Pulled plugs to check
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Pulled plugs to check
for oil consumption. I am using about 1 qt. every 2000-2500 miles. I pulled two plugs and they looked "good". The insulator was very light tan and the tip and electrodes were clean. There was a little sooty looking build up on the flat bottom edge of the threads. Sorry no pics.
Does this sound normal for a car with 6,000 miles or am I being too paraniod about the oil issue? My concern is eventual carbon buid up in the combustion chambers from any burning oil.
Does this sound normal for a car with 6,000 miles or am I being too paraniod about the oil issue? My concern is eventual carbon buid up in the combustion chambers from any burning oil.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
Re: Pulled plugs to check (Scruffy)
It takes the rings some time to "seat"; you may have to drive awhile yet to see your consumption stabilize at a lower level. After 6K , I had NO measureable consumption ! Still not a drop @ 36K. :) Of course, I have an auto trans and that makes a difference.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,064
Likes: 18
From: Arizona
Re: Pulled plugs to check (Skeeter1)
You should feel fortunate that you only burn 1 qt per 2k. That is with in GM spec (if you believe that )... I go through a qt every 800 mile, but then again I run mine hard everyday...
Racer
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
From: port jefferson station ny
Re: Pulled plugs to check (ICULUKN-C5)
I may be out of touch with the engines of today, but about 13 years ago I was a mech for 30 years and I built alot of engines. almost all of the stock engines that were built would get about 2500-3000 miles to a quart of oil ( usually needed a quart just before scheduled oil change) and anything hypo that was beat on got 1000-1500 miles to a quart. this was considered good. I am not familure with the LS-1 motor yet and I know that it was a ground up redesign, but I assume that even though it is an aluminum block it has steel sleeves. naturally no one with any brand new car wants to experiance any oil consumption but if a car is beat on you have to burn some. we also used to use regular fossil oil, cars that were raced we would put 20-50w into and cars that were driven normally got 10-40w. today I see my vette uses synthetic oil with a weight of 5-30. we wouldn't use synthetic oil, not because of oil burning but because of low oil pressure readiings. my two cents worth :nopity
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Pulled plugs to check (Skeeter1)
how do you drive ? easy, hard ?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,009
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From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Re: Pulled plugs to check (Scruffy)
Scruffy- as you have probably heard, GM says that on the '01 cars oil consumption goes up dramatically if the engine is running above 3200 rpm under light load. That sounds like exactly your condition. With your low mileage and driving style, I'd say that 2k per quart is pretty good. Not that it should be that way.....
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Re: Pulled plugs to check (Gearhead Jim)
Why shouldn't it be that way? No oil consumption early in life may mean high oil consumption late in life. An engine that does not use some oil isn't getting lubricated properly.
Bill
Bill
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 27
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From: Jacksonville FL
Re: Pulled plugs to check (Gearhead Jim)
Scruffy- as you have probably heard, GM says that on the '01 cars oil consumption goes up dramatically if the engine is running above 3200 rpm under light load.
SHAME ON GM for blaming the driver's right foot for what is clearly an engineering oversight. Zora should be turning in his grave right about now.