LS2 oil consumption
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 46
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LS2 oil consumption
My 2006 CTSV spun a #5 rod bearing in the first 150 miles. It was rebuilt and doing alright but the last 2 months I have had to add 2 quarts of oil between changes. They are now doing an oil consumption test on it. It has 16k on the motor and while I drive it hard I do not drive it anywhere near as hard as I did my 99 c5. This car has been nothing but problems ( broken motor mount and blown rear diff bearings plus the rebuild) I know I should have kept the vette but I am going thru a divorce and have two kids who out grew riding in the back of the vette. Cadillac gave me the bs bulletin about using a quart every 500 miles in hard driving, but what is the point of having 400 ponies if you can't use them. Any of you have similiar problems?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 774
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From: San Jose CA
My LS1 ('01 WS6) consumed about a quart every 1500mi. They're known for eating oil, but the engine was just as strong at 110k mi. as it was at 10k.
Odd, but my 07 C6 is autox'd and driven through the hills hard. 1/2 quart of oil low between oil changes. Doesn't seem to be eating as much, but not uncommon.
Odd, but my 07 C6 is autox'd and driven through the hills hard. 1/2 quart of oil low between oil changes. Doesn't seem to be eating as much, but not uncommon.
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: Mountain View CA
I am definitely not easy on my car in most situations, but after 6000 miles on my 07, I've not lost pretty much any oil at all. Just a very small amount during the initial miles while I was breaking it in. Did you cycle your motors through a wide variety of RPM ranges during break-in? As in not maintaining the same engine speed for too long? In my experiences, people who don't take particular care to hit all rpm ranges in the initial miles tend to consume a little more oil than others...
Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 720
Likes: 2
From: S.F. Bay Area CA
I am definitely not easy on my car in most situations, but after 6000 miles on my 07, I've not lost pretty much any oil at all. Just a very small amount during the initial miles while I was breaking it in. Did you cycle your motors through a wide variety of RPM ranges during break-in? As in not maintaining the same engine speed for too long? In my experiences, people who don't take particular care to hit all rpm ranges in the initial miles tend to consume a little more oil than others...
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: Mountain View CA
Hope this helps.
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Pro
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 720
Likes: 2
From: S.F. Bay Area CA
Actually, I had it up to about 6K on the first day. So basically you climb RPMs (not under heavy load for a while) by going up to say 3k and letting the RPMs wind down in gear(engine braking) down to 1.5k and then bring the RPMs up to 3.5k to 4k and wind down again, and then again to 4.5k to 5k etc until you get to 6k or so. Then go ahead and repeat the same procedure again, this time under a little more heavy load. This is why steady speed freeway driving is the worst during break in, because your engine is sitting at the same RPM if you're not careful to vary engine speed through up/down shifting or increasing/decreasing your driving speed.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 211
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From: Mountain View CA
Pro
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 672
Likes: 1
From: Sapulpa Oklahoma
First, I find it odd that they "repaired" the engine instead of just putting a short block in its place, especially in a new car. That said, my LS-2 uses zero oil. I changed at 1500 miles to Royal Purple. It now has 6500 miles, still on full. Just drove across country 70-80 and sometimes a "little" more. For the record, I did follow the recommended break in procedure.
Last edited by dbradley; Jul 24, 2007 at 05:35 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
Rokkman: You have an LS6 engine. I have both a Vette and a CTS-V and have never burned a drop of oil...!? Lucky I guess; of course, I did break them in carefully. Do you have oil in your intake? 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 0
From: Eustis Florida
Actually, I had it up to about 6K on the first day. So basically you climb RPMs (not under heavy load for a while) by going up to say 3k and letting the RPMs wind down in gear(engine braking) down to 1.5k and then bring the RPMs up to 3.5k to 4k and wind down again, and then again to 4.5k to 5k etc until you get to 6k or so. Then go ahead and repeat the same procedure again, this time under a little more heavy load. This is why steady speed freeway driving is the worst during break in, because your engine is sitting at the same RPM if you're not careful to vary engine speed through up/down shifting or increasing/decreasing your driving speed.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
I'm doing something different on this car. My car is an 06, and I'm following, to an extent, the oil life monitor. I'm using mobil 1 5-30 in Florida. I changed it at 3600 miles which was 6 months. Then at 6600 which was 1 year from the first oil change. The car then became my daily driver, and I drove 2400 miles before leaving for a 10,000 miles trip around the country. At 15,600 miles I changed it at 45% of oil life, because that was a convenient stop. That was 9,000 miles on that oil change. I now have almost 20,000 miles and it shows 75% oil life. It hasn't used 1 drop of oil. I don't drive hard, but I'm not babying it either.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 708
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From: Wyoming DE
I think I may have been a little hard on my car, but it has not used any oil at all. Kind of hard to push the car real hard all the time as you would not have a drivers license if you drove too hard, and hell the tachometer is not much above 2000 and at 100 mph. Kinda hard to really run one a car like this "Hard"
My dually truck (8.1 + allison + 4.11) used a quart about every 3000 miles pulling trailers, sometimes over 15,000 lb, and I thought that was excessive. I let it go as it was basically a quart between oil changes.
