Originally Posted By: Volv04Life
I read the title and thought it must be a new subaru but I was wrong...
Ouch!
I read the title and thought it must be a new subaru but I was wrong...
Ouch!
Down one whole quart in 2500 miles
- Thread starter Merkava_4
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Ooh ooh, I know, I would recommend the thickest heavy duty oil you can find, like a 20w50 or a straight 60 weight. Using 90w diff lube with finely ground fir sawdust might even be better. You're gonna want handfuls of viscosity index improvers in every quart with enough detergent to to run a month's worth of laundry through your crankcase. /sarcastic buzzard remarks
Merkava -
More than likely you've generated a small amount varnish and carbon on the piston rings. If you could find a way to make some long distance airborne jumps like the Dukes of Hazzard used to do in the ole General Lee, you could probably knock most of it loose in a few jumps. //sarcastic buzzard remarks
Alright, add a cleaner like MMO or Rislone or LC20 or Archoil or ZMax or Kreen (or ?) for the last 1 - 2k miles of your OCI then resume your normal high mileage oil machinations. If you're lucky you'll get the consumtion down to 1 quart every 3000 miles. You might even be bold enough to try Redline with an AutoRX chaser, but I'm not holding my breath on account of them there high prices. /dang it
Merkava -
More than likely you've generated a small amount varnish and carbon on the piston rings. If you could find a way to make some long distance airborne jumps like the Dukes of Hazzard used to do in the ole General Lee, you could probably knock most of it loose in a few jumps. //sarcastic buzzard remarks
Alright, add a cleaner like MMO or Rislone or LC20 or Archoil or ZMax or Kreen (or ?) for the last 1 - 2k miles of your OCI then resume your normal high mileage oil machinations. If you're lucky you'll get the consumtion down to 1 quart every 3000 miles. You might even be bold enough to try Redline with an AutoRX chaser, but I'm not holding my breath on account of them there high prices. /dang it
i hear running straight ATF can fix that
By no means am I an expert on Supertech synthetic, so perhaps others can chime in with experience on how quickly it gets dark compared to other oils, but since the OP has suffered both above average consumption and darkening of the oil, it sounds like the oil is thinner and / or cleaning more than the other oils he used.
From memory, oils like maxlife, mobil and castrol are slightly heavier than most other brands.
From memory, oils like maxlife, mobil and castrol are slightly heavier than most other brands.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
2000 Buick LeSabre
Walmart synthetic 10W-30
Washed the car today, so I figured as long as I have the hood up drying off the cowl, I'll check the oil level. To my amazement, it was at the ADD mark on the dipstick. The car has never done that before. Maybe a 1/2 a quart by this time, but never a full quart. The oil was unusually dark too. I don't know what to think.
Think happy thoughts! You can see your oil.
Think happy thoughts! You can see your oil.
2000 Buick LeSabre
Walmart synthetic 10W-30
Washed the car today, so I figured as long as I have the hood up drying off the cowl, I'll check the oil level. To my amazement, it was at the ADD mark on the dipstick. The car has never done that before. Maybe a 1/2 a quart by this time, but never a full quart. The oil was unusually dark too. I don't know what to think.
Think happy thoughts! You can see your oil.
Think happy thoughts! You can see your oil.
My 94 Bonneville w the 3800 has always used some oil - the PCV was clean & perfect. Just the nature of those engines I think. If I ran 20W-50 or M1 15W-50 - it used about a quart in 5000 miles. Anything lighter and consumption might double. I'm currently running 5W-30 Maxlife blend and it's used half a quart in less than 2000 miles. Synthetic may be a waste in these old cars because you're burning money on "top off" oil. OTOH, 10k OCI's with synthetic should be a snap.
A quart in a half a year or so doesn't seem so bad.
In my Saturn I was adding a pint a day when I was really running it.
But that's near 300k...IIRC, the previous owners claimed to have never checked the oil. They just used a quick lube and when I got the car with 117k it was exactly on the full line.
In my Saturn I was adding a pint a day when I was really running it.
But that's near 300k...IIRC, the previous owners claimed to have never checked the oil. They just used a quick lube and when I got the car with 117k it was exactly on the full line.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
2000 Buick LeSabre
Walmart synthetic 10W-30
Washed the car today, so I figured as long as I have the hood up drying off the cowl, I'll check the oil level. To my amazement, it was at the ADD mark on the dipstick. The car has never done that before. Maybe a 1/2 a quart by this time, but never a full quart. The oil was unusually dark too. I don't know what to think.
Had to give my
.
You switched from dino to synthetic. It is using a bit more. Not unexpected. So as stated in numerous threads, run it for 2-3 OCIs and the leak should slow or stop. Every time I've switched an older vehicle to synthetic, it leaked or seeped for at least 3000 miles or so. Give it time and miles.
2000 Buick LeSabre
Walmart synthetic 10W-30
Washed the car today, so I figured as long as I have the hood up drying off the cowl, I'll check the oil level. To my amazement, it was at the ADD mark on the dipstick. The car has never done that before. Maybe a 1/2 a quart by this time, but never a full quart. The oil was unusually dark too. I don't know what to think.
Had to give my
You switched from dino to synthetic. It is using a bit more. Not unexpected. So as stated in numerous threads, run it for 2-3 OCIs and the leak should slow or stop. Every time I've switched an older vehicle to synthetic, it leaked or seeped for at least 3000 miles or so. Give it time and miles.
