How long to extend OCI?

[buck91]

Last OCI on the Aurora I used 6qts of 5w30 QSUD and have thus far run it 4500 miles. The Change Oil Now indicator has lit up. Of course, this car has oil consumption issues due to sticky rings (seems well documented) and has seen 6qts of top up QSUD as well as 1qt of havoline conventional and 1qt of shell conventional.

I figure I can extend my OCI based on this, but I also don't want to make the rings worse (if thats possible at this point!). How long would you take this before feeling like a UOA is necessary?

Oh, FWIW these cars have known oil ring sticking issues. I have not borescoped or done a compression test but power and economy are fine so I don't suspect any larger issues.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Are these engines receptive to a piston soak (assuming there is carbon causing them to stick)?

 

[andyd]

The car has consumed 8 qts in 4500 miles? I would drain the oil into a clean container. Back fill with a solvent and idle the engine for 5 minutes to clean the rings. Drain and change the filter. Pour the oil back in. and carry on. What do the plugs look like?

 

[fredfactory]

Definitely do something attempting to get that incredible oil consumption down. Seafoam for a 100 miles. Then a 5 minute Motor Flush of any kind. Then change the oil out to Pennzoil conventional and just run that for a while until you think its under control or Quaker green bottle too.

 

[Doog]

Piston soak with kreen. Then a 300 mile "rinse" with supertech

 

[Brybo86]

blue smoke only at start up?
or all the time?
that thing has got to be a smoke machine!

 

[FSully1]

8 qts in 4500 miles, you already changed the oil. Change the filter once a year.

 

[A_Harman]

Do the Kreen piston soak and see if that helps the oil consumption.
Otherwise it sounds like a candidate for the Perpetual Oil Change Interval. Just pour in fresh oil when needed and change the filter once a year.

 

[buck91]

Yes, the official repair fix is to use GM Top engine cleaner for a piston soak. This is an old car that will be replaced within the next 2 years (or when a major repair expense occurs).

I have run 2 quarts of MMO that I forgot to mention along with an Italian tune up with always seems to slow consumption down for a short time. I keep wanting to do a piston soak with b12 chemtool (strong, harsh, cheap- win win win) or maybe seafoam but time is a factor plus I'd rather feed this thing oil then cause a rare issue with the piston soak (GM cleaner is out, its bookoo bucks).

Oddly enough, the car doesn't show much blue smoke- but of course, since the mufflers are completely shot it may just get dissipated before its visible.