I'd say you have a problem.
I also find it odd that they repaired a blown engine instead of replacing.
My dually truck (8.1 + allison + 4.11) used a quart about every 3000 miles pulling trailers, sometimes over 15,000 lb, and I thought that was excessive. I let it go as it was basically a quart between oil changes.
I'd say you have a problem.
I also find it odd that they repaired a blown engine instead of replacing.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2005
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Motor was repaired, I have the invoice for the work. The crossmember above the engine states LS2. These cars are 6 speeds so you can get some r's on but they do have a rev limiter.
I am not sure if the face was for the divorce or the kids riding in back but as a kid I rode in the back of my Uncles 63 and still have fond memories of that. The kids would ride in the back of my C5 on the quarter mile trip to the school, never on city streets, then I had them sit side by side in the passenger seat but they grew up too fast. Divorce came along so I bought the next best thing (or so I thought).
I did not take it easy on the break in, I drove it just like the salesman did. Also they made no mention of taking it easy, I guess I should have known better.
Not sure about the oil in the intake, after my 73 vette I quit working on cars, I just want to drive them now. Besides it is too damn hot to work on them in Vegas. I will drive it till the oil light comes on and then see what they have to say.
I am not sure if the face was for the divorce or the kids riding in back but as a kid I rode in the back of my Uncles 63 and still have fond memories of that. The kids would ride in the back of my C5 on the quarter mile trip to the school, never on city streets, then I had them sit side by side in the passenger seat but they grew up too fast. Divorce came along so I bought the next best thing (or so I thought).
I did not take it easy on the break in, I drove it just like the salesman did. Also they made no mention of taking it easy, I guess I should have known better.
Not sure about the oil in the intake, after my 73 vette I quit working on cars, I just want to drive them now. Besides it is too damn hot to work on them in Vegas. I will drive it till the oil light comes on and then see what they have to say.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 2
I broke my 05 vert in nice and steady over 1,500 miles at all different speeds. No lugging, nothing above 3,000 rpms and used the long decending hills and engine compression to slow the car down and help build up oil control. I currently have 11,000 miles on the motor which runs really strong, I don't baby it but am careful about warming up the motor before getting on it. Just completed a leasurely 2,400 mile round trip with no oil consumption at all. I'm using Mobile One. However, if I drive hard it uses a pint every 1,000 miles but if I use Amsoil it uses about a half of a pint per 1,000 miles.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 2
Oh yes one more thing, after my 2,400 mile easy round trip, my exhaust tail pipes were still fairly clean which really suprised me. When I drive the car hard on local trips the tips are really sooty. Gotta be burning some oil and I guess when the engine works really hard especially at higher RPM's it's bound to use more oil. Seems normal in my case I suppose.
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: King George VA
Sorry for your problems. I've got an 06 CTS-V which I bought as a used corporate car with 7k miles on the clock. I ran it to 10k on the stock factory fluids and didn't need to add any oil. I changed the oil to the AMSOIL Series 2000 0w30 at the 10k mark and haven't had to add any oil in the 1000 miles or so I have on this oil change either.
Hope you get your problems with the motor sorted out. Best of luck to you!
06 CTS-V has the LS2. Older CTS-Vs have the LS6.
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From: Brooklyn New York The DVL and the chicken sleep with the fishes....
St. Jude Donor '08
I had an 05 V ( LS6 ) and by the time the thing crossed the 20k mark , it was burning oil like a pig , about 2 quarts every thousand miles 
Not the same engine , but I feel you pain .....
Not the same engine , but I feel you pain .....
