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Buring mad about Burning Oil

B

billy532

GUEST
I am the unhappy owner of a 2003 2500 AV. Love the truck, but cannot get Chevy to fess up to the oil consumption problem. After getting no results from the dealer, called GM. Now the company is saying that oil consumption of 1 quart for 1000 miles is considered NORMAL. Never heard of such rubbish. Anybody else out there in my boat? Yes, had the intake manifold bolts changed. There is no PCV valve on the 8.1. So......any ideas? :8
 
billy532 said:
I am the unhappy owner of a 2003 2500 AV. Love the truck, but cannot get Chevy to fess up to the oil consumption problem. After getting no results from the dealer, called GM. Now the company is saying that oil consumption of 1 quart for 1000 miles is considered NORMAL. Never heard of such rubbish. Anybody else out there in my boat? Yes, had the intake manifold bolts changed. There is no PCV valve on the 8.1. So......any ideas? :8
Click to expand...

suggest a search of the forum as this was discussed with the 2002 models as it was a problem for some.....
 
1 quart per 1000 miles is about the lamest thing I've ever heard.

Wouldn't this be happening to all 8.1L engines though? What other vehicles are using this engine?

Does GM know where the oil is passing through? Is it the rings, valve seals or somewhere else?

Maybe an oil additive will help...
 
watch your tailpipe at start up and see if you see the puff of smoke.

I had a crimped valve seal and was consuming about the same amount of oil.... do your homework, find a dealer that will work FOR you and it will work out.... I went through 5 qts of oil over my first 5k. :eek: :eek: We tried everything.... finally talked them into changing the seals (y) (y)

I use a little... 1/2 quart between changes... I can live with that
 
Dude.

I totally understand where you are coming from as far as thinking this is excessive oil consumption.

Chevrolet's policy is actually 1 Quart per 750 miles is "acceptable" limits. What this basically does is covers there butt. Here is why.......

You get a boneheaded dealer that attempts a fix and doesn't get it right (i.e. PCV valve that is not faulty). Then starts looking at other alternatives trying to fix it. Four R.O.'s in a period of 18 months in most states (under 12-18K miles) and it qualifies for Lemon Laws. Regardless if they offer to replace the engine after that or not.

The other thread mentioned previously had one EXCELLENT post describing how/why oil levels drop. I don't have the gumption to try and find it, but if you find it , it's very informative.

Personally, I feel that you have excessive consumption. If it were me, I would shop dealers until you could find someone willing to fix it. Creative service managers/advisors will not list oil consumption on the R.O. , so they won't get the R.O. rejected and not get paid for the service.

A funny story, I had a dealer that had a very similar issue with Oil pressure. Owner was not happy because pressure was showing at about 10lbs at idle, which by Chevrolet's guidelines are acceptable tolerances. The owner would not buy it. However, when you install an oil sending unit off of a 3.4L, the change in resistance brought his oil pressure up about 15psi (at gauge), customer was happy.

Accredited Service Managers have leeway on how they can approach things. Shop around for one that might be sympathetic to your plight and you might be able to get it repaired. And by all means, do NOT tell them that you have already contacted Customer Assistance. CAC can be good sometimes, and really bad sometimes........

Best of luck man.
 
i realize this is not a solution, but a patch over the wound. this is how i have kept my AV from burning so much oil in between oil changes. i switched to Mobil1 oil and filters first of all. this did not totally fix the problem. then i read about Lucas Oil Stabilzer. went to the drag race at Englishtown and notice some racers were running it. this was all i needed to give it a try. works so far. ;D in between oil changes i am no longer 1 1/2 to 2 quarts low. you can try this, or you can continue your struggle with the General. good luck to you. :B:
 
ygmn said:
suggest a search of the forum as this was discussed with the 2002 models as it was a problem for some.....
Click to expand...

WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS SITE WAS THIS EXACT TOPIC. THE DEALER KEPT FEEDING ME THIS SAME B.S.. THE FORUM MENTIONED ABOVE GAVE ME SOME NEW INSIGHT THAT I TOOK WITH ME TOO 3 DIFFERANT DEALERS BEFORE ONE ACTUALLY TOOK ME SERIOUSLY. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT BE PERSISTANT AND GET IT FIXED. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH OIL CONSUMPTION SINCE IT WAS FIXED. (PCV VALVE). GOOD LUCK!
 
