Poll: Do you burn oil?

[SnowDrifter]

Just a plug of curiosity. Please post:

Vehicle year/engine
Mileage
Oil used
Oil burned/time
Oil change interval
Driving habits

 

[SnowDrifter]

I'll go first:

'05, 5.3
140k
M1 0w30 ESP or Castrol Syn 5w30
No perceptable drop in oil level
Changed 3-5k/150h depending on driving habits during the OCI
Driving habits: Yes. Everything. Short trips, stop/go, road trips, temps from -15 to 110f. Easy on the gas around town, lead foot on the freeway

 

[Big Mama]

07 Denali
6.2
Synthetic 5w30
125k miles
No oil loss
Change based on oil life DIC or 6 months
Mostly in town driving but if we go to see the kids 100-200 miles we take it
Not a lead foot in town

 

[Erickk120]

07 6.0 280k lose a quart from the rear main seal per 2 months
04 5.3 225k lose a little over half a quart per 3-4 months also rear main
synthetic 10w-30
I haven't justified doing the rear main seals for either one


Pro's no rust anywhere near both of them
Con's stained baseball sized oil spots in the driveway
change every 5k or 7-8 months for both whichever comes first

I know a guy that only does his oil changes after 5k miles even if it takes over a year, its a 5.3 and it had 270k original tranny and engine makes me think the worse you maintain them the more they last. THINKING FACE

 

[Danny3737]

2004 Denali 6.0
Mobil 1 5W-30
None
5K
Normal to Spirited

 

[CountryBoy19]

I just got through the first OCI since we bought the XL so I ran what the dealer had in it for the first OCI, then switched to Cen-Pe-Co 5w30 Synthetic.

05 5.3L
125k
Dealership oil
~1 qt loss
OCI: DIC reading, this time it was just short of 10k miles.
Driving habits: Usually pretty easy on the throttle (it's the family wheels). Kid's daycare & wife's employment is only a few miles from home so barely gets warmed up unless going to the nearest larger town for shopping, or road-trip to visit family (we do this multiple times per year, 200 miles 1-way).

 

[adventurenali92]

1.2006, LQ4 6.0
2.Doesn’t burn a drop of oil between changes. And I constantly keep an eye on the dipstick.
3. Full synthetic 5W30, never brand specific. Usually whatever brand is on sale at my local Carquest store. Never had issues running their generic brands.
4. Interval is every 5,000 miles for me regardless of what the oil life monitor says. It usually pretty close though, within a few percent left. Last oil change it say I had 10% life left I think.
My driving habits are all over the place, lots of around town driving in a daily basis while working, with both heavy and light throttle. Up and down the mountains roads with speed changes. Lots of freeway driving cruising at 70 when I go down to see family. Couple times a year a road trip.

 

[Doubeleive]

2012 l94 6.2l
23k on engine
no oil loss
0
0
maniac, well ok I have calmed down a little but i'm still in the 1% of drivers that scare the shit out of you. lol

 

[adriver]

02 4.8 (Silverado with a 5spd)
253K
5W-30 Pennzoil plat full syn
NOT A DROP, (6 qts puts me right in the middle of the dipstick, and that's where it is between and before I change).
3-5K miles, (drive 6-8K miles a year lately), Before the 120 degree summers and before the cold winters.
I near floor it through first and second, sometimes third, quick shift through fourth. Down to third for 90mph highway interchange curves, downshift to pass frequently because I can, average 15mph over city and highway, call it "aggressively-assertive".

 

[Sasquatch]

05 yukon 5.3
106,***
Royal Purple 5W-30
No oil loss at all.
Change interval 6K miles
I don`t ever beat on the truck but i`m not scared to hit the red line, Most of the miles are put on in the summer traveling to our summer home doing 75 -85 on the highway. If there`s salt on the road in the winter it stays in the garage.

 

[afpj]

02 yuk 4x4 5.3
187k miles
Don’t think it burns oil but it does leak, about 1 qt/3000 miles ( my oci )
Valvoline high mileage synth blend 5w-30.
Variable habits depending if on call out duty or just going to store.

 

[SMonaldo]

had an 06 Impala SS with 100k, used synthetic from new, 2 qts per 5k miles starting at about 80K
07 Trailblazer 6Cyl, 208K miles, always Synthetic, started using about 2-3 qts between changes at about 180K.....switched to conventional as per mechanic recommendation. Better for high mileage engines

 

[89Suburban]

'07 Tahoe 5.3 4X4
309k original motor, trans, transfer, front diff, junkyard replaced rear axle at 200K
Burns and leaks motor oil, about 1-2 quarts a month, more in the colder weather. Trans-transfer-front diff not a drop, rear diff l/r axle seal weeping.
Castrol GTX Ultraclean 5W30 & 1 QT Lucas oil every 3000 miles
Habits: %75 round town, 25% highway. Textbook driver, like to take it easy, light pedal, use the torque. I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere, I love just driving. When the road ragers start their shit I kick it in the ass a bit when needed. Also tow a boat almost everyday a few miles to the local ramp and back.

