Oil quantity issues

[YZ-Dave]

I honestly would ask - would one presume that the top of the hash marks is "Full"? They target the middle of the hash marks so there is room for oil to expand with heat - if the oil gets over the hash marks, you run the risk of creating issues with the rotating assembly creating a ton of crankcase oil vapor and the fact that the crank will "whip" in a bunch of air into the oil, emulsifying it which will actually make the oil not work nearly as well. 

Imagine if you would - instead of having just oil between the bearings and crank, to having 80% oil / 20% air between the bearings and crank. 

More oil does not mean more better - it generally leads to more problems than not enough. Along with a lot more drag on the engine, its harder to start, etc......

I own a 2018 Camaro with a LT1 (all aluminum 6.2) and a few years ago I pulled the engine out to upgrade internals. From first hand experience I can tell you that you can leave the drain plug out for a week and there still is 1.5qts of oil in the engine sitting in the oil pump, oil galleys, lifters, DOD system, etc.... there is no way to get remotely close to getting it all out.

Given the fact that the GenV small blocks have so much oil injection issues in the PCV system, I honestly run my Camaro and my truck to the point where the oil just barely gets to the hash marks. On the Camaro - I went from 4-5 ounces of oil in the catch can down to maybe a teaspoon. And after the rebuild - there is zero oil / coking on the intake valves.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

1 hour ago, diyer2 said:

Amazing the stuff people can come up with. Is this possible? Sure, if you're an idiot. I have been prefilling oil filters for over 50 years. Never had an engine failure. The first start after an oil change and not prefilling an oil filter causes a short time before oil pressure comes up while it fills up the oil filter. Does this matter? To me it does. Your vehicle, your choice.

 

Matters to the motor too. Fill the filter in any application that it is possible.

 

Worrying about dust entering the motor causing damage tells me someone has never done a cleanliness test on NEW motor oil. Ask for an ISO 4406 report on your next VOA and be sitting down when you read the results. Many new oils start at the condemned values right in the bottle. It's issue enough that the discerning can buy ISOCLEAN oils, (certified) from Chevron. Problem enough that GTL's advertise their inherent cleanliness as a 'strong reason' to buy them.

 

That filter goes into bypass on the hit every morning when the oil is cold for a few seconds. Does it on start up too from an oil change. Run a dp cell over the filter before you say hogwash. (I have  ) Part of the reason they specified a 22 psi relief on these motors after the first year and a half in production. Doesn't stop it. Shortens it. 

 

Drive a car 300 miles in one trip. 

Drive 300 miles in 2 mile trips with 8 hours minimum between drives. 

 

Yes the heat cycling is damaging but so is the low oil flow/pressure from a cold start. That's a primed system. 

 

I think this is ever worse the way GM designed the oil system. The entire upper galley drains when you pull the filter on these motors. More volume that the filter holds. So why compound it with a empty filter?  

[steelerdude15]

On 12/18/2021 at 3:42 PM, BrizzoDaIzzo said:

V-6 2019 Silverado calls for 6qts of oil.   
 

During an oil change, I drained all the  oil out and changed filter. Truck is sitting on level ground, and all oil was drained until the last drop came out.

I pre-filled the new filter to the top with oil, which left me with 5 3/4 ish quarts of oil.  I put the rest in the truck. I started my truck and let it run for a good five minutes or so. Shut it off, and let it sit for about an hour. I came back out and checked the dipstick
my dipstick only shows half way.  
 

I even really stuck the dipstick down in the oil and “spun“ it a few times to make sure it picked up all over. Same thing.

 

then I started thinking that Oil was not “sticking“ to parts of this dipstick. As you can see from the picture above;  there’s oil on the very top of it, but nothing in the middle section. So I tested my theory and went and stuck the dipstick in an old bottle used oil. It stuck all over it with no problems.
 

 

i’m guessing it would probably take another half a quart or so to at least to get it up to the full mark. What the hell is the deal ?

 

when Chevrolet specifies 6 quarts of oil for this engine, they clearly state that this is “with filter“.  

 

I want to add that I've seen this as well, but on another GM vehicle. I changed the oil on my brother's girlfriend's 2021 Terrain. I changed the oil correctly, but when I was done, it was in the middle just like your dipstick shows.

[Supreme Pizza]

5 hours ago, Bamacommander said:

My dealer charges $79 for an oil change. Seems pretty cheap to me. By the time you go to the store, crawl under the truck, dispose of the oil ,  etc. , I really question whether your saving anything.   Plus by using the dealer there is an on line record in the event of a warranty issue. Call me crazy.

 

 

 

$79 seems pretty high to me.

Walmart charges $20 for the pit-crew oil change.

[Black02Silverado]

Just and FYI but I check mine first thing in the morning after it sat all night and the level is full, any other time if I don't let it sit, the level is down half or more on the dipstick.  This is on my 6.2.

[BlaineBug]

2 hours ago, Supreme Pizza said:

 

 

 

$79 seems pretty high to me.

Walmart charges $20 for the pit-crew oil change.

$99 at my local dealer for "Synthetic" 8 quart oil change with filter.  The only reason I know this is that I used a $200 service voucher from GM Corporate after all of my issues I experienced with my Yukon in 2020.  Better than wasting the entire voucher I suppose.

