oil consumption
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: CA
oil consumption
I have a 97 c5 6 speed. Is it common for the engine to use oil. I check the level and it was about a quart and half low. Oil Can Henrys changed the oil a while back and possibly did not fill it completely. Will running the car with a low oil condition like I did, will this damage the engine. There was a few weekend runs where I ran the engine up to the redline. (I had to, some Fords needed to be put in their place) Thanks.
[Modified by breabob, 1:52 PM 3/30/2004]
[Modified by breabob, 1:52 PM 3/30/2004]
Racer
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 386
Likes: 0
From: Round Rock, Texas, USA
Re: oil consumption (breabob)
Low oil level as not quite as imporant as low oil pressure (although they can be related). I doubt if you hurt your motor, but there are only two ways to know for sure: 1) take it apart, 2) it stops running on its own.
My brother's convertible burned oil like a freight train. It is not uncommon particularly with the ring problems GM has somewhat acknowledged as well as the PCV problem (although I feel the latter is generall overrated as a problem). If you think you have a PCV problem, you can easily check by installing one of the cheap catch-can solutions. I did this and it only cost about $15 using parts from Autozone. I found that it "caught" very little oil, so I know that the majority of oil I am burning is more the result of blow-by.
It seems people really vary on an acceptable level of consumption. It also depends on how hard you drive your car and how often.
[Modified by TXNC5, 11:48 PM 3/30/2004]
My brother's convertible burned oil like a freight train. It is not uncommon particularly with the ring problems GM has somewhat acknowledged as well as the PCV problem (although I feel the latter is generall overrated as a problem). If you think you have a PCV problem, you can easily check by installing one of the cheap catch-can solutions. I did this and it only cost about $15 using parts from Autozone. I found that it "caught" very little oil, so I know that the majority of oil I am burning is more the result of blow-by.
It seems people really vary on an acceptable level of consumption. It also depends on how hard you drive your car and how often.
[Modified by TXNC5, 11:48 PM 3/30/2004]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,138
Likes: 37
From: Burbank. CA.
Re: oil consumption (breabob)
My 99 FRC seems to burn about a quart every 1000 miles. Not real happy about that. I do drive it hard all the time, but I still don't think it should burn any. Steve
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 0
Re: oil consumption (mountainbiker2)
I usually add about 1 qt. between every oil change, maybe a little more. I don't find that to be too excessive, heck my old '89 5.0 used a qt. every 1500 miles.
Just something I came to expect from a performance motor. :auto:
Just something I came to expect from a performance motor. :auto:
