Oil consumption...

[97stscaddy]

Anybody else with the 3.9 that drives their car hard fairly often chime in here please.

Ive noticed the oil level getting lower and lower on the dipstick over the past ~4500 miles. No signs of leaks, so that must mean it's burning it, but ive lost just shy of half a quart from what I can see.
Im trying to see if this is normal for the 3.9. I do drive the car pretty hard. I rarely let the trans shift under 4000 rpm, I redline it on a weekly basis, and im almost always at WOT when accelerating from a stop (if there's nothing in my way). Ive never noticed any smoke.
The Northstar in my old Caddy from what I had heard was notorious for eating oil under heavy acceleration, so it was no real surprise to me that I had to add a quart every ~1500 miles. It had a few leaks, but I don't think they would add up to a quart every month. I could even see a grey cloud come out the back with WOT.

Its not something im worried about. A half quart loss between changes doesn't bother me at all, (especially when my truck eats a quart a week ) im just wondering if anyone else has noticed the same thing?

 

[Osaín]

I've noticed that mine is a little low too lateley about like yours. I thought maybe because of the triple digit temps lately.

 

[02LSE96LSC91SE84TC]

Anybody else with the 3.9 that drives their car hard fairly often chime in here please.

Ive noticed the oil level getting lower and lower on the dipstick over the past ~4500 miles. No signs of leaks, so that must mean it's burning it, but ive lost just shy of half a quart from what I can see.
Im trying to see if this is normal for the 3.9. I do drive the car pretty hard. I rarely let the trans shift under 4000 rpm, I redline it on a weekly basis, and im almost always at WOT when accelerating from a stop (if there's nothing in my way). Ive never noticed any smoke.
The Northstar in my old Caddy from what I had heard was notorious for eating oil under heavy acceleration, so it was no real surprise to me that I had to add a quart every ~1500 miles. It had a few leaks, but I don't think they would add up to a quart every month. I could even see a grey cloud come out the back with WOT.

Its not something im worried about. A half quart loss between changes doesn't bother me at all, (especially when my truck eats a quart a week ) im just wondering if anyone else has noticed the same thing?

Are you joking?

 

[97stscaddy]

About which part?

And the answer is no.

 

[eastcoastLS]

ive lost just shy of half a quart from what I can see.
Im trying to see if this is normal for the 3.9.

i doubt its normal..

 

[gcwimmer]

How many miles on your LS?

 

[scjmc]

I am at WOT often to pass. I don't lose any oil.

 

[02LSE96LSC91SE84TC]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding correctly. Are you saying with 4500 miles on the oil since the last oil change you start to use oil? Or for the last 4500 miles you are using oil in general? The first I would say is pretty normal for any car and isn't anything to worry about. Not uncommon to not burn a drop for the first 3000 miles after a oil change and then start to use some beyond that. I change my oil at 3000-3500 and don't appear to be using a noticeable amount with the LS. The one time I went to near 5000 I was down about a quart.

 

[Jim Henderson]

Each engine is different as far as how much oil they consume.

Some mfg's consider a quart every 1,000 miles normal. I think that is too much.

My experience with all the new cars I have owned since 1974 is that the engine will usually burn up one quart just before the next oil change. Other web sites seem to confirm this or about 1 quart every 3,000 is what most think is acceptable.

My 2004 LSV8 with about 57K miles does this. Just before 5,000 miles comes up it will be at the low mark. Usually I am within a few hundred miles and just wait for the change or I might put in a few ounces to bring it up past low.

NEVER let your oil get too far below the low mark. If your oil light comes on, it usually means you are low enough that the main seals are not getting lubricated and they will wear quickly, like before you get home. Then you will always have a leak that WILL burn about a quart every 1,000. THis has happened to me on 2 or 3 cars in the past, yes I know, I R a Dufus.

Just my experience,

Jim Henderson

 

[lseguy]

Sounds like you are saying you are losing a quart of oil every 4500 miles. This is normal.


"accelerating at Wide Open Throttle EVERY time I accelerate" is NOT normal. WTF?

 

[97stscaddy]

Car just turned over 60k.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding correctly. Are you saying with 4500 miles on the oil since the last oil change you start to use oil? Or for the last 4500 miles you are using oil in general?

The level gets slightly lower it seems every time I check it, and has been doing so since the first time. I check it about once a week. I usually get the oil level right in the middle of the acceptable area when I change it. Its just above the "add" line now after ~4500 miles. So its down not quite half of a quart. I've only owned the car since mid April, and the oil got changed the first week in May IIRC, right after I replaced the VCGs. So this is the first 4500 miles I've put on the car.

Sounds like you are saying you are losing a quart of oil every 4500 miles.

Just shy of half a quart lost

NEVER let your oil get too far below the low mark. If your oil light comes on, it usually means you are low enough that the main seals are not getting lubricated and they will wear quickly, like before you get home.

Tell that to my sister... she doesn't seem to understand what that light means even though I've tried to explain it to her a thousand times. She had a Camry with an enormous leak around the pan gasket. I sweat that light would come on every time I rode with her. She hardly ever checked the oil.

 

[Eliot_Ness_Ls]

My car is at 75k, I run hard at times, I used to do it alot and I never noticed any thing at all. I use royal purple and I dont change untill around 5k and IM sure I can go further.