GM 3.8 v6 burning oil......what to do?

[Brianv6]

Today I washed my 2001 Camaro with 84,000 miles and for the heck of it I checked my oil. It was a darker shade(but not quite black) but it was over a quart low in 2200 miles. The oil that was used some cheap stuff that I had done at a quick Lube.

I will be changing the oil with havoline and a wix filter in two days. I have a new PCV, and in the last tank of gas I used a bottle of techron feul system cleaner.

what should I do to minimize this oil sonsumption.
Auto -RX? one or two cylces?
any other options?

I am hoping it is a cloged filter or something to do with the cleap oil. Is oil more likely to be consumed in upper RPMs? During this time I have taking it up to 5,500 rps once and while. I am so depressed! I thouht these engines were good for over 200k.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Dude, relax! Do a baseline before you panic! How do you know the quick-lube monkeys (of which I was once one) didn't short you like half-a-quart?

 

[Brianv6]

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Dude, relax! Do a baseline before you panic! How do you know the quick-lube monkeys (of which I was once one) didn't short you like half-a-quart?

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After I got the oil change I looked at the bill and they charged me for 5 quarts when it is a 4.5 quart system. So I check to see if they over filled it just charged for 5 quarts. They did put in 5 quarts(they skipped the step where you check the oil after you fill it) so I drained .5 quart and rechecked it. It was at the full mark 2200 miles ago.

 

[55Test]

Check your drainplug, the gasket might be cracked on it and cause it to have a slow leak. Also check the oil filter, see if it hasn't come loose.

 

[Brianv6]

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Check your drainplug, the gasket might be cracked on it and cause it to have a slow leak. Also check the oil filter, see if it hasn't come loose.

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Good suggection altho they are both tight and they are both dry.

 

[Brianv6]

I will check the coolant and see if it milky. If that looks fine.....what else is there to diagnose?

 

[Thatwouldbegreat]

Use a better oil, synthetic or conventional, and see if the oil consumption improves.

Synthetic should give the lowest consumption.

 

[Geoff]

Sometimes an old (plugged up) air filter will change the crankcase pressure. Try putting in a new one and recheck.

 

[Drew99GT]

You say you've been hammering it to over 5,000 rpms. I'd say that is in part the cause. I know my car just chugs oil if I really hammer it a lot. It just sips at a steady state of about a quart every 1500 if I'm driving gently.

Top it off and monitor it more closely. I doubt it's "cheap" oil; likely Pennzoil.

 

[Brianv6]

The coolant looks fine.
The air filter is less than a 1,000 miles old.

Where/ how does the oil get consumed at high RPMs?
I thought it would be OK since I never eceed red line.
If I always keep it topped off should I be fine for a long time most likely?

I have heard that auto RX can help reduce oil consumption. I guess I will try a cycle or 2 of that. I gess it can't hurt.

Brian

 

[yannis]

Quote:

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Where/ how does the oil get consumed at high RPMs?

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The piston moves faster and the oil rings come closer to the combustion chamber more times per minute.

 

[Drew99GT]

I guess at higher rpms, more oil is flung up the cylinders and gets passed the rings. Then, if you have a manual trans equipped vehicle, when you let off the throttle, vacuum goes sky high and the oil can get sucked passed the rings and through the PCV system more.

One other thing you may want to have checked just for piece of mind is the upper nylon intake manifold issue where it can warp from the EGR stove pipe. I don't know that that specifically can cause oil consumption but you might want to have it checked just for piece of mind, although if you're positive it's not consuming coolent, then it's likely not an issue.

Boy, I just don't know! GM 3800s, as we've had several in my family, have never been oil chuggers that I'm aware of. All you can do is keep an eye on it.

 

[m2200b]

Redline is 6000- 5000 is close.
My quess is sticking rings from past PCV oiling and ARX should fix that. The PCV system will pass oil at WOT and its seems commonly reported in gm v6 sites for their S10.

 

[pbm]

"sticking rings from past PCV oiling"

Could you explain this in a little more detail. My car used a a little oil for the first time and I found my PCV valve was stuck (not rattling). I changed the PCV valve and all seems well. What exactly is happening when the valve becomes stuck?

 

[Brianv6]

Well I changed my oil while the oil was hot this afternoon and I found some sludge on the drain plug.(replaced 2,000 miles ago witha magnetic one. I will be doing an auto - RX treatment in a few hundred miles.

 

[Steelhead]

if you are planning on keeping the Camaro for another 80k?, run a UOA on next oil change and please post here

kid at Jerky Lube may have grabbed the 5w20 nozzle instead of the 5w30....thin oil can up consumption in older engine designed for 30

 

[camarodude]

I have the same problem with my Camaro with the 3.8. I have had the car since new and have changed the oil myself and it happened anyway. I am hard on it occasionaly. Below is the thread I wrote in with a while ago and the suggestions. Currently I am 2000 miles into an OCI and am down 2/3 quart using GTX 10W-30. I plan on using Valvoline MaxLife I picked up free (10W-30) next time to see if it helps. If not, I am switching to 10W-40 high mileage oil as a last resort.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...true#Post677640

 

[Brianv6]

I started an auto-RX cycle this afternoon. I am keeping my fingers crossed

 

[JAG]

Good move. Be prepared to see some really dark oil and don't let it bother you. Keep an eye on oil consumption since it can temporarily spike during the cleaning.