons and rings. Truck has 80,000. Got lucky with extended warranty. Can't understand how an engine this new has such serious problems

My '09 Sierra had serious oil consumption issues at significantly lower mileage. However, after a major warranty repair, it never needed topping up between oil changes again. My '15 Sierra continues to be worry free. My point is to say mechanical failures happen. Don't overthink the why. You were fortunate to have warranty coverage and hopefully you won't experience any future problems with this truck!

DenaliX14 · January 18, 2020

For premature oil consumption and Blow By. Typically this is caused from the engine not being broken in properly.

You need to get the engine up to 2500-3000 RPMs for a couple miles and let the engine slow down under vacuum. Doing this several times properly seats the rings and landings. After 50-100 miles of above procedure you're all set to tow, haul or pass under WOT etc. What prevents critical failure are the materials the pistons, rods and bearings are comprised of as well as the build procedure.

Keep in mind One GM factory worker can build anywhere from 3-5 engines a day. During the build process each component including the block is absolutely drenched in lubrication. This help for when they go through leak testing, compression testing, fine lubrication and then they're dropped into a vehicle.

For older vehicles it's just normal wear and tear. Extended warranties are your friend. As you've discovered :).

KARNUT · January 18, 2020

I’ve have, had three oil users. 1994 Z-28 until 130K sold. Stayed at a qt every 2500 miles. A 99 4.6 F-150. New until 120K trade in. At 20K miles a vortex S/C 5LBs boost. A qt every 2500 miles. My 1992 Chevy truck bought with recently stroked engine with a whipple. Had it now 10 years using 1qt every 500 miles. My first and only stroker. Was told it wasn’t unusual for a stroked engine to be an oil user. Those engines convinced me using oil isn’t always a bad thing. Funny how on the new 5.0s it’s being claimed the same.

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Doublebase · January 19, 2020

I service several of these trucks, I have never seen one come in not low on oil (6,000 mile intervals). Now out of the 12-15 trucks we service, I'd only consider two to be oil consumers (can't make it past 3k miles without the low oil light coming on). The others are in need of 3/4's to a 1 quart...which I don't consider terrible over a 6,000 mile oil change interval.

My own 2018 Silverado has consumed a little oil since new...I generally go through 3/4's of a quart over 5,000 miles. I will say that since I started using Rotella Gas Truck 0w20, it is using less oil now (maybe 1/2 quart). Don't know why, don't know how...supposedly the oil has a low Noack rating, but I'm not convinced that's why. It's probably due to weather conditions.

But I don't consider 3/4's of a quart bad for an 8 cylinder, direct injected engine. I think oil consumption is what you're going to get with direct injection nowadays. You should see what we are seeing. Low oil?? How about no oil? Customers coming in with almost ZERO oil after 3,000 miles on their relatively new direct injected vehicles...Honda, Hyundai, GM, Audi, VW, BMW, Kia. I'm talking almost nothing. And Honda?? What the hell happened to that company?? Oil consumption, fuel dilution, bad injectors, software, nothing working right on their interiors. I mean, this company went from the penthouse to the outhouse in five years. Yet they still charge penthouse prices. And GM? I'll say this, just from what I've seen from their cars and SUV's, we are lucky to own their truck. It's the best thing they make.

Grumpy Bear · January 19, 2020

4 hours ago, Doublebase said:

My own 2018 Silverado has consumed a little oil since new...I generally go through 3/4's of a quart over 5,000 miles. I will say that since I started using Rotella Gas Truck 0w20, it is using less oil now (maybe 1/2 quart). Don't know why, don't know how...supposedly the oil has a low Noack rating, but I'm not convinced that's why. It's probably due to weather conditions.

I wonder if the Rotella Gas Truck has more of what is called a 'demisting' agent than your previous oil?

With GDI we also got VVT and vent systems that no longer have vacuum check valves that rely heavily on baffling, orifice size and load based vacuum to control carryover. When I think of an 'oil burner' I think oil getting past rings but it seems the majority of oil usage in these newer motors is vent carry over. Yes, I realize it seems I just stepped in it given my stance on catch cans. .

The 4.3 in my truck has never been an oil 'user'. Nothing I can measure in 5K miles but I drive very conservatively, low rpm over long distance with few start/stop cycles. Gearing is tall and so on. On my rounds I am passed by nearly everything so I know the lives of most 5.3's, in my area anyway, live at much higher speeds/loads. Makes me wonder how a 5.3 would do driven as I drive?

Not promoting a driving style just asking the obvious load/rpm/vacuum based questions and their possible effects on the factory vacuum system tuning. Ya know, orifice size, baffling type and amount and so on.

diyer2 · January 19, 2020

I have said before my 2012 5.3 used a little oil between oil changes. 3 K OCI.

Switched from Quaker State to Castrol Magnatec and it has used less.

Took a 900 mile round trip and it used none.

Mountain roads and freeway 70-80 mph.

Range device used. No AFM in 6 gear.

Thinking of switching to Castrol Edge after I use my in stock Magnatec oil.

70+ K miles

Edited January 19, 2020 by diyer2

Thomcat · January 19, 2020

On 1/8/2020 at 9:38 AM, Felix Perez said:

My 2014 5.3 Silverado is in the dealer at this time because of premature oil consumption. Service rep called and said factory approved replacing pistons and rings. Truck has 80,000. Got lucky with extended warranty. Can't understand how an engine this new has such serious problems

Here's how.......Plenty of info on AFMs on the Avalanche boards. And here's how I understand if after owning 4 AFM V8s (one unmodified) and reading a load of crap and posts on the subject. No AFM engine is immune to an AFM related oil burning problem at some point.....it's in its genes.

Unmodified and pre Jan. '11 AFMs will eventually burn a lot of oil, post Jan 11 and modified ones will take longer but eventually will all burn oil. Frequent oil changes before the problem exists may help the situation. I dumped my '07 Avalanche; the dealer wouldn't make the TSB modifications unless it was documented beyond the ridiculously high GM oil burning limit for correction. Two basic design flaws on the AFMs, the PCV pickup in the valve cover permitted too much oil to enter the induction system (hence a catch can would be very useful) and the oil lifter manifold OLM manifold dumped the excess oil from the deactivated lifters into the sump in a pattern that sprayed the AFM cylinder walls eventually clogging the lowest oil control ring sets. Once the piston rings froze they could no longer scrape the walls properly, oil bypassed the compression rings and burned in the combustion chamber. In '08 GM modified the PCV valve cover and retrofitted premature oil burners......dirty oil aggravates the tendency to ring clogging ....cases of clogged rings received a chemical cleaning using their special system injecting cleaner into the cylinders........if that didn't work it was a piston and ring job. Post Jan 11 production came factory fitted with a new kludge, inside the oil pan a shroud was placed over the AFM discharge valve in the sump blocking the horizontal spray nozzles and forcing all discharge directly downward into the sump.....any unmodified ones burning oil still under warranty would receive the valve shroud.

I personally used the range AFM blocker every so often and long trips to help protect the engine.....didn't use it all the time for fear of only 1 of the collapsible AFM lifter pair of freezing or worse jumping the stop pin in the lifter....once that happens you need a replacement lifter. Another bonus of AFM is that oil filter/screen in the OLM which needs a three handed contortionist with a sense of humor to replace.

Happy to say goodbye to the AFM in the '16 and hello to the DFM in the '19......seems GM got their act together and designed an engine not requiring previous kludges to address the previous oil burning problems. First the '19 comes with a redesigned and shaped PCV valve cover with internal baffles to eliminate the oil vapor from accumulating in the PCV line and entering the induction system, getting on the oil filter and eventually ruining the MAF sensor........this should eliminate the need for an aftermarket oil catch can. Second the OLM is gone, replaced by individual solenoids mounted directly in the block for each cylinder.....no more discharge valve or excess oil spray being sprayed into the crankcase to clog piston rings. Third there are no dedicated full time "dead" cylinders, i.e. the inactive cylinders, at any given time and firing is rotated so all fire and unlike AFM not the same 4 dedicated ones running colder than the other 4 at any given time and furthering a condition for ring clogging.

