[Z06] Low oil level on barely driven 02
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,071
Likes: 0
From: GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!! Illinois
Low oil level on barely driven 02
The car has less than 9K on it and I have probably only put 2-3K miles on it this season. Tonight she is telling me the oil level is low. I get home and check it, sure enough quite low. How the hell can this be? I havent driven the car very much or very hard at all, yet she is at least probably 2qts low? DIC says over 60% oil life remaining as well. Is she developing a ring problem?
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
Pro
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 645
Likes: 1
From: Hillsdale NJ
Several other obvious things to check:
1. Is there oil residue on the exhaust tips and back of the car.
2. Are there any drippings under the car? If driven seldomly I assume it is garaged in one place.
3. Is the dip stick properly seated and is there any oil around the dip stick?
4. Are valve cover free of oil?
5. Is oil filtered properly atatched and not leaking?
6. Is drain plug tight and not leaking?
That should keep you busy for a few minutes. Good luck.
1. Is there oil residue on the exhaust tips and back of the car.
2. Are there any drippings under the car? If driven seldomly I assume it is garaged in one place.
3. Is the dip stick properly seated and is there any oil around the dip stick?
4. Are valve cover free of oil?
5. Is oil filtered properly atatched and not leaking?
6. Is drain plug tight and not leaking?
That should keep you busy for a few minutes. Good luck.
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 568
Likes: 0
From: Orange Park FL
A couple factors to consider. How many miles since your last oil change? Based on your DIC info I would assume 4,000?? How low are you on oil? You may only be one quart low, which would not be out of tolerance for 4,000 miles.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,071
Likes: 0
From: GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!! Illinois
Of course it is not leaking from anywhere, that was my first thought.
I also am aware that these cars burn oil, but for this problem to just materialize after a few years of NOT having this problem is strange to me.
I also am aware that these cars burn oil, but for this problem to just materialize after a few years of NOT having this problem is strange to me.
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Instructor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Sunnyvale Ca
I realize this is not an answer per se but by the time my '02 had about 8000 on the odo, it started burning oil in large amounts...not in flat city or highway driving but after lots of accel/deccel such as going over the hills to the coast or up to the Sierras. The oil was topped up before I left for Yosemite once, by the time I got there the warning lite was coming on. Nothing showing on the dip stick. No leaks, no smoke out the back, no smoke when starting hinting that it might be blowing past the valve guides...nothing. Pipes were clean. I had not tracked it by that point so don't know how it would have burned it under those conditions. About 12k miles later however, a weak valve spring finally gave out throwing things all over the engine. Chev. replaced it with an new crate motor. I have tracked it extensively since, made the same drives and it doesn't burn much if anything between changes. I know the weak spring probably caused the valve to float a bit, and an overall decrease in power but I don't see how that could have contributed to the oil consumption. Perhaps someone here(probably everyone) who's a much better mechanic than I could explain it. Oil consumption can often be hard to diagnose.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
I had my '01 re-ringed and it burns maybe 1/2 qt in 5000 miles w/ HPDE's, drag racing, and 1/4 action...
Have the dealer check you valley cover (below the intake mani) there's a seal that can be bad and cause major oil eating. It's the main cause of oil eating on '02+ cars b/c it's no longer the rings.
Prior to my re-ring, the replaced the valley cover first and that cut down the oil consumption a bunch, but it still burnt, so I had the rings changed. Now she's stronger than ever.
Have the dealer check you valley cover (below the intake mani) there's a seal that can be bad and cause major oil eating. It's the main cause of oil eating on '02+ cars b/c it's no longer the rings.
Prior to my re-ring, the replaced the valley cover first and that cut down the oil consumption a bunch, but it still burnt, so I had the rings changed. Now she's stronger than ever.
