drbenne

I have 2008 C6Z06. Commuter with 21K miles. (Have the C5 T1 car to kick around) I noticed it was consuming 1 qt per 1000 miles which is much more than any corvette, or for that matter, any other car I have owned.

So started an "oil consumption" process with my local dealer. Well after doing this for the last 5K or so miles and it consuming 6+ quarts, I was told yesterday that:

According to GM document #2222953, normal oil consumption for high performance engine LS7 is 1 qt per 500 miles and that GM DVM Ray Moffat advised that this is normal oil use.

Very disappointing to say the least.

Anyone else experiencing this type of oil consumption and does this sound reasonable?

93cruiser

Ask the dealer for the dealer reps phone #. This will get things rolling for a possible resolution.
93cruiser

Chalky

1 qt consumption per 1 K miles was not my experience. Best of luck getting this resolved.

Cdn Z06 Mike

That is BS!!! That is GM's way of saying thier problem is normal so no warranty. The reps are a waste of time most often. A lawyers letter is more reactionary.....

Katech_Zach

I'm doing an oil consumption test on my DD right now. They told me something completely different. 1qt per 100 gal of fuel. That makes more sense because it's based on how you use it. 500 street miles is far different than 500 race miles.

ttgangsta

I have 24k on mine and it's daily driver, FWIW I drive pretty aggressively and have NEVER noticed a significant change in oil level between oil changes. I put new oil in when the oil meter is at about 5% so ~5000 miles with negligible change in oil level.

tjwong

That old 1qt/500mi standard is old, that was used back in the 70s as performance or big block towing use.

Dirty Howie

That is totally not acceptable.

Hell at that rate you never have to change the oil !!!!

I had a motor that used that much oil but thats because it was built like crap and had blowby .....


DH

SSTEVEGS

I'm at nearly 20,000 miles on my '08 and have never had to add a single drop of oil between changes.

tjwong

I don't have near as much milage on my car as you do, but I have been into my engine three times for cam swaps, and since then I have not used a drop of oil. I have the normal oily intake syndrome as most LS engines do but I never see the dipstick indicating any reason to add any oil.

Racie

I have an 06 model Z with that many miles and drive the **** out of it when I do drive it. Doesn't seem to use a drop between oil changes.

GOLD72

That is much too high!!! That's grounds for putting in new rings as was done on a number of LS6 engines for MY2001 like mine. GM used to say that qt per 2000 miles was acceptable. Qt per 500 for normal street driving is ridiculous. With 41k on my daily driver, my LS7 uses about a qt per 5k.

Bill Dearborn

I doubt they talked to GM. According to GMs 2010 info the standard is 1 quart per 2000 miles or 3200 KM. Here is the info from the 2010 GM Service Manual DVD.

Document ID: 1877707
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oil Consumption Diagnosis
Checks
Causes

Excessive oil consumption, not due to leaks, is the use of 1 L (1 qt) or more of engine oil within 3 200 kilometers (2,000 miles).

Preliminary
The causes of excessive oil consumption may include the following conditions:
• External oil leaks
Refer to Oil Leak Diagnosis.
• Incorrect oil level or improper reading of the oil level indicator
With the vehicle on a level surface, run the engine for a few minutes. Allow adequate drain down time, 2-3 minutes, and inspect for the correct engine oil level.
• Improper oil viscosity
Refer to the vehicle owners manual and use the recommended SAE grade and viscosity for the prevailing temperatures.
• Continuous high speed driving and/or severe usage
• Crankcase ventilation system restrictions or malfunctioning components
Refer to Crankcase Ventilation System Inspection/Diagnosis.
• Worn valve guides and/or valve stems
• Worn or improperly installed valve stem oil seals
Refer to Spark Plug Inspection.
• Piston rings broken, worn, or not seated properly
Allow adequate time for the rings to seat.
Replace worn piston rings, as necessary.
Refer to Cylinder Leakage Test.
• Piston and rings improperly installed or not fitted to the cylinder bore
Refer to Lower Engine Noise, Regardless of Engine Speed.

Remember the dealer and the auto manufacturer are two different business entities and have different agendas.

The Service Writer can look this up at his work station with you watching. Just type in Consumption Oil into the search field and it will show up.

Bill

Omega Man

I have 17k on mine and no oil usage. None.

foremaw

I have an '08 with 13K and it shows virtually no oil usage between changes. Its moderate street driving, no abuse, no heavy aggressive driving.

TAILWAG

My 08' has about 7,200 miles...checked the oil about every 1,000 miles or so - never had to add any and let's just say I driver her like she is meant to be driven.

Undy

Ya know... additional oil has been known to "leak out" during the oil monitoring escapade. Unfortunately, it could tend to skew the test a bit and GM would now consider the useage "excessive". It would be terrible if that occured..

AFVETTE

This sounds like the oil consumption mess C5 Z06 owners were going through back in 2001/2002 with the LS6 where some had to be "re-ringed".

Good luck

Tom

JohnnyLS7

I have 14,000 on mine with a blower and I go through 1 qt every 2500 miles. I was told that's normal

curvesman

I just hate when this happens!