Doublebase · January 20, 2020

18 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

I wonder if the Rotella Gas Truck has more of what is called a 'demisting' agent than your previous oil?

With GDI we also got VVT and vent systems that no longer have vacuum check valves that rely heavily on baffling, orifice size and load based vacuum to control carryover. When I think of an 'oil burner' I think oil getting past rings but it seems the majority of oil usage in these newer motors is vent carry over. Yes, I realize it seems I just stepped in it given my stance on catch cans. .

The 4.3 in my truck has never been an oil 'user'. Nothing I can measure in 5K miles but I drive very conservatively, low rpm over long distance with few start/stop cycles. Gearing is tall and so on. On my rounds I am passed by nearly everything so I know the lives of most 5.3's, in my area anyway, live at much higher speeds/loads. Makes me wonder how a 5.3 would do driven as I drive?

Not promoting a driving style just asking the obvious load/rpm/vacuum based questions and their possible effects on the factory vacuum system tuning. Ya know, orifice size, baffling type and amount and so on.

Demisting agent? Never heard of it. I just figured "thickness" of the oil would be the demisting agent, and whereas 0w20 is so "thin"...there goes your demisting agent. I'll have to look into that, sounds interesting.

Regarding the vent carry over and vacuum check valves -- Are you talking about various vacuum controlled devices, like fuel pressure regulator, older style EGR valves, etc? I haven't really considered the absence of these devices having an effect on oil consumption (if that's what you're saying). I suppose it could. Then you also have to consider the new EGR systems no longer introducing an inert gas into the intake manifold (that has to raise manifold vacuum, no?) EGR valves were manufactured vacuum leaks - that may cause less pull from that crankcase...less oil brought in. Who knows? And don't forget, ther is no more pcv valve, who knows how these fixed orifices work under various operating conditions? Are they working like they were designed to do?

I think oil consumption with direct injection, oil burning on the walls of cylinders, more so than with port injection, needs to be considered (the low speed pre ignition). I also think low tension rings are a real thing...a real concern with blow bye/consumption.

Driving tendencies...I am "that guy" that drives like you with a 5.3, and yet I still get oil consumption. My daily commute is 80 miles round trip (80%) highway at speeds of 68 mph. The rest is country back roads doing an easy 40. There isn't a lot of stops and starts in my world, there isn't a lot of hard acceleration. There's cruise control set at 68, gliding down hills and easy takeoffs. No towing, no plowing, no hauling. No abuse whatsoever. Easy life. Oil is changed every 5,000 miles - all other fluids are "over maintained". I'm a maintenance nut, plain and simple. And I get oil consumption. Honestly our driving styles may actually lead to more oil consumption...low rpm's usually would mean higher manifold vacuum=more oil being pulled into it. No?

I will say I have a pulled a couple spark plugs...45,000 miles and they are as clean as new. No signs of oil being burned in those cylinders. None. So I think you're on to something with this venting, thing. And I'll also say, I've driven the 6 cylinder version of these trucks, it's totally different experience in terms of V4 engagement. The 6's are smoother, they don't shift back and forth between V4 and V6 nearly as much as the 5.3's...perhaps that could be it? You hear of people disabling the V4 in their 5.3's and claiming their oil consumption is now gone. Maybe the V8's are tuned differently and it effects oil consumption?

Edited January 20, 2020 by Doublebase

Snowcamo · January 20, 2020

Here's how.......Plenty of info on AFMs on the Avalanche boards. And here's how I understand if after owning 4 AFM V8s (one unmodified) and reading a load of crap and posts on the subject. No AFM engine is immune to an AFM related oil burning problem at some point.....it's in its genes.