Had a friend with a similar problem last year on his Dodge Ram. They told him the same BS, that 1 quart per 1000 miles was acceptable, even on a vehicle with only 8000 miles. :eek: He just kept after the situation all the way to the top until he finally found someone willing to listen and help him. The end-result for him was a fix and no more oil consumption. :D It was a pain for him, and it'll be that for you, too...but don't give up. Eventually, you'll find a person who will listen and fix your problem!! :cool:

Good Luck!
 
now that you mention the PCV valve i thought i would mention that i bought the new valve to put on my AV. to my surprise the one that was in the truck had the same part number as the new one. ??? did not know what to think of this. i thought the new one was supposed to stop the oil consumption. maybe the consumption would have been worse if i had the old part number?
 
That 1 quart of oil consumption per 750 miles must be a 50 year old spec. Maybe they never changed it. I can't imagine any modern engine design allowing that type of performance. If a race car ate that much oil it wouldn't get two laps.

As a comparison my 1985 BMW 325e with over 200,000 miles on it does not burn a drop of oil. I have never had to put a quart of oil in between changes; and the changes are at 7,500 miles. Everything else falls apart on these BMWs, but they make rock solid powertrains.
 
02-Z66 said:
i realize this is not a solution, but a patch over the wound. this is how i have kept my AV from burning so much oil in between oil changes. i switched to Mobil1 oil and filters first of all. this did not totally fix the problem. then i read about Lucas Oil Stabilzer. went to the drag race at Englishtown and notice some racers were running it. this was all i needed to give it a try. works so far. ;D in between oil changes i am no longer 1 1/2 to 2 quarts low. you can try this, or you can continue your struggle with the General. good luck to you. :B:
Click to expand...

I had a truck that I could not run Penzoil in... I was going through about a quart every 3 days. As soon as I switched to a different brand my oil consumption stopped, and I wouldn't have to add a drop between oil changes.
 
Lockout said:
I had a truck that I could not run Penzoil in... I was going through about a quart every 3 days. As soon as I switched to a different brand my oil consumption stopped, and I wouldn't have to add a drop between oil changes.
Click to expand...

amazing.....did you change API grades?
 
Nope went from Penzoil to Casteroil... I also couldn't run Unical (Union 76) branded oil either. The odd thing was that there was never an indication of burning oil or any leaks. The stuff was just disappearing.

It was on an 83 Ford Ranger 4x4... One of the very few running a V-8 (sorry don't remember the size of the engine) It was also real picky about the manufacturer of the gas. I would get about 3/4 of the milage from Mobil that I would from a tank of Shell or Chevron (Standard Oil).
 
Wow, that's interesting information about oil brands. I used Castrol Syntec 5W-50 in my BMW, and it never burned oil.

I noticed in the Avalanche owner's manual it says not to use any viscosity greater than 30 though.
 
I HAVE A 2002 CHEV AV 2500 4X4 THAT IS GOING THROUGH CONSUMPTION TESTS AS WELL. I HAVE HAD THE MANIFOLD BOLTS CHANGED AND THERE IS NO PVC VALVE (ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE GUY LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE CALLING THE TECH AND BEING TOLD THERE WAS NO PVC VALVE.) I HAVE BEEN GETTING THE SAME RUN AROUND. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER/SERVICE THAT FROM WHO I BOUGHT IT FROM AS I WANT THEM TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT. THAT WAY THERE IS NO EXCUSE THAT SOMEONE ELSE MESSED UP. I'M USING 2 TO 2.5 QUARTS PER 3K MILES. I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR/TRUCK THAT USED ANY OIL BETWEEN CHANGES. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE THIS TRUCK (EXCEPT THE MILEAGE) BUT COME ON GENERAL FESS UP AND GIVE US A FIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![
BTW A DURAMAX WITH ALLISON WOULD HAVE CREATED THE ULTIMATE UUV AVALANCHE.b][/b]
 
I hate to tell you but 1 qt per 1000 mi is the GM spec. With the temperatures engines ron at today this is to be expected. If it were burning oil it would fowl the plugs and you would get a service engine soon light with a code p300 (misfire) I dont know why some people just dont want to believe the manafacturer! :D:
 
Info - Higher Than Expected Oil Consumption (Greater Than 8500 GVW) #03-06-01-023 - (08/19/2003) from GM.
Oil usage has a direct relationship with the amount of fuel used. The harder an engine works, the more fuel and oil it will use. Therefore, oil usage as a factor of fuel usage is a more accurate indicator of acceptable oil consumption levels than vehicle mileage for vehicles at or above 8600 GVW.
The accepted rate of oil consumption for gasoline engines in vehicles at or above 8600 GVW is 0.946 liter (1 qt) within 379 liters (100 gallons) of fuel used.
 
:E:

Folks,

Its great to see all the responses that I received. I have a few comments that will cover the majority of the responses:

1) The 8.1 does not have a PVC valve. Makes me wonder how
the oil vapors are controlled. I realize the smaller V8 has one,
and its replacement helped with the issue.

2) I have had many other cars and boats. When any started
burning this much oil, it was time for a rebuild, period! Its truely a cop-out for GM Customer Assistance Center (Craig, are you out there?) to say 1000 miles. My argument to them
was....if the Insurance Companies in the US claim we are all
driving 15K miles per year, at 1000 miles a quart, thats like
adding a quart every three weeks. Another way to look
at it is with 40 gallons on board, I get about 500 miles
a tank full...so thats a quart every two fillups!

3) I am wondering if the EPA knows of this consumption.
This added oil being burned cannot be good for the environment. I hope too that my AV passes the stricker NJ
Emmissions tests when its turn comes up in 2004.

4) Thanks for the idea about the reason for 1000 miles/quart.
Its clear its a way for GM to skirt the lemon laws. Pretty smart
thinking if you ask me, lower the specs to avoid litigation.
Too bad it is screwing me over.

5) To the responder that claimed the 1000 is acceptable with todays hotter running engines, give me a break. My girlfriend's Nissan Pathfinder burns no oil, and its a 2001. Smaller engine, higher revs, etc. Nothing ever owned before burned this much.

6) I am/was a loyal GM owner. Even a past employee. Makes me wonder about GM. Is there a Ford in my future?

7) I purchased the AV in NJ, Multi-Union and the service done in Gardner Manahawkin. I don't blame either for this issue, but somemore guidance might have been appreciated. This is clearly GM HQ calling the shots. Any NJ dealers out there willing to lend a hand?

8. A few folks said they owned BMWs. I do too, a 1989 325IS
with over 200,000 on it. Car has been thru the ringer, and has had many things go wrong, but still does not burn oil. And no,
the block is original, with no rebuilds. Everything else has failed,
but the engine goes strong. I drive it back and forth to work. 120 miles or so each day. (I wish I could drive the AV, but at 13 MPG, do the math!)

Any, keep those cards and letters coming. I appreciate the support.

Bill.



 
"1) The 8.1 does not have a PVC valve. Makes me wonder how
the oil vapors are controlled. I realize the smaller V8 has one,
and its replacement helped with the issue."

Answer: The crankcase ventilation system has no serviceable components so routine maintenance of the system is not required. A closed crankcase ventilation system is used in order to provide a more complete scavenging of crankcase vapors. The air cleaner supplies the fresh air through a filter to the crankcase. The crankcase mixes the fresh air blow-by gases. This mixture then passes through a pipe/passage located in the intake manifold.

8.1L only
 
:B:We simply changed to 10w30 and reduced the consumption from 2 qts / 3000 miles to 1/2 qt,which is acceptable.

It appears the 8.1 l does not like the 5wt oils??

Might go to a 5wt oil in the winter--with the 30 deg/88deg f hot temps 10w30 is fine.

Clare
 
cpuchniak said:
:B:We simply changed to 10w30 and reduced the consumption from 2 qts / 3000 miles to 1/2 qt,which is acceptable.

It appears the 8.1 l does not like the 5wt oils??

Might go to a 5wt oil in the winter--with the 30 deg/88deg f hot temps 10w30 is fine.

Clare
Click to expand...
I agree, mine has not had anything but 10/30 in it from the first change at 500 miles - seems quite happy and doesn't burn oil beyond what BigBlocks are notorious for.
 
Got an 8.1 in my work truck and it burns a crap load of oil. I have put 5.5 additional quarts (other than oil changes) into the engine with less than 11k on the clock. Going to dealer this week to have it checked. I think I'm gonna take this thread with me.

MS
 
I last had my oil changed at 15,000 miles. I was burning quite a bit of oil in the first 10,000. Since my last change, the oil has not gone down on the stick. I am at 18,500.

Like I said, at first I was worried. Then as time went by, it slowly improved.

I also drive an 8.1

Just my .02
 
I have had my 2500 since February and have put 17,000 miles on it. My 8.1 is consistantly showing oil at the fill line by oil change time. This freaked me out at first and tookit to the dealer to check for leaks.Nada... the situation has not improved at all after 17,000 so I guess I need to return to dealer. Besides that the 8.1 is great.!
 
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