oil flow question on gm 5.3

[Soundguy]

it burns more 5w30, it burns less 10w30.

and she's not a leaker either...

aside from the usualy leftover drip or film you get right at the oil change where you get a film of oil on the filter or bolt etc.. but past that, she doesn't mark her spot on the concrete... she drinks it..

 

[Diamondpilot]

OK so there is a reason, its still odd that it burns 50% more on 10w30 as its still a 30w oil once its warmed up, which is my guess where its burning it and not on start up.

I had a Saturn that called for 5W30 that used a quart every 600 miles. GM said it was in spec. The car was bought new by me and it started this oil burn at 35,000 miles or so. I switched to 10W30 then eventually to 10W40 to slow the burn rate down to a quart every 800 to 1000 miles. Car ran great, just a GM 1.9L issue.

Never dripped a drop, just burned it. I think its the rings GM uses. My 8.1L GM Boat motors do the same.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

it shoulda run great.. all that extra upper cyl lube

 

[Stimw]

I just changed oil in my 04 5.3 Silverado today. I got tired of waiting for the oil life and changed it at 6700 miles! It used less than 1 qt in those miles.
I have been using 10W-30 Castrol in it since new and today I double checked the owners manual and they reccomend 5W but say 10W is accepable if temps don't go below 0*.
Have you checked/replaced your PCV valve?

 

[Highbeam]

The PCV "valve" for this engine has been revised to addresss oil consumption. I have the 2001 GMC yukon with 5.3 and sometimes it drinks none and other times I get the low oil warning light. Intermittent consumption and no leakage.

I have not installed the improved PCV.

 

[Raw Dodge]

Those 5.3s are 300,000 mile engines...easily. Id keep running dino oil in it at this point....but if you insist on synthetic,Id try a diesel oil,they are available in 5w40 and its very thin cold unlike typical dino diesel oil...the API label will start with C for compression ignition,this oil is MUCH better than the S synthetic oils out there for heavy duty use,and oil consumption will be minimal.The prioce difference is minimal as well,you just buy it in gallon jugs only for the most part...Ive found Mobil Delvac 1 is great out,as is Shell Rotella Synthetic,and I love and use Shaeffers x9000 oil too.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I just changed oil in my 04 5.3 Silverado today. I got tired of waiting for the oil life and changed it at 6700 miles! It used less than 1 qt in those miles.
I have been using 10W-30 Castrol in it since new and today I double checked the owners manual and they reccomend 5W but say 10W is accepable if temps don't go below 0*.
Have you checked/replaced your PCV valve?

Not to get off the subject, that was the first thing they did on my Saturn. No change in oil consumption.

Chris

 

[clemsonfor]

D.Pilot i know we have talked about this before, but you seem to be the only one who says or fesses up to having a Saturn the same vintage as mine. It was the wifes car and when we were married and bought her one a few years ago we kept it as a commuter for me to save gas. It still gets 32mpg. I have just put a used AC compressor on it as the original leaked. It had about every sensor replaced. Another common problem in these first and second gen saturns i have read on the web is small tiny wires to the sensors that make poor connections and cause bad reading and codes all the time. Mine consistantly give TPS codes Collant sensor codes and maybe some others. Its not the collant sensor its been replace twice, sometimes it reads sometimes not, and same with TPS.

Snyway back on subject. I still drive the 1997 satur daily on a 50 mile round trip commute everyday. It has 214K miles on it. I guess mine burns more like 1qt every 800-1200 miles. It will smoke at start up and blow a bit of blue smoke for about 30 seconds and will make a cloud when you pull off cold. Its rings as once its warm you dont get it, you can idle for 20 mins and go and rev it or drive off and no smoke unlike old cars with bad vavle seals. Even when warm you can crank up after its been sitting hours and not get the start up smoke. Its rings. Car also burned oil when it had around 100k on it.

 

[Soundguy]

the API label will start with C for compression ignition,.

API 'C' stands for Commercial, and 'S' stands for service.. not for compression and spark.. etc.


soundguy

 

[Diamondpilot]

D.Pilot i know we have talked about this before, but you seem to be the only one who says or fesses up to having a Saturn the same vintage as mine. It was the wifes car and when we were married and bought her one a few years ago we kept it as a commuter for me to save gas. It still gets 32mpg. I have just put a used AC compressor on it as the original leaked. It had about every sensor replaced. Another common problem in these first and second gen saturns i have read on the web is small tiny wires to the sensors that make poor connections and cause bad reading and codes all the time. Mine consistantly give TPS codes Collant sensor codes and maybe some others. Its not the collant sensor its been replace twice, sometimes it reads sometimes not, and same with TPS.

Snyway back on subject. I still drive the 1997 satur daily on a 50 mile round trip commute everyday. It has 214K miles on it. I guess mine burns more like 1qt every 800-1200 miles. It will smoke at start up and blow a bit of blue smoke for about 30 seconds and will make a cloud when you pull off cold. Its rings as once its warm you dont get it, you can idle for 20 mins and go and rev it or drive off and no smoke unlike old cars with bad vavle seals. Even when warm you can crank up after its been sitting hours and not get the start up smoke. Its rings. Car also burned oil when it had around 100k on it.

Only issues I had with mine was a coolant sensor, 2 or 3 Auto Tranny Neutral Position Switches, a whole new exhaust system, a horn, some dash lights, a power window regulator, power sunroof rack, entire new front end (ball joints, struts, tie rods, ect).

All in all it was a good vehicle but could drive you nuts with the nickle and dime stuff. I drove it many many miles and it would do 33 mpg in the winter and 31 mpg in the summer with the AC on.

Chris