Unmodified and pre Jan. '11 AFMs will eventually burn a lot of oil, post Jan 11 and modified ones will take longer but eventually will all burn oil. Frequent oil changes before the problem exists may help the situation. I dumped my '07 Avalanche; the dealer wouldn't make the TSB modifications unless it was documented beyond the ridiculously high GM oil burning limit for correction. Two basic design flaws on the AFMs, the PCV pickup in the valve cover permitted too much oil to enter the induction system (hence a catch can would be very useful) and the oil lifter manifold OLM manifold dumped the excess oil from the deactivated lifters into the sump in a pattern that sprayed the AFM cylinder walls eventually clogging the lowest oil control ring sets. Once the piston rings froze they could no longer scrape the walls properly, oil bypassed the compression rings and burned in the combustion chamber. In '08 GM modified the PCV valve cover and retrofitted premature oil burners......dirty oil aggravates the tendency to ring clogging ....cases of clogged rings received a chemical cleaning using their special system injecting cleaner into the cylinders........if that didn't work it was a piston and ring job. Post Jan 11 production came factory fitted with a new kludge, inside the oil pan a shroud was placed over the AFM discharge valve in the sump blocking the horizontal spray nozzles and forcing all discharge directly downward into the sump.....any unmodified ones burning oil still under warranty would receive the valve shroud.

I personally used the range AFM blocker every so often and long trips to help protect the engine.....didn't use it all the time for fear of only 1 of the collapsible AFM lifter pair of freezing or worse jumping the stop pin in the lifter....once that happens you need a replacement lifter. Another bonus of AFM is that oil filter/screen in the OLM which needs a three handed contortionist with a sense of humor to replace.

Happy to say goodbye to the AFM in the '16 and hello to the DFM in the '19......seems GM got their act together and designed an engine not requiring previous kludges to address the previous oil burning problems. First the '19 comes with a redesigned and shaped PCV valve cover with internal baffles to eliminate the oil vapor from accumulating in the PCV line and entering the induction system, getting on the oil filter and eventually ruining the MAF sensor........this should eliminate the need for an aftermarket oil catch can. Second the OLM is gone, replaced by individual solenoids mounted directly in the block for each cylinder.....no more discharge valve or excess oil spray being sprayed into the crankcase to clog piston rings. Third there are no dedicated full time "dead" cylinders, i.e. the inactive cylinders, at any given time and firing is rotated so all fire and unlike AFM not the same 4 dedicated ones running colder than the other 4 at any given time and furthering a condition for ring clogging.

This really sums up the oil consumption issue at hand. [emoji106]

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Doublebase · January 20, 2020

16 hours ago, Thomcat said:

Happy to say goodbye to the AFM in the '16 and hello to the DFM in the '19......seems GM got their act together and designed an engine not requiring previous kludges to address the previous oil burning problems. First the '19 comes with a redesigned and shaped PCV valve cover with internal baffles to eliminate the oil vapor from accumulating in the PCV line and entering the induction system, getting on the oil filter and eventually ruining the MAF sensor........this should eliminate the need for an aftermarket oil catch can. Second the OLM is gone, replaced by individual solenoids mounted directly in the block for each cylinder.....no more discharge valve or excess oil spray being sprayed into the crankcase to clog piston rings. Third there are no dedicated full time "dead" cylinders, i.e. the inactive cylinders, at any given time and firing is rotated so all fire and unlike AFM not the same 4 dedicated ones running colder than the other 4 at any given time and furthering a condition for ring clogging.

Hope it goes well for you, but if history serves me...isn't the first year in GM new model production (especially when they try something new)...a bit of a nightmare? I mean, maybe they have figured it out, but it's way way to early to be able to tell that. But I'll tell yeah, I'd worry about GM putting 8 solenoids into an engine block, compared to a Vlom system that has been around for a while. I could be 100% wrong on that, but let's just say I'm very apprehensive of GM trying anything new, the first time.

I have an 2018 with 45,000 miles. I have averaged 24.3 mpg over the life of this truck. It consumes 3/4's of a quart in 5,000 miles. I wouldn't really call that the end of the world. These engines spray the bottom of the pistons, I believe your 2019 does too

TXGREEK · January 20, 2020

2018 SLT Z71 6.2, tuned with AFM off and lifted. 32K miles. Running Amsoil Signature Series religiously with zero oil consumption between OCI’s.
The first two years are always the guinea pig stages of all vehicles introduced with new or updated motors and transmissions, always heard that the last year of the model is the best as all the kinks have been worked out.

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