Topped off my oil level with a quart of synthetic oil.

[My poor old tahoe]

I run conventional oil.

02 tahoe it running a 5.3 just north of 215,000 miles. She's an oil burner. 7, to 800 miles per quart.

Should I forget it, or change the oil?

 

[Fless]

Just keep checking the level and topping it off with a good quality oil, it won't make any difference. The right amount of any (good) oil is better than the lack of oil.

 

[wifes_truck]

don't mix conventional oil with synthetic. they need 2 different style filters. you could do damage.

 

[BADRIDES]

don't mix conventional oil with synthetic. they need 2 different style filters. you could do damage.

They do NOT use different filters based on oil.

 

[wifes_truck]

ya i stand corrected i just read that.... sorry my wrong steerage all these years

 

[My poor old tahoe]

Thanks guys. Appreciate your well reasoned comments. I checked and discovered I'm nearly 11 months into this oil change so maybe it's time for an LOF
.. I usually get a few more miles down the road before I need to add a quart of oil right after an oil change. Closer to a thousand miles per quart as compared to the 700 per quart I'm getting now. And that's being generous.

We did a tranny service last month and boy what a difference. She shifts as good as new, now. Never had a more positive outcome on a trans service this late in the game. Remarkable, really.

 

[Wylie_Tahoe]

If I need a quick top-off and im out of the "normal" oil, ill pour in what I got. No worries about it.

So it uses a qrt every 700-800 miles? Do you do a lot of hiway miles? My around town consumption is MUCH less then when im doing 65-70 for extended periods. Like almost no consumption compared to 1/4 qrt after a 300 miles hiway trip.

 

[My poor old tahoe]

If I need a quick top-off and im out of the "normal" oil, ill pour in what I got. No worries about it.

So it uses a qrt every 700-800 miles? Do you do a lot of hiway miles? My around town consumption is MUCH less then when im doing 65-70 for extended periods. Like almost no consumption compared to 1/4 qrt after a 300 miles hiway trip.

You know, you could be right. I drive all in town miles with almost no highway miles. Last summer I drove 245 miles, all highway, with my cruise set at 85 mph. A friend was in need of a ride to a family members funeral. We left late and that's why we drove so fast. I burned a half a quart of oil on that one 245 mile stretch and got 15 and a half mpg.. On the way back driving 65 mph I burned no additional oil and got 18 mpg.

 

[SnowDrifter]

Can top it off with whatever you want. Just adjust your OCI to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Jimmyy]

Would adding a catch can do anything for this situation? I’m guessing the oil is going out the tailpipe rather then on the ground. Oil for high mileage help?

 

[SnowDrifter]

Catch can puts oil that would normally enter your intake through the PCV system, into a container that you can then drain and discard separately.

There are catch can systems that drain back into the crank case - basically instead of a drain port, it's a hose that returns to your sump. Based on the moisture I get from mine, I'd be weary of that. But that's personal suspicion, not based in any data. I've not looked into it.

Regarding high mileage... Depends on why you're burning oil. Some have seal swellers in there that can help if you're leaking from valve stem seals or something. But the caveat to that, is you basically need to stick with said oil. Changing off to something else would be apt to cause the seals to return to their original state. And I have a personal bet that it would put more wear and tear on intact seals.

If it's worn rings, nothing will help ya there. Thicker oil might slow it, but you'd have to weigh the risks of using a thicker oil here and risking lower flow / longer circulation time with how cold it gets where you are.

My two cents on the subject, which I practice on my own vehicle: It never sees high mileage / seal conditioners / any other nonsense. If a seal is leaking, the seal is worn and should be replaced. It's akin to getting a deep cut on your finger, and proceeding to cover it up with makeup instead of getting stitches.

I change my oil on the frequent side of things. 158k on the clock right now, using a catch can, no observable oil burning or leaks. No blue smoke. No wet spots under the car. No change on the dipstick that I can't attribute to parking at a slightly different angle

 

[My poor old tahoe]

Would adding a catch can do anything for this situation? I’m guessing the oil is going out the tailpipe rather then on the ground. Oil for high mileage help?

I went ahead and opted for an oil change. High mileage Pennzoil 10w30 which is ok for the climate I live in. With a fresh oil change I usually get about 900 miles per quart.
No oil leaks. We replaced both valve cover gaskets a while back because they were leaking. Couldn't find anything else leaking.
I'm always surprised by how clean everything is under the car. The trans looks like it's fresh out of the crate.

 

[My poor old tahoe]

Catch can puts oil that would normally enter your intake through the PCV system, into a container that you can then drain and discard separately.

There are catch can systems that drain back into the crank case - basically instead of a drain port, it's a hose that returns to your sump. Based on the moisture I get from mine, I'd be weary of that. But that's personal suspicion, not based in any data. I've not looked into it.

Regarding high mileage... Depends on why you're burning oil. Some have seal swellers in there that can help if you're leaking from valve stem seals or something. But the caveat to that, is you basically need to stick with said oil. Changing off to something else would be apt to cause the seals to return to their original state. And I have a personal bet that it would put more wear and tear on intact seals.

If it's worn rings, nothing will help ya there. Thicker oil might slow it, but you'd have to weigh the risks of using a thicker oil here and risking lower flow / longer circulation time with how cold it gets where you are.

My two cents on the subject, which I practice on my own vehicle: It never sees high mileage / seal conditioners / any other nonsense. If a seal is leaking, the seal is worn and should be replaced. It's akin to getting a deep cut on your finger, and proceeding to cover it up with makeup instead of getting stitches.

I change my oil on the frequent side of things. 158k on the clock right now, using a catch can, no observable oil burning or leaks. No blue smoke. No wet spots under the car. No change on the dipstick that I can't attribute to parking at a slightly different angle

That's interesting. Especially the pvc thing. I'm pretty sure my problem is rings. I get no excessive smoke on start up. But it seems like it takes a long time for my exhaust to clear up on cold days that produce that steam I guess from condensate boiling off.