Hi!

Allegedly the '01 vette has oil consumption issues. I was just getting ready to purchase one when I find out about this. Anyone have the same problem? Anyone know what's the cause, or which production dates are applicable. Early in service date or?? Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Dennis

 

Some early '01s have ring flutter on deceleration at high RPMs. I have an '01 and generally get 3K/QT. Some of this was getting into the intake manifold through the PCV system (found quite a bit of oil in my intake manifold).

How much you burn depends on your driving habits. If you decelerate in gear at high RPMs you might get some oil consumption. The fix is new rings.

Talk to the previous owner if possible to get an idea of the oil consumption, if any.

 

Hi Dennis, I don't have any facts or figures for you but I'm sure someone will come up with them. Try using the search feature too.

I have a 2001 and haven't had any oil consumption problems at all. I think it affected a very few cars and if they had a real problem, they were looked after under warranty.

RonJ ...

 

Dennis,

I have an 2001 Corvette and it uses a quart about every 3,000 miles and I drive it a little hard every now and then. I think a lot of the oil comes thru the PCV valve and is blow by. Hopes this helps.

Rick
Lawrence, KS

 

I have an 01 and have no problems. There was a survey a while back on the forum that showed very few 01's have issues. Buy it and have fun.

 

Third time must be the charm......inside joke. Dennis you don't have too post in every topic area of the C5 section, most of use read them all Dennis you can see that most refer to their own experiences and rightfully so as the media and internet crucified GM and thus created the urban , actually suburban legend that ALL 2001 LS6 were to be avoided at any cost. So misinformation, exaggeration, internet conspiracy theories mutate and spread rapidly. Yes , there is factual basis but blown out of proportion and laced with disinformation.

Then add the fact that GM did not address the issue for some three ( more like 5 ) years, till the introduction of the LS6 . GMPT tore down offending engines for years and found nothing, no wear issues, no tolerance issues, ect. Engineers took the worst of the offending vehicles and let other drivers ( I suspect less aggressive drivers) put thousand miles and oil consumption was "within limits".

We were then told that only then did GM engineers find the cause. Whooie!! It was GMPT that finally sent out a owner/driver's survey to owners who had complained , that asked specifically about driving habits. This information supplied to GMPT gave them the insight to test for high engine speed at low MAP ( manifold absolute pressure) or in other words diving around at high rpm in second gear through town with no or light load. GMPT told us that this condition caused "ring flutter" that in turn allowed oil consumption.

GM did not tell you that the 5300 alloy block had a poor coolant design around the siamesed cylinder bores that caused hot spots and in turn distortion to the upper parts of the cylinder bores. No and they did not tell you that the tolerances for the 5300 block's cylinder were way too wide with out-of-round bore diameters and tapered bores. Add that to the wider piston to cylinder bore tolerances ( which were corrected with the new anti-friction piston introduced to the 2001 M/Y in Mid-April 2001 for the LS6) and you would expect that the conventional faced, low tension (9lbs) piston rings would not be able to control oil. ( the point of low tension rings to begin with was less friction i.e. more HP)

So the band aid was to install and aggressive Napier scraper faced ,30% higher tension ( 13 lbs ) piston ring , plus the new revised piston ( and closer piston to cylinder wall tolerances). So with the 2002 M/Y the LS6 got the band aid fix ( several weeks into the 2002 M/Y the LS1 did also). But it wasn't until the redesigned GEN4 introduced in 2005 were the real causes addressed in the LS2 ( which also has oil consumption issues i.e. PIP4388 which basicly says that GM issues a warning concerning Aggressive Driving Engine Oil Consumption ) plus another oil consumption guide line with Document ID#1953897 http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...l-problem.html

Anyway, thats the way it was .



But for the sake of repetition ;http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1570223936

 

Here's a copy of a bulletin that GM issued concerning excessive oil consumption (This was not the first one to address this issue). This problem was not just limited to model year 01 Corvettes as my '00 had it too (although I'm sure there were a lot less in the earlier years). Mine was using a quart of oil every 1200 miles. At that time, GM deemed any consumption in excess of one quart every 2K miles was excessive. Dealer ended up replacing the #2 ring under warranty and after that, I did not have any noticable oil consumption at all.

Please note that not every car had the oil consumption problem.

TSB #01-06-01-023

Higher Than Expected Oil Consumption (Replace Rings)

1999-2001 Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, 1999-2001 Pontiac Firebird with 5.7L Engine (VINs G, S -- RPOs LS1, LS6)

Condition

Some owners may comment on higher than expected oil consumption. When checked, the oil consumption could be in the range of 400-600 miles per quart (700-1000 km/L).

Cause

The cause for this condition may be an interaction between the piston rings and the cylinder bore in vehicles that are operated at higher RPMs -- typically manual transmission vehicles driven in a manner where the engine is frequently or consistently operating at greater than 3200 RPM.

Correction

A new set of piston rings is currently available through GMSPO. The new rings are part of a complete piston ring kit. Install only the number 2 compression ring and the oil expander ring from the piston ring kit. All other rings in the piston ring kit should be discarded. The original number 1 compression ring and the oil ring rails should be re-used in their original positions on the piston. All pistons should be used in the same cylinder bore.

Important

Do not dress or hone the cylinder bore. Nothing should be done to change the bore finish for this condition. Changing the bore finish may aggravate the condition.
Refer to the Unit Repair Manual for appropriate ring removal and replacement procedure.
The number 1 compression ring and the upper and lower oil expander rails are re-used because they are already broken in for the bore that they are in. The new number 2 compression ring is made with a very sharp edge that will break in quickly.

Changing only the piston rings noted, with no change in driving style, should change oil consumption to an acceptable level. Changes in driving style that reduce the amount of time spent at higher RPMs will also positively effect oil consumption.

In addition to the standard size piston ring kit listed below, a 0.25 mm oversized piston ring kit is available. The oversized piston ring kit should only be used in those rare instances where the cylinder bore size has been machined larger to accommodate the 0.25 mm oversized piston rings.

 

I've had my 2001 since this past Feb 20, 2009 and have gone from 32,500-40,900 miles and do not burn any oil whatsoever. I check my oil at least once a week and just changed it a few weeks ago and still, my oil level never decreases and I do drive my car hard whenever I can, however, I do a lot of stop and go driving every morning and every night as part of my commute.

I think that with as many 2001's as there are on the forum, if it were, or still a problem, we'd hear about or read about it.

 

GREAT input by Diesel Dave and JD. I'd say that just about covers the issue in its entirety. My late year 01 goes through a quart every 2500 miles, but that includes many ounces in my glass catch can.