Full Synth Advice - Mobil 1 Oil Consumption

B

BeauTie

Joined
Feb 18, 2023
Messages
5
I have a 2013 Chevy Equinox 2.4L DI engine (80k miles) that has a bit of a weird oil consumption pattern. I've used 5W-30 Mobil 1 full synth for years. Because the consumption is not linear with respect to mileage on this car, I've been watching it closely this cycle (and this oil usage is not a new development). In the first 1500 miles after the last oil change, it did not use any oil whatsoever. Zero. Then, over the next 300 miles, it used half a quart. It's my wife's car but I think the OLM is around 65%. Based on recent changes, I was planning on changing it when the OLM gets to around 35% because the consumption gets worse as the oil ages. This is just an around-town car so no particularly hard use other than short stop-n-go drives.

So, I've been thinking about trying another full synth Dexos oil to see if I could reduce oil consumption and looking for suggestions. I know from reading here that many recommendations are that the quality oils are not that different so pick one based on cost but I thought I would ask anyway:

- Pennzoil Platinum: I've seen some comments that this oil is a bit thin and might shear faster so maybe this shouldn't be my first choice?
- Castrol Edge or Magnatech: I've seen positive comments here on this oil
- Valvoline Adv or Extended full synth: Never used these
- Mobil 1 Annual or EP: I have not tried these in this car

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

BT
 
Your issue is nothing new. My wife has a '11 with the same mileage as yours, and has had the same problem from the time she got it. We even got a letter from GM, saying to bring the car to a dealer to get checked out. Well, they decided they were not going to do anything about it. At that time, we were getting 750 miles to a qt. And like yours, it's mostly a low mileage around town vehicle. So I took the matter into my own hands. Now I wasn't going to rebuild their crappily built engine, so I did the next best thing. I upped the weight of the engine oil. I made my own version . It was a mix of 10/40 and 20/50 wt oil, which I use in the summer. Sound's weird, but it cut the consumption down to 1 qt every 1500 miles, barely acceptable. I use a mix of 10/30 and 10/40 in colder months so there's no starting issues. Like your vehicle, there's no warranty left on our car, so nobody cares what oil is used in it. Having to check the oil every couple of day's is nuts. And GM doesn't care about what they push off on the public these days. I will say that this is the last GM car I'll ever buy, if GM won't stand behind their products. But they will be happy to charge you to correct, what should have never been placed on their showroom floors.,,,
 
BigCahuna - Thanks for the info. Yep, I'm certainly aware that these engines had significant issues which is depressing. We normally keep vehicles a long time and I have no idea how long the engine will go but I'm not holding my breath. In the interest of extending its service life to us, I'm looking to minimize the oil consumption through relatively simple ways (like you described). Interested to see what other advice I might get here but I certainly don't expect the oil consumption to go away on this engine.

It certainly seems odd to me that there is zero oil consumption on our car for 1500 miles and then a sudden increase. I don't know if this is oil breakdown, fuel dilution, other factors, or a combination of some of them but I'll probably try a different oil next go-around and see what happens. I just hope it doesn't get worse!

BT
 
BeauTie said:
BigCahuna - Thanks for the info. Yep, I'm certainly aware that these engines had significant issues which is depressing. We normally keep vehicles a long time and I have no idea how long the engine will go but I'm not holding my breath. In the interest of extending its service life to us, I'm looking to minimize the oil consumption through relatively simple ways (like you described). Interested to see what other advice I might get here but I certainly don't expect the oil consumption to go away on this engine.

It certainly seems odd to me that there is zero oil consumption on our car for 1500 miles and then a sudden increase. I don't know if this is oil breakdown, fuel dilution, other factors, or a combination of some of them but I'll probably try a different oil next go-around and see what happens. I just hope it doesn't get worse!

BT
Click to expand...
It’s not “oil breakdown” nor fuel dilution that’s the problem.
 