Not to mention completely ridiculous.
An article I posted a while back showed that even at the same gas station the energy density for gasoline varied up to 4%. Add into the mix ambient temperature, air density, humidity, wind velocity, and a million other variables and it illustrates how silly a tiny claim really is.
Originally Posted By: bvance554
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Fuel mileage is up 4/10ths of a mile
This is the most fascinating claim.
An article I posted a while back showed that even at the same gas station the energy density for gasoline varied up to 4%. Add into the mix ambient temperature, air density, humidity, wind velocity, and a million other variables and it illustrates how silly a tiny claim really is.
Originally Posted By: bvance554
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Fuel mileage is up 4/10ths of a mile
This is the most fascinating claim.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: ag_ghost
First time this specific oil has been used? Sometimes, usage can increase temporarily while the additives wrestle with each other (or something to that effect). Any evidence of conincidental new leaks?
Kevin
Yes, first time using this oil. The previous oils were MS5K and Maxlife; neither of which disappeared at such a rapid rate. No oil leaks that I know of. No spots on the garage floor.
Merkava_4, the 2.5L I4 in my Mazda never burns oil unless I switch brands. When switching brands of oil I will usually get ~1/2qt consumption after 3 or so thousand miles. After I top it off I don't have any issues again. I experienced this when switching from a few OCI of Mobil 1 to Kendall and then again when switching from Kendall to Penzoil Platinum. All oils were 0w20.
Originally Posted By: ag_ghost
First time this specific oil has been used? Sometimes, usage can increase temporarily while the additives wrestle with each other (or something to that effect). Any evidence of conincidental new leaks?
Kevin
Yes, first time using this oil. The previous oils were MS5K and Maxlife; neither of which disappeared at such a rapid rate. No oil leaks that I know of. No spots on the garage floor.
Merkava_4, the 2.5L I4 in my Mazda never burns oil unless I switch brands. When switching brands of oil I will usually get ~1/2qt consumption after 3 or so thousand miles. After I top it off I don't have any issues again. I experienced this when switching from a few OCI of Mobil 1 to Kendall and then again when switching from Kendall to Penzoil Platinum. All oils were 0w20.
Changing to a full Syn sometimes causes this. Sometimes it goes away after a few OCI's. Sometimes it doesn't. My 07 Mark LT, 5.4 V-8 never burned oil until i changed to PU at 50k miles. I changed to this oil over MC Semi Syn to have longer OCI's but it ended up costing more because of burning a quart every 2.5k. I finally switched back to MC and oil burning stopped. Have no idea why. Nothing else was changed on the truck.
Did you change the PCV valve?
^I mentioned the PCV valve earlier as well.^
I'm noticing a bit of consumption with Havoline 5W30 synthetic in my 2000 Century. I added 8 ounces today after driving a little under 1,150 miles. Last OCI I mixed in a pint of Mobil 1 TDT 5W40 I had laying around to use it up. In all honesty I was considering it since I have a few qts. left. I had an open qt. on the shelf and had the perfect excuse to try it.
I was able to complete a 5K OCI using 1/2 a qt of oil during the previous run with the mix. Next OCI I plan on trying that mix again to see if I have similar results. With dino oil this car never used any oil at all. I've been running Havoline for 4 OCI's now, the PCV is OEM new and was replaced ~10,000 miles ago.
Bottom line is some cars use more oil than others, and a qt/2,500 miles is not bad by any means.
I'm noticing a bit of consumption with Havoline 5W30 synthetic in my 2000 Century. I added 8 ounces today after driving a little under 1,150 miles. Last OCI I mixed in a pint of Mobil 1 TDT 5W40 I had laying around to use it up. In all honesty I was considering it since I have a few qts. left. I had an open qt. on the shelf and had the perfect excuse to try it.
Bottom line is some cars use more oil than others, and a qt/2,500 miles is not bad by any means.
The 2 3800's i have now and the ones before them didn't use a drop of oil, they are tighter than my wallet.
It does use a conventional PCV valve in the upper plenum not a fixed orifice tube, with over 100K its had it.
He said he noticed the oil getting darker quicker, i suspect some cleaning action from the synthetic is going on. I would stay the course a few OCI, it may settle down.
It does use a conventional PCV valve in the upper plenum not a fixed orifice tube, with over 100K its had it.
He said he noticed the oil getting darker quicker, i suspect some cleaning action from the synthetic is going on. I would stay the course a few OCI, it may settle down.
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
When was the last time you changed the PCV valve?
Looking back over my dealer parts receipts, it looks like I replaced it with the whole kit GM# 89017274 on August 27, 2009. Customer# 5017. Invoice# 372636. Subtotal 25.76 + Tax $2.31 = $28.07
When was the last time you changed the PCV valve?
Looking back over my dealer parts receipts, it looks like I replaced it with the whole kit GM# 89017274 on August 27, 2009. Customer# 5017. Invoice# 372636. Subtotal 25.76 + Tax $2.31 = $28.07
Originally Posted By: Dallas69
Are you sure about that invoice number?
Well, there is a "CVR" underneath the invoice number; should I have included that?
The way it's printed on the receipt looks like this:
372636
CVR
Are you sure about that invoice number?
Well, there is a "CVR" underneath the invoice number; should I have included that?
The way it's printed on the receipt looks like this:
372636
CVR
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