Oil Consumption

[Jettech1]

I'm trying to get a feeling for oil consumption issues.  Please vote on the poll I submitted.  Thank you all.

[Grumpy Bear]

I voted. Pepper started using a hint of oil around 150K miles. My OCI is 5K and the makeup in under a pint, so I don't. But it does show on the stick. 

[Jettech1]

7 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

I voted. Pepper started using a hint of oil around 150K miles. My OCI is 5K and the makeup in under a pint, so I don't. But it does show on the stick. 

As we all know, a lot of people come to these forums with problems not necessarily with answers or help.  But I'm starting to see a change in the winds on this forum.  People are starting to really get involved with helping others and themselves with a problem they might have.  So I was just curious is all.  Thank you voting you old grumpy bear best writer ever!!  

[KARNUT]

On my modern engines, after fuel injection and electronic ignition I only had two oil users from new. All the rest including my pulling rigs ever used oil. These include when I went extended on Amsoil. My current vehicles all over 100K miles and my avalanche with 180K miles ever used oil. Even my lawnmower stays full. It’s eight years old with one oil change. I mow wet with no dust. I’ve had a few vehicles. I’m not especially easy on my vehicles. I like the sensation of speed. Using oil shouldn’t be normal. 

[Jettech1]

2 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

On my modern engines, after fuel injection and electronic ignition I only had two oil users from new. All the rest including my pulling rigs ever used oil. These include when I went extended on Amsoil. My current vehicles all over 100K miles and my avalanche with 180K miles ever used oil. Even my lawnmower stays full. It’s eight years old with one oil change. I mow wet with no dust. I’ve had a few vehicles. I’m not especially easy on my vehicles. I like the sensation of speed. Using oil shouldn’t be normal. 

I totally agree.  Back in the early 90's I knew a guy that was a huge mobil 1 fan, I was too at the time.  He would drain it out of his engine at 5k miles and put in his lawnmowers and whatever else needed oil....lol...

[Jettech1]

89 views and only 5 people have voted?  C'mon all...please vote.  It only takes a second.  It's not like I'm looking for your credit card info or trying to sell you an extended warranty on your car.... LOL....

[Jettech1]

As some of you might know and have read, I'm reading some hesitation from future buyers of the gasser due to them being scared off because of this issue.  I'm only trying to put this topic in perspective, like into reality so to speak is all.  Is it really a common a problem, or isn't it?  That's what I'm trying to figure out here and how common of a problem it really is.  I look at other sites that have had this vote as well, and I can tell you all right now, I see 20 plus no's to 1 yes.  So lets see what we get here.

[gemarsh]

Some of us soot shooters just like to read about the gas guzzlers. So your view totals might be swayed as to why not many voters.

 

Any idea the diesel/gas ratio? My feeling is 100:1.

[Pryme]

1 hour ago, Jettech1 said:

89 views and only 5 people have voted?  C'mon all...please vote.  It only takes a second.  It's not like I'm looking for your credit card info or trying to sell you an extended warranty on your car.... LOL....

Speaking of which. I just received one of those silly postcards trying to spam me for extended warranty. They all say the funniest stuff. My factory warranty is almost out don’t wait lmao oh really. Funny thing is it came days after I took my truck in for the free oil change and rotation. I wonder if they can see when a dealer puts a vin in and they buy that info or whatever. 
 

I of course checked my oil level before even leaving the dealership and it was filled properly. Climbed under it to check the filter too for drips or anything else out of the ordinary. 
I couldn’t pass up a free change and rotation. But now it’s back to me doing it

[Grumpy Bear]

MC-10161887-9999.pdf    GMC Technical Service Bulletin (tsbsearch.com) MC-10171426-9999.pdf (nhtsa.gov)

03-06-01-023D 1..4 (nhtsa.gov)

 

It's enough of an issue GM has a TSB on it. Fact is, they have one for every gas motor line. 30 seconds of searching gave the list above. 

 

General Motors Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over 2.4L Oil Consumption (gmauthority.com)

 

There's a link in the above article with the myriad of consumption lawsuits. 

 

[quote] Other oil burning-related lawsuits filed against GM in the United States have been thrown out, as GM’s warranty does not cover design defects, only manufacturing defects. The problems with these engines can be traced back to design defects, the automaker has argued previously, so its factory warranty is not applicable to these problems. [end quote]

 

Fact, all motors use oil. They wouldn't last very long if they did not. Top ring and bore failures would be rapid and catastrophic. So, the question isn't does your motor use oil but rather does it use EXCESSIVE oil? And that kids depends on who you are asking. 

 

GM says a quart in 2,000 miles or 1.5 quarts in 100 hours for commercial motors. A quart in 100 gallons of fuel for the 6.6. 

 

Powertrain engineers will tell you 0.03% to 0.05% of fuel is normal. A really good design will be half that. So how much is that? Let's example middle road or 0.04% of fuel. 

 

Your OCI is 7.500 miles and your hand calculated mileage is say 15 mpg. That's 500 gallons of fuel. 0.04% of 500 gallons is 0.2 gallons. There are 128 ounces in a gallon so 20% of that is 24 ounces of oil in 7,500 mile or a quart in 10,000 miles. 

 

A quart in 100 gallons? 0.25%? Normal? GM says so for the 6.6 

 

Hey, if GM dodges warranty lawsuits BRAGGING it's a design defect wouldn't they also LIE about what is 'normal'?

 

 

[KARNUT]

6 hours ago, Pryme said:

Speaking of which. I just received one of those silly postcards trying to spam me for extended warranty. They all say the funniest stuff. My factory warranty is almost out don’t wait lmao oh really. Funny thing is it came days after I took my truck in for the free oil change and rotation. I wonder if they can see when a dealer puts a vin in and they buy that info or whatever. 
 

I of course checked my oil level before even leaving the dealership and it was filled properly. Climbed under it to check the filter too for drips or anything else out of the ordinary. 
I couldn’t pass up a free change and rotation. But now it’s back to me doing it

I’ve gotten those warranty scams before I’ve gotten my titles on recent vehicles. 

[Another JR]

If you are going to use a poll with only two options, you might get more meaningful info for your purpose if you asked people to check if they have to add oil between changes or check whether they believe their consumption is above or below some level like 1 quart per 4000 miles. 
 

On my truck I lose less than a pint in my 3750 change interval. I suspect a certain amount of fuel absorption offsets the actual oil usage rate on these engines.  I received my truck with two miles on it. Nobody drove it but the delivery process people prior to me, and I broke it in very conservatively. That may be why mine uses very little oil. Or maybe I was just lucky. 
 

[the wanderer]

19 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

89 views and only 5 people have voted?  C'mon all...please vote.  It only takes a second.  It's not like I'm looking for your credit card info or trying to sell you an extended warranty on your car.... LOL....

 

I have a hemi, can I vote?

 

I'm just here keeping an eye on these GMs, like to know what's out there and the good things and bad things in case my current truck picks up and leaves me and needs replacing.

Edited July 5, 2023 by the wanderer

[Flatus]

I'm still trying to confirm if mine burns any or not. I checked my oil the day before I got my last oil change and it was at the halfway mark between the normal level lines. So, it appeared it may have used just a small amount in 5000 miles. I will continue to check it regularly but I am not concerned about it right now.

[XY74]

My oil burner doesn't seem to use engine oil at least as far as the dipstick is concerned.  My old 6.0 is maybe a pint low when it's time to change the oil once a year. (4-5,000 miles??)  It has 280K on it.   

 

Still can't vote in the poll.