HELP! oil issues
Thread Starter
USMC (retired)
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,267
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From: Wimauma FL
HELP! oil issues
The last oil change I got was on 12/31/04 with 39,349 miles on it. Yesterday, 03/17/05 with 43,875 miles on it I get a LOW OIL LEVEL on DIC. I was wondering why the DIC is giving that warning when the OIL CONSUMPTION LEVEL is at 56% left?
Is there some thing wrong with the piston ring. For the meantime I am going to have to add a few quarts before oil change.
HELP.
Is there some thing wrong with the piston ring. For the meantime I am going to have to add a few quarts before oil change.
HELP.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,353
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From: Richmond Hill Ontario
On some of the earlier C5's like the 2001 (not all of them), they had some ring issues that cause oil consumption. A few quarts sounds like a lot of oil. I would have the dealer check it out.
Tino
Tino
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Originally Posted by RedRider98
I don't think the two are related. Low Oil means exactly that. Oil life on the other hand (the 56%) tells you when to change the oil, not add.
Larry
code5coupe
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I agree with the others here - the message on the DIC is OIL LIFE not OIL CONSUMPTION. 56% left means that according to the algorithim that is utilized that is the time left until a change is required.
By my math - you've gone 4526 miles. Now the issue is - was the oil perfectly topped off when it was last changed? These cars take about 6.5 quarts - not the typical 5 quarts. so you might have started out a quart down, and in another 4500 miles burned/leaked/used another quart. I would top off the oil - until it reads full on the dipstick.
When you check your oil - make darn sure the car is on level ground, pull the dip stick, wipe it thoroughly (all the little nooks and crannies, too!) - push it back in and pull it out without tipping it backwards towards the handle so that no oil runs back. Fill it so that it reads full. I know it sounds stupid - but the dip stick on the C5 is weird like that.
Change your oil when it calls for an oil change - making sure that 6.5 quarts are put in.
Bottom line is don't jump to conclusions that you have an OIL COMSUMPTION issue.......yet!
By my math - you've gone 4526 miles. Now the issue is - was the oil perfectly topped off when it was last changed? These cars take about 6.5 quarts - not the typical 5 quarts. so you might have started out a quart down, and in another 4500 miles burned/leaked/used another quart. I would top off the oil - until it reads full on the dipstick.
When you check your oil - make darn sure the car is on level ground, pull the dip stick, wipe it thoroughly (all the little nooks and crannies, too!) - push it back in and pull it out without tipping it backwards towards the handle so that no oil runs back. Fill it so that it reads full. I know it sounds stupid - but the dip stick on the C5 is weird like that.
Change your oil when it calls for an oil change - making sure that 6.5 quarts are put in.
Bottom line is don't jump to conclusions that you have an OIL COMSUMPTION issue.......yet!
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The percentage reading you are getting on the DIC is not the level, but the oil life remaining based on a number of factors. Your car can eat oil like it is going out of style and the oil life remaining will not be affected. You have gone over 4000 miles and the warning low oil level normally comes on when it is a quart low. That is not too bad of a consumption rate IMO. When I was having the oil consumption problem on mine, it was using a quart every 1200 miles and GMs standard was a quart or more in 2000 miles or less.
Was the oil completely full when you had it changed too - these cars take 6.5 quarts. I would get the oil changed and make sure that the right amount of oil is put back in. Then see how it does.
Was the oil completely full when you had it changed too - these cars take 6.5 quarts. I would get the oil changed and make sure that the right amount of oil is put back in. Then see how it does.
Thread Starter
USMC (retired)
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,267
Likes: 4
From: Wimauma FL
Thank you for the replies. I will definately check it out when topped off again after the oil change.
I apologize for the ignorance on the oil life of the DIC....lesson learned...guess you always still should check out the oil level......that is my fault.
again thank you for the advice.
How does the dealer do an oil consumption test? Is that possible?
I apologize for the ignorance on the oil life of the DIC....lesson learned...guess you always still should check out the oil level......that is my fault.
again thank you for the advice.
How does the dealer do an oil consumption test? Is that possible?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,347
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From: Slidell La
type
Not only check to see if it is full after an oil change but confirm what oil was put in the car. I have had dealers tell me then put in 10w30 when actually they put in a straight 20W. This has happened at least twice in the last 3 years on my wife's lincoln. Each time the oil consumption doubled. Sold the car.
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Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Grand Ledge MI
Originally Posted by jimcork1
Not only check to see if it is full after an oil change but confirm what oil was put in the car. I have had dealers tell me then put in 10w30 when actually they put in a straight 20W. This has happened at least twice in the last 3 years on my wife's lincoln. Each time the oil consumption doubled. Sold the car.
Agree. When I first got my '00 vert, I had a dealer change the oil. Within about 5000 miles, I also got the "Low Oil Level" indicator level and sure enough, it was below the dip stick. Scared the crap out of me. I did a test with Blackstone labs and everything was normal with oil useage. I think the dealer used plain 10w30 instead of Mobil 1, synthetic. So I changed the oil all over again and made sure to use Mobil 1. Since then I hardly use any oil at all... and now I make sure that my dealer uses Mobil 1. BTW, if the low oil indictor comes on the DIC, you have to let the car/oil cool down for an hour or more before it will reset, otherwise, the Low Oil indicator will come on again after a few miles.
And as others have said, the Low Oil Indicator has nothing to do with the "oil life" percentage indicator.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Grand Ledge MI
Originally Posted by snakeiz919
Thank you for the replies. I will definately check it out when topped off again after the oil change.
I apologize for the ignorance on the oil life of the DIC....lesson learned...guess you always still should check out the oil level......that is my fault.
again thank you for the advice.
How does the dealer do an oil consumption test? Is that possible?
I apologize for the ignorance on the oil life of the DIC....lesson learned...guess you always still should check out the oil level......that is my fault.
again thank you for the advice.
How does the dealer do an oil consumption test? Is that possible?
Mark