[Supreme Pizza]

7 minutes ago, BlaineBug said:

$99 at my local dealer for "Synthetic" 8 quart oil change with filter.  The only reason I know this is that I used a $200 service voucher from GM Corporate after all of my issues I experienced with my Yukon in 2020.  Better than wasting the entire voucher I suppose.

 

For the standard oil change, Walmart charges $20, but for the full synthetic they charge $44.

[BlaineBug]

1 hour ago, Supreme Pizza said:

 

For the standard oil change, Walmart charges $20, but for the full synthetic they charge $44.

I prefer to do it myself.  Only had the dealer do it to take advantage of the General Motors "we're sorry" voucher.

Anyway that $99 I feel was ON SALE actually.  I recall seeing a NORMAL price of around $120?  This was back in March.

[Supreme Pizza]

1 minute ago, BlaineBug said:

I prefer to do it myself.  Only had the dealer do it to take advantage of the General Motors "we're sorry" voucher.

Anyway that $99 I feel was ON SALE actually.  I recall seeing a NORMAL price of around $120?  This was back in March.

 

I have always changed my own oil. I basically became a mechanic, because I could not get any good service from repair shops. They were all either incompetent or just plain dishonest. The last time the oil was changed on my '03 Suburban, I was away from home and had to have it done by a shop. I was the only customer there, all the bays were empty, and they said 1.5 hours to complete the oil change. I was having low oil pressure issues, with a loud lifter tick - so it could not wait until I was home. Anyway, I put the motor flush in, and idled outside the shop for 5 minutes, then gave them the keys. They spilled oil all over themselves, and then got the oil all over the gas and brake peddle, floor mat, steering wheel, gear shifter, inside and outside door handles, and the driver seat. The motor flush that was in the oil made the interior small bad. Then as I'm driving away, smoke starts coming out from under the hood, and into the HVAC system. They didn't use a funnel to fill the oil, so they poured oil all down the side of the motor and all over the exhaust manifold. It was also about a quart low on oil. I supplied my own oil and filter, and they still charged me $30 labor for what they did. The motor flush did fix the oil pressure issue and the loud lifter tick went away.

[BlaineBug]

3 hours ago, Supreme Pizza said:

 

I have always changed my own oil. I basically became a mechanic, because I could not get any good service from repair shops. They were all either incompetent or just plain dishonest. The last time the oil was changed on my '03 Suburban, I was away from home and had to have it done by a shop. I was the only customer there, all the bays were empty, and they said 1.5 hours to complete the oil change. I was having low oil pressure issues, with a loud lifter tick - so it could not wait until I was home. Anyway, I put the motor flush in, and idled outside the shop for 5 minutes, then gave them the keys. They spilled oil all over themselves, and then got the oil all over the gas and brake peddle, floor mat, steering wheel, gear shifter, inside and outside door handles, and the driver seat. The motor flush that was in the oil made the interior small bad. Then as I'm driving away, smoke starts coming out from under the hood, and into the HVAC system. They didn't use a funnel to fill the oil, so they poured oil all down the side of the motor and all over the exhaust manifold. It was also about a quart low on oil. I supplied my own oil and filter, and they still charged me $30 labor for what they did. The motor flush did fix the oil pressure issue and the loud lifter tick went away.

Sounds like some drunk retards performed that job.

[Young sway 098765432]

I have a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 with a 5.3 L I took my truck in for an oil change to the GM dealer during the oil change. I always ask them to check the level before they change it. They drain the oil after that and then put a new oil and told me to start it up and made this funny ticking sound and it’s never done that And that being said the truck only had 57,000 miles time and I asked the guy that runs oil change what’s going on he said I don’t know. I’m not a tech so I went home that day. Then the next morning I went to go start my truck the sound did it again so I called them and had an appointment and he said they were a half court low, which sounds fishy to me. I think it was Lower than that, and the sound was gone, but it comes and goes. And when I got this truck, I got an extended warranty because of the fact that I know that there is lifter failures, and all the sudden the sound is sign. Keep coming on a lot more now, so I called the made an appointment and the service guy said that those trucks can go 3000 miles and 6 quarts Which is bullshit now wouldn’t that even cause lit failure because of the fact that them trucks have to have 8.5 quarts of oil. Can anybody help me address this?

[CamGTP]

It can run on 6 quarts no problem, all the older 5.3's had 6 quart pans. They add oil as more oil is used to control things inside the engine and to increase capacity for longer oil change intervals. But running an engine with less than 8 quarts wouldn't grenade the engine, it's just not the optimum level it should have. If it was down to 3 or 4 quarts, then you are running into a problem as the pickup tube could run dry under heavier throttle.

 

But as for the noise, if it's there on startup but not all the time, it's likely just the oil pump. Well known noise to have and nothing wrong with it. The oil can bleed out of the pump when it sits and when you start the engine up the noise is the pump sucking in air and oil as it pumps itself back up. This is only a guess as to the noise you are hearing. Lots of youtube video's about this sound.

[redwngr]

If it's only when the engine is cold it could also be an exhaust manifold gasket issue

[Young sway 098765432]

I’ve went to this dealership for all my services as well. I’m not trying to point fingers. I also have the extended warranty. I just don’t need the lame excuses from the service department. I have my own business and take care of anything that fails on the products that I use. 

[Young sway 098765432]

And with the stop and start and the cylinder deactivation. To me that wouldn’t be good on those parts.