Brads-Z06

Using Mobil 1 5W30 on my 01 Z06 which has less than 25000 miles but does like to eat it, I understand this is common, anyone have better luck with 10W30 or a different brand?

pewter99

moving to the C5 Tech section for you

welcome to the forum

Corvette_Ed

How are you checking the oil? You have to check the oil in a C5 when it is warmed up, preferably after driving it and letting it sit for a few minutes. If you check it when the oil is cold and the engine has not been started it will not give an accurate reading. The proper procedure is in your owner's manual.

VGLNTE1

It's the horrible PVC set up. Look in your intake, I bet it's coated with oil. A proper catch can will help

RedZMonte

might consider a PCV Catch Can to help any burning of oil. GM had a TSB about the oil consumption on the 01's, something to do with the piston rings.

S

dklowrider

Keep in mind, the catch can will not prevent the oil from leaving your crankcase thru the pcv system. It will however prevent the engine from burning it after it has left.

racebum

01s had those barrel shaped race rings rather than the street oriented scraper design.

so

you have some blow by on the piston as well as the pcv. my 02 uses very very little if i drive it normally and it has the updated rings. if i drive hard it goes up. i would take a stab at all manual c5s except maybe the 04 cars use some oil, it's just not a lot. if i drive normal mine might use 8 ounces in 1500-2000 miles. well fairly normal anyway

if i hit the track or wind it up more that number goes up in relation to driving

generally if you're burning less than a qt every 1500 miles i wouldn't sweat it

i have NEVER owned a performance engine of any brand that doesn't burn/use some oil

Ohyoufan

Some early 2001 Z06's had an oil ring problem where oil would make its way past the rings. My friend lost a rod bearing on his 2001 Z06 due to this. Just check your oil level frequently to make sure every things alright, yours might not have this issue. My 1999 FRC used to consume a decent amount of oil while using Mobil 1 5w30. I have since switched to Amsoil and it doesn't use much, if any oil anymore. My catch can barely has anything in it when I empty it at my oil change. Just what I've noticed, every car is different. Installing a 2004 LS6 PCV/Valley Cover really helped oil consumption as well.

ZeeOSix

Anyone know what's different about the 2004 LS6 valley cover except for the fixed orifice in the PCV hose nipple? You can buy a PCV valve body that has no guts, and just the fixed orifice in it if you want to go that route on a pre-2004 LS6.

ZeeOSix

If you check the oil cold, it will just show a little lower on the dipstick, but it's a consistent way to measure oil level. It's easier to see the oil level on the dipstick when the oil is cold. I typically check my oil level cold after the car has sat all night. The hot level is only about 10% higher on the dipstick compared to the cold level.

dklowrider

That was my thought. You need a baseline to go by then you keep it consistent. You simply need to know where the full spot is on the stick when cold. That's usually the most convenient time to check anyway.

Vetteman Jack

I had an excessive oil consumption problem with tha LS1 that was in my '00 coupe. Was eating a quart every 1200 miles and that was without any hard driving. My dealer covered this under the warranty and ended up replacing at least the number 2 ring on each of the pistons. There was a TSB on this issue so you might do a search on excessive oil consumption and see what pops up.

If you can't find anything, PM me and I'll send you a copy of the TSB - would attach it now but I'm on my iPhone.

This was a problem with some if the '01 six speed cars, but in my case is happened on a '00 too.

ZeeOSix

Here's all the TSBs on the C5 Vette.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/.../#.Uq1KiCcueRN

Here's the TSB about excessive oil consumption.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...il+Consumption

The TSB actually covers 1999 - 2002 LS1 & LS6 in the Vettes. There must have been a few real early 2002s produced (mistakenly?) with the old style piston rings, because the rings were supposed to be a new design starting with the 2002 model year.

Corvette_Ed

Which doesn't change the fact that if a person does not know the proper way to check the oil to begin with and uses the typical method for checking oil, when it's cold, will produce an incorrect reading that would appear to indicate an oil leak or excessive oil consumption.

That was my point.

ZeeOSix

My point was to check it the same way every time so you have a consistent comparison method. IMO, it's easier to check cold (in the garage so the car is always in the same spot) if you want a better way to baseline your oil consumption. I always baseline my oil level cold because it's a more consistent way to check the level, and it's easier to see the level on the dipstick.

If you have to check it hot just to make sure you have enough oil in the engine, then it will read slightly higher when hot then when cold if there hasn't been any oil loss.

dklowrider

I do see what the other side is saying. If you read it hot it may show full. The same car will then read under full if you check it cold, and if you add oil at that point it will be over full when hot. But that applies only to someone that doesn't know where the level should be when cold, and I think that's their point.
It all depends on what the manufacturer calls for. Should it be at the full mark cold or hot. I have always held the belief that it's better to have the oil level a little low than a little high, so in this case at start-up it's a little low but at operating temps it's right on.
The best way to do this, is to check it hot, determine that it is full, then check it the next day cold. Now you know where the level should be when cold.
Different manufacturers give you different procedures for checking fluids, some cold some hot. John Deere tells you to run the engine in their backhoe for just a few minutes then check the trans fluid. It says it's ok if it reads over-full when hot.

LAvetteman

The LT1 in my 94 coupe used no oil what so ever.

racebum

how hard did you drive it?

that's usually the distinction that makes the difference

ZeeOSix

The C5 Owner's Manual says to check it hot a few minutes after engine shutdown. They also say to put an extra quart of oil in the engine if it's being used on the track. They also say that if the oil level is over the full mark, engine damage could occur. See the contradiction?

There's no danger of damaging the engine if the oil level is at the full mark when cold. In that case, when hot it's just a little above full ... not going to hurt anything, but if paranoid then adjust the level to full when hot. Then record the level when cold too for both a hot and cold baseline. I've used that methodology forever, and it works well. As said earlier, it's much easier to see the cold level on the dipstick, especially when the oil is new and clean.

dklowrider

I wasn't up on the adding a quart for tracking. Maybe that's due to hard turns pushing the oil up the side of the pan, or at the drags pushing it to the rear? But then I'm not up on where the exact location of the oil pick-up is either. I thought it was in the front which would make sense then.
So if you put in an extra quart for tracking are you supposed to drain it out to drive home or do they assume you're on a trailer.