 

[isp5190]

Just a plug of curiosity. Please post:

Vehicle year/engine
Mileage
Oil used
Oil burned/time
Oil change interval
Driving habits

2009/5.3
120000
Castrol High Mileage
1 qt every 1200 to 1400 miles
5000
both city and highway 50/50

 

[dnt1010]

2009 6.0 LFA (Hybrid AFM/DOD) 198,000 miles (recently acquired)
Added 1 quart of oil over first 1200 miles that I have driven it. (was down 1 quart) I changed the drivers side valve cover but was already the new design. Previous owner could not remember if it had been done or not and no record of it with maintenance records........
Currently has valvoline syn sticker on windshield from last owner. I am going to use M1 and AC Delco filter probably changing next day or 2.
Plan is to use a 3000 mile or less oil change interval for the next several changes to try to clear up the oil sludge residue found inside drivers side valve cover. Previous owner (one family owned vehicle) swears they always used synthetic and changed by maintenance schedule. I saw some oil change receipts that had over 10k between changes so they were obviously going by the OLM. I think we can all see by the valve cover interior pic below that the OLM is way too long of an interval to prevent sludge buildup????
I like the 5,000 or less oil change interval no matter what the silly OLM readout says. Keeping in mind this is the Two Mode Hybrid system with autostop so that may contribute to the sludge issue also?
On driving I tend to drive normal most of the time with occasional "Italian tune ups" mostly highway miles with some city stop and go.

 

[lkrasner]

Vehicle year/engine: '02 Tahoe 5.3 Flex Fuel, 350,000 miles!
Mileage: 12-13 (oversized tires and lots of extra weight)
Oil used: 5w30 winter, 10w30 summer. Always full synthetic. Mobile 1 unless I find a deal on another brand. Mobil 1 filter.
Oil burned/time: ~1qt in 5,000 miles. Most of this is leaking not burning I think. Rear main leaks a lot, I like to say the coating under the car protects from rust...
Oil change interval: 5000, or when the light comes on(ish). It's synthetic so I'm not worried going a bit over 3K, but I like to keep it clean. I run a can of seafoam in the crankcase every couple changes for a few miles to really clean it out.
Driving habits: Mixed. Some off road, lots of country 2 lane. I certainly don't baby it.

 

[lkrasner]

mes first

I know a guy that only does his oil changes after 5k miles even if it takes over a year, its a 5.3 and it had 270k original tranny and engine makes me think the worse you maintain them the more they last. THINKING FACE

I think these engines live off the crap they build up over time. I run some seafoam to clean it out occasionally, but the thing hasn't been touched other than that in 350K. Even when it has "problems" it usually still runs fantastic through whatever shit is broken... My theory is whatever tolerances have opened up are made up for by a solid layer of sludge, and I'm fine with that tbh.

Maybe this is flawed logic, but I feel like it helps to take it out and really hammer on it occasionally too. I'll dump some injector cleaner or seafoam in a mostly empty tank and go have some fun for an hour to really blast out anything crapping up the injectors. Say what you will, but after 350K, I'm not about to change my habits that seem to be working.

 

[TysonTrost]

06 Yukon 5.3
Burns a little less than a quart a month and maybe a little leak too. At start up I smoke out my fellow employees at the metal shop! Occasionally...
202,913mi

 

[live2pull]

2004 Yukon Denali LQ4 167K I have had the truck for 1.5 years. unknown service record or ownership count prior.
OCI - Based off the DIC. I usually get about 6 months out of a change. I do an additional change at the end of summer. (Phoenix, Az)
Oil used - I am no loyalist. I usually get the best deal on 5w-30 full syn. I've used Amazon basics, Mobil, Penzoil, Oreilly brand.
Filter - AcDelco or Bosch
Usage - Pan Gasket has a decent leak, probably 1-2 quarts between changes. Will be going in for that repair this winter. I hate leaky vehicles. I do not suspect it burning oil.
Driving habit - it's the family wagon so I try to be easy on it, but I am not afraid to get into the throttle if the situation warrants.

If I am low and coming up on an oil change, I am not afraid to top off with some ATF to try to battle some of the sludge accumulation.