Slick3914 said:
It’s not the oil.
Click to expand...
Nah, it's something with the piston rings that causes the consumption, per GM. But the cheapest and easiest way to deal with it, is to run heavier oil in the engine. Re ringing the engine isn't cost effective in a 10-12 year old, nothing special car. An if you rolled the dice and got a wrecking yard engine, you'll more that likely have the same issues.,,
 
a higher viscosity oil can help IF your climate is NOT colder!! more info is better + your location helps!! traded girlfriends oil consuming 13 malibu 2.5L before it KILLS the CAT. manufacturers continue TRYING to get better mpgs BUT some of those "experiments" are not so good but in time issues get fixed at OUR expense, + new tech should be NOT purchased for a few years after introduction IMO. DI is getting better BUT the earliest users had brutal carbon issues, trial + error at our cost!!!
 
Yep, I totally understand the fundamental issue is the engine.

To answer another question, I'm in Ohio so we get cold temps but not usually International Falls cold temps.
 
Warstud said:
Did you replace the PCV Valve ?
Click to expand...

My understanding is that whatever PCV valve this engine has is in the valve cover. It's not a typical style plug-in valve. GM did release an updated oil filler cap that is vented due to some engines blowing out seals and I installed one of those newer caps. I looked at the plastic line that goes to the PCV valve port in the valve cover last year but I can't recall if I tried cleaning out that port with Seafoam or not. That's what I would normally do but it was about the time the weather turned cold.
 
BeauTie said:
My understanding is that whatever PCV valve this engine has is in the valve cover. It's not a typical style plug-in valve. GM did release an updated oil filler cap that is vented due to some engines blowing out seals and I installed one of those newer caps. I looked at the plastic line that goes to the PCV valve port in the valve cover last year but I can't recall if I tried cleaning out that port with Seafoam or not. That's what I would normally do but it was about the time the weather turned cold.
Click to expand...
To further this a little bit, you're correct, there is technically no PCV valve. It actually has an orifice drilled in the intake manifold that pulls a controlled amount of air through the crankcase, allowed in through the hose on the passenger side of the plastic intake that connects to the valve cover. The way the head is designed the orifice in the intake eventually plugs up, causing both oil consumption, and if its cold enough, problems with blowing the rear main seals out, as the moisture that eventually fills the valve cover inlet tube and the chamber in the plastic intake box will freeze, thereby sealing the only escape path for crankcase pressure that naturally builds as the engine warms up. Generally, the way we diagnose whether the orifice is plugged is to unplug the tube from the RH side of the intake box and judge how much moisture is inside and/or runs out. Even if it is plugged it's probably not all of the oil consumption problem, but it will definitely contribute to it.
 
BeauTie said:
I have a 2013 Chevy Equinox 2.4L DI engine (80k miles) that has a bit of a weird oil consumption pattern. I've used 5W-30 Mobil 1 full synth for years. Because the consumption is not linear with respect to mileage on this car, I've been watching it closely this cycle (and this oil usage is not a new development). In the first 1500 miles after the last oil change, it did not use any oil whatsoever. Zero. Then, over the next 300 miles, it used half a quart. It's my wife's car but I think the OLM is around 65%. Based on recent changes, I was planning on changing it when the OLM gets to around 35% because the consumption gets worse as the oil ages. This is just an around-town car so no particularly hard use other than short stop-n-go drives.

So, I've been thinking about trying another full synth Dexos oil to see if I could reduce oil consumption and looking for suggestions. I know from reading here that many recommendations are that the quality oils are not that different so pick one based on cost but I thought I would ask anyway:

- Pennzoil Platinum: I've seen some comments that this oil is a bit thin and might shear faster so maybe this shouldn't be my first choice?
- Castrol Edge or Magnatech: I've seen positive comments here on this oil
- Valvoline Adv or Extended full synth: Never used these
- Mobil 1 Annual or EP: I have not tried these in this car

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

BT
Click to expand...
Use liqui moly proline engine flush over 2-3 oil changes
or
BG EPR
or
Z-Max

All 3 have cleaned up cars that had issues related to oil burning and piston ring's not moving freely

Despite what people say here Z-Max has cut the oil consