C8 oil consumption
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Sep 2022
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C8 oil consumption
I have a 2022 c8 non-z51 that I have now put two quarts of oil in during the last month or two. I have 8200 miles. Has anyone seen this? The car is running fine with no inordinate oil temperature?
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,864
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From: NE South Carolina
Recall with the LT1 they changed top ring shape to avoid excess oil being pulled into the combustion chambers under strong deacceleration conditions.
If it's not leaking from the oil filter or drain plug, you're pulling oil in from a bad PCV valve etc. Even with the panels covering the bottom of the engine there are large access holes for the filter and drain plug and you'd see a leak of that magnitude on your garage floor. Even a pan leak of that size would drip from the panels to the ground.
Frankly if the engine was digesting that much oil in that short of time, you'd see it out the exhaust or engine missing from oil fouled plugs.
Post what you or the dealer finds.
Last edited by JerryU; Dec 3, 2022 at 08:05 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2019
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From: Florida
Two quarts in 8k miles isnt from a drive mode selection though. My cars transmission/ powertrain settings have literally never been out of track mode since new and the vehicle regularly sees full throttle runs to 150mph and i don't burn any measurable amount.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Thomas Texas
I don’t doubt your oil consumption experience, but different engines will consume oil at different rates. But one fact is higher engine speeds do consume more oil.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2019
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From: Florida
Yes racing a c8 regularly will burn more oil than someone who never goes above 3k rpm.
The difference in rpm from touring to track is cruising at 1200rpm vs 2200rpm. You can still rev to whatever rpm with your foot in either mode.
So i just want the op to know that burning 2 quarts of oil is absolutely not related to a drive mode selection. It is not normal for any drive mode and shouldn't be ignored while under warranty particularly
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E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: NE South Carolina
^^^
 Especially since it appears to have just started to occur a dealer visit is necessary. As Will Shakespeare noted in Hamlet: "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark." 
 Especially since it appears to have just started to occur a dealer visit is necessary. As Will Shakespeare noted in Hamlet: "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark."
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Thomas Texas
Yes racing a c8 regularly will burn more oil than someone who never goes above 3k rpm.
The difference in rpm from touring to track is cruising at 1200rpm vs 2200rpm. You can still rev to whatever rpm with your foot in either mode.
So i just want the op to know that burning 2 quarts of oil is absolutely not related to a drive mode selection. It is not normal for any drive mode and shouldn't be ignored while under warranty particularly
The difference in rpm from touring to track is cruising at 1200rpm vs 2200rpm. You can still rev to whatever rpm with your foot in either mode.
So i just want the op to know that burning 2 quarts of oil is absolutely not related to a drive mode selection. It is not normal for any drive mode and shouldn't be ignored while under warranty particularly
Is this a contradiction?
Seems very logical and from my personal experience that the higher RPM when in track mode, it does consume more oil because in track mode, it runs most of the time at lower gear thus higher RPM. That’s all I’m saying. Am I wrong?
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 4,079
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From: Florida
I am confused. First you say the C8 will burn more oil in racing at higher RPM but then you say it’s not related to the drive mode even after saying track mode does increase RPM.
Is this a contradiction?
Seems very logical and from my personal experience that the higher RPM when in track mode, it does consume more oil because in track mode, it runs most of the time at lower gear thus higher RPM. That’s all I’m saying. Am I wrong?
Is this a contradiction?
Seems very logical and from my personal experience that the higher RPM when in track mode, it does consume more oil because in track mode, it runs most of the time at lower gear thus higher RPM. That’s all I’m saying. Am I wrong?
Yes thats incorrect that putting the powertrain in race mode will burn 2 quarts of oil in 8k miles (or worse in a month). Again, putting the powertrain in race mode takes cruise from 1200 to 2200 rpm and holds gears a bit longer. No this will not result in any appreciable increased oil consumption that could be measured.
Yes driving on a track in any drive mode at 100 percent load is unlike anything the car will see on the street regardless of drive mode and may result in a bit of increased consumption...a bit.
Yes the OP should have the car looked at because no matter the drive mode in street driving, even canyon carving you should not be burning 2 quarts
More clear?
Last edited by bhvrdr; Dec 6, 2022 at 08:41 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Thomas Texas
Yes thats incorrect that putting the powertrain in race mode will burn 2 quarts of oil in 8k miles. Again, putting the powertrain in race mode takes cruise from 1200 to 2200 rpm and holds gears a bit longer. No this will not result in any appreciable increased oil consumption that could be measured.
Yes driving on a track in any drive mode at 100 percent load is unlike anything the car will see on the street regardless of drive mode and may result in a bit of increased consumption...a bit.
Yes the OP should have the car looked at because no matter the drive mode in street driving, even canyon carving you should not be burning 2 quarts
More clear?
Yes driving on a track in any drive mode at 100 percent load is unlike anything the car will see on the street regardless of drive mode and may result in a bit of increased consumption...a bit.
Yes the OP should have the car looked at because no matter the drive mode in street driving, even canyon carving you should not be burning 2 quarts
More clear?
See this link: https://www.oilspecifications.org/ar...onsumption.php
With regards to 2 qts consumer in 8000 miles on the C8, I believe that is very possible in track mode due to the higher RPM it’s programmed to do. I personally have seen it happen. My GF has her C8 in track mode 100% of the time while I have it in Tour mode 100% of the time. Her car consumes oil at a much higher rate than mine. Hers was down 2 qts in approximately 8000 miles also so we are checking it more frequently.
I won’t go into the details here, but my internet research states there is a direct correlation between RPM and rate of oil consumption.
Please forgive me for contradiction of your statements.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Thomas Texas
Also, here is a statement from https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...26395-9999.pdf
“Aggressive driving and/or continuous driving at high speeds/high RPMs will increase oil consumption.”
“Aggressive driving and/or continuous driving at high speeds/high RPMs will increase oil consumption.”
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,272
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The OP did not say the car used 2 quarts in 8200 miles - rather it used 2 quarts of oil in the last month or two. And it has 8200 total miles. Its not clear what the rate of consumption per mile is from that statement. As a reference, I always have engine shift set to track mode. I have had no measurable oil consumption in 3000 miles. I would consider an average rate of 1 quart in 4000 miles concerning, and worth a dealer check. On the other hand, if OP only traveled 3000 miles in the last "month or two", I would consider 2 quarts to be excessive - and also worth a dealer check.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,231
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From: Carlsbad Ca
I'd look in the air box for oil.
The upper RPM's can get the oil to push into the oil line that goes to the airbox.
It's the swirling air in that small crankcase that picks up the oil and pushes it to the airbox. (Bottoms of the pistons are the causation.)
2 quarts in a month (say 1000 miles) could be ok. It just depends on how the car was driven. Or not. It just depends.
The upper RPM's can get the oil to push into the oil line that goes to the airbox.
It's the swirling air in that small crankcase that picks up the oil and pushes it to the airbox. (Bottoms of the pistons are the causation.)
2 quarts in a month (say 1000 miles) could be ok. It just depends on how the car was driven. Or not. It just depends.
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Sep 2022
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Thanks for all the good discussion. I am taking her to the dealer in the morning for an oil change and assessment. As I read all the discussion on mode, I drive in Z mode 95% of the time and it is essentially set at track mode setting. I’ll reply when I know more!
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2022
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I will say '2 quarts in 30 days' is bordering on something more , but I find the more time spent at higher RPMs the more chance there is for oil consumption. During the summer when I was out cruising every other day consumption was high and now the past 2 months have curtailed the driving and oil levels still high. Still , id go to the dealer and have them at least log a service visit complaint with the facts and let it go from there.
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Sep 2022
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Thanks again for all the comments. I had the oil changed today and they found no evidence of leaking or other issues. They seemed to think it is due to continual higher running RPMs which I definitely enjoy in Z mode. I’m to check the level in 1000 miles and if there is appreciative drop in level they’ll have me bring her back in. After years of working on cars my experience with oil loss is either valve seals, rings, oil pan or head gasket related otherwise it pretty much stays constant. I don’t see any evidence of any of these so it must be an LT2 specific nuance. I’ll update the thread in a1000 miles!
