STRMLNE

I recently took the car in for this issue and the dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong. The dealer blamed the low mileage for the issue and said there is no fix. Could this be true?

92GA

If it's truly burning the oil and not leaking, the only fix is new rings. And that's going to cost some big bucks. My old 99 doesn't go thru a quart in 5000 miles when I change it. If it don't foul plugs, and runs good I wouldn't fool with it. I bought a new Road Runner in 1968 and it would go thru a quart every 1200 miles, service manager said it would quit at 50,000. I told him he was full of crap and I wouldn't even own the car when it has that many miles, and I didn't.

STRMLNE

Thanks. Yeah, dealer couldn't find any leaks and there is nothing on the garage floor. Car runs strong. Just annoying to have the issue when the motor has such low miles.

DaDuck

I have a 2000 with 33 K miles and it does not use any oil.

Dealer BS.

Dave

4XLR8N

There are only a few ways oil can get into the combustion chamber, past the rings is one way, past the valve guide seals is another. However, most likely (and by far the easiest to fix) is your PCV system. Take a look through the throttle body into the intake with an LED flashlight. If you see a lot of oil, the PCV system is the culprit...

Good luck...

tblu92

LS engines are notorious for a poor PCV system---Oil or oil vapor is sucked into your intake manifold causing your high use of oil---It is common on ALL LS engines---Good news is that your engine is NOT burning oil because of bad rings or bad valve guides but rather the PCV system is in adequate---In newer models od LS1's and even older LS6's GM addressed this issue by a complete redesign on the PVC system
Now on an older car---You can do the research online and will see there is a huge aftermarket for this fix-- They are called "catch cans"---All your car needs is an aftermarket catch can---and this will prevent any oil from entering your intake manifold--
Your engine may still use oil but it will be comforting to know s is not being burnt up but rather being gathered in your catch can----
To take this step even further---many will install a LS6 intake valley and PCV system on their LS1 engine that will almost eliminate any oil from even being gathered into the catch can---But this an extreme fix that needs some grinding and re-fitment to allow the LS6 valley to be installed---If it were my car--I would simply add the catch can and be done with it--You can always put the gathered oil back into the oil fill---and the oil usage will be minimal

QCVette

The dealer is wrong. It is not due to low mileage. There are lot (nearly all) of new cars/low mileage cars that do not use oil.

Do some searches on this forum for '01 oil consumption. There are a lot of reports that something with the '01 rings caused oil burning. There can be several reasons, but without more information my guess would be the rings since they are a common problem.

dadaroo

I agree the 2001 year did have this issue for some cars and warranty work was done.

Look the PVC system first.


Mr. Sam

Bill Curlee

When the C6 first came out I visited Bowling Green KY for the C5/C6 Birthday Bash.

I happened to be able to talk one on one to the GM Power Train Manager (nice guy) about this very issue.

Short story Low Tension rings, PCV Oil ingegestion, and sometimes the way the car is driven.

1. If it was me i would up-grade to the 2004 PCV system and install a high quality catch can.

2. Do you spend a lot of time driving the engine in the 3000 RPM range at low torque conditions? If so, its causing ring flutter and that allows the oil to pass the ring.

I would NOT open up the engine to replace rings!

Start out with a high quality catch can and CONFIRM that you are moving oil through the engine because of a crappy PCV design.

There are TWO LS Engine PCV Systems. LS1 and LS6

In 2004, I think all the LS engines used the improved LS6 design.

LS1 PCV Design:



LS6 Desgin:

Bill Curlee

The PCV improvement is the improved design of the oil seperator baffel box on the bottom of the valve valley cover plate.

BC

Vetteman Jack

My 2000 6 speed car had the oil consumption problem (1 quart every 1200 miles). GM repaired the car by replacing the rings, luckily under warranty.

jackthelad

I have an early build '98. I have had it from new. It uses ZERO oil between changes, so I discount any ideas of updating the PCV system to fix an oil consumption problem. It's the rings.

Bill Curlee

Your engine didnt have the low tension rings. If you ever look into your intake manifold and look at the floor of the intake,,, you will see a swimming pool of oil. I also had a 98 since new and it didnt burn any oil either.

A car with low tension rings allows compression to bypass the rings and enter the crank case. That extra crankcase gas/air flow overcomess the normal operation of the PCV Baffels and you have a LOT more than normal oil vapor mist entering the intake manifold.

BC

Sam Handwich

Subscribed

GUSTO14

I installed the Elite Engineering PCV Oil Catch Can System (carried by a number of the supporting vendors here on the Forum) on my 2000 hardtop back in 2006. I had read a great deal about the issue with oil consumption on the LS-1 here on the Forum at that time and decided I needed to be a bit proactive even though I hadn't yet noticed a problem with oil consumption. After installation I started checking it every couple of months and was very surprised to discover oil in it every time.

Installation instructions can be viewed here which should help to orient you and identify how simple one of these installations can be.

Good luck... GUSTO

92GA

My 99 has the stock pvc system and has 146,000 miles and it will go 5000 miles without using any oil. Some years like this year when I didn't even get 5000 miles on the car. We had a very wet year here.

1KLRTOY

My 01 used a quart every 900-1000 miles, extended warranty replaced just the oil control ring and now uses less than 1/2 quart in 5k, low tension oil ring is the problem and the only fix is to replace the oil ring, a catch can works and will help some but only masks the root cause.

tblu92

Anyone who says the stock LS1 PCV system is OK in un informed and has never had an intake off----When I take then off and set them on the floor--TB side down---the next morning there will be a large puddle of oil that has drained out from the manifold--PLUS look at your intake valves --You will be shocked to see the oil carbon build up on the valve head and stem---Or if you take the heads off--the chambers have tons of carbon build up--all from oil being injested in thru the PCV system----
A catch can has worked always for me in eliminating this problem-Before going in and changing the rings or guides I would recc. trying the catch can---Much cheaper ans super easy to install

STRMLNE

What steps do I take to look into the intake manifold to check for oil?

lionelhutz

The oil rings are the problem and should have been replaced under warranty but probably never were. All the chest thumping about catch cans and PCV systems won't change this fact.