Fed up with 5.3 Oil Consumption

[Brian1133]

I'm fed up with adding oil to my truck to keep it at level. I have a 2014 Tahoe that I bought new but did not know about the oil consumption til I started working on my own truck 2 years ago. Yes, I was guilty of not checking my oil before I fired my local Chevy service center and Firestone. I will forever check oil levels in all my cars and trucks from now on, no matter how new or old it is.
It uses about an 1/8 of a quart a week, not sure if it's close to the same amount for others.
So I think the reason is the AFM for the oil consumption, so I just ordered a Diablo inTune i3 for GM Platinum. I should be getting it by Wednesday, I hope. Although, I ordered it just to turn off the AFM, I will eventually try the tunes that it comes with. I really didn't want to drop $450 but I'm hoping this works. I didn't get the plug in one cause my stereo plugs into the obdII slot.
Should I still get the newer valve cover? Some of my plugs were covered in oil when I changed them myself last winter.
Sorry for my rant, glad I haven't started drinking yet, would have been a pretty long.

 

[Bill 1960]

And how many miles would that be? A week doesn’t help us understand your driving patterns.

What sort of driving; city, highway? Short trips?

And how many miles on it?

Do you have any leaks?

I think you’re kidding yourself blaming AFM. Do you really add 4 ounces every week? Why? I’d add a quart every two months.

I change my oil somewhere between 3-5k depending on driving conditions and I don’t add any.

 

[Foggy]

The 2014's have the "newest" valve covers, etc....
It sounds like you just have an engine that might be worn in/out
And I wouldn't add just 4 oz at a time... The difference between the full mark and safe is about a full quart...
Wait till it gets right below or at the safe mark and then add your quart of oil...
What brand oil?? Weight ??? Etc.....
We need to know way more info to really help you out

 

[swathdiver]

I'm fed up with adding oil to my truck to keep it at level. I have a 2014 Tahoe that I bought new but did not know about the oil consumption til I started working on my own truck 2 years ago. Yes, I was guilty of not checking my oil before I fired my local Chevy service center and Firestone. I will forever check oil levels in all my cars and trucks from now on, no matter how new or old it is.
It uses about an 1/8 of a quart a week, not sure if it's close to the same amount for others.
So I think the reason is the AFM for the oil consumption, so I just ordered a Diablo inTune i3 for GM Platinum. I should be getting it by Wednesday, I hope. Although, I ordered it just to turn off the AFM, I will eventually try the tunes that it comes with. I really didn't want to drop $450 but I'm hoping this works. I didn't get the plug in one cause my stereo plugs into the obdII slot.
Should I still get the newer valve cover? Some of my plugs were covered in oil when I changed them myself last winter.
Sorry for my rant, glad I haven't started drinking yet, would have been a pretty long.

How often are spinning it above 3000 rpms? Brand, type and weight of oil is very important to know. How often do you change it? How many hours and miles on the truck now?

 

[Brian1133]

Thanks for replies!
So I have 148533 miles on my truck
For the past 12 months I have been driving on average 300 miles a week, about 50% is city with a mixture of stretches that I can get up to 45 for a couple of mile then hit traffic again, and taken several trips to North Carolina beaches (I live just outside D.C.)
I have no leaks on my drive way or my parking spot at work
I'm using Vavoline Synthetic Blend 5-30 and I have been using the K&N oil filter and have been changing my oil at around 5,000, so about 4 months. I was using full synthetic since when I bought my truck but realized I was just burning money.
The reason I came up with 1/8 of a quart, is because on average I was putting in oil where the line is on the oil bottle and it seems to match up with the full line almost perfectly.
Lately I have been using my phone app to start my engine cause it's been getting cold and have an AEM cai that came in a kit together with the filter box. Not sure if that matters.
And Bill, I was like you adding oil after a while but my oil had a burnt smell to it when it would get low that's why I'm doing it this way. Now I don't have that smell even when I change my oil.


Thanks!

 

[Brian1133]

The reason I came up with 1/8 of a quart, is because on average I was putting in oil where the line is on the oil bottle and it seems to match up with the full line almost perfectly *about every 3 to 4 weeks*

 

[THarber]

Adding an oil catch can is simple and inexpensive. LS engines have blow by, that's a known fact.

Tim

 

[Bill 1960]

So, about a quart every 2400 miles, and a pretty typical driving pattern.

If it were mine, I’d avoid the use of remote start on a cold engine. Blowby is worst when cold.

I would check the PCV for normal operation. Failure there can increase oil use. AFAIK oil catch cans only keep blow-by out of the intake, they don’t reduce oil loss.

I would assess the blow-by on a cold/ hot engine to see how much compression is getting past the rings.

Did you keep the old plugs labeled so you know which cylinders are oil fouled?

If it were mine, I would do a dry / wet compression test to assess the rings. Depending on the outcome, I may inject some solvent into the plug holes and let it soak *if* I am seeing indications of stuck or gummed rings.

Worst case, it’s wear, not gum/sludge/ varnish. In which case I’d just keep adding oil and driving it. GM AFAIK has stated they won’t repair an engine unless the consumption exceeded a quart per thousand miles.

 

[gooffeyguy]

So, about a quart every 2400 miles, and a pretty typical driving pattern.

If it were mine, I’d avoid the use of remote start on a cold engine. Blowby is worst when cold.

I would check the PCV for normal operation. Failure there can increase oil use. AFAIK oil catch cans only keep blow-by out of the intake, they don’t reduce oil loss.

I would assess the blow-by on a cold/ hot engine to see how much compression is getting past the rings.

Did you keep the old plugs labeled so you know which cylinders are oil fouled?

If it were mine, I would do a dry / wet compression test to assess the rings. Depending on the outcome, I may inject some solvent into the plug holes and let it soak *if* I am seeing indications of stuck or gummed rings.

Worst case, it’s wear, not gum/sludge/ varnish. In which case I’d just keep adding oil and driving it. GM AFAIK has stated they won’t repair an engine unless the consumption exceeded a quart per thousand miles.

What difference would there be between remote starting or just starting with a key on a cold engine?

 

[Geotrash]

Both of my 6.2s (same basic engine design) will use between 1/2 and 1 quart between 5000 mile changes, depending on what kind of driving I'm doing, and I never bother to top it up (unless it's a full quart low and I still have several hundred miles to go until my oil change). There is no reason why your oil would smell "burnt" if riding around a quart low, so I wouldn't worry about that. It's also okay with these engines to run around with up to an extra quart in the crankcase. They have a windage tray in the oil pan, so there is no problem with the crankshaft frothing the oil. My guess is your burning smell was the result of you actually doing oil changes. Perhaps the previous owner wasn't as diligent and you needed to run a few oil changes through it to get the worst of the sludge out.

It's worth sliding underneath the thing to look for an oil leak. Even with no drops on the driveway, it's possible that you have a leak. The most likely candidates on these are the plate where the oil cooler lines go in above the oil filter, the corners of the oil pan, the valve cover gaskets, and the rear main seal. You're at about the mileage where seeps will start cropping up. A few ounces of oil is nothing - a small seep could lose that much in a week. And, a quart of oil every 2000-2500 miles is still within spec for a *new* engine. I wouldn't worry about it and just check it every month when you fill up for gas. If it's a half quart low, just put a whole quart in. No point in carrying around half-empty oil bottles.

We spend a lot of time on the Outer Banks as well! Such a great place, but I feel for you having to drive down 95 from DC to get there. We live in Richmond, and it's still bad for us over 64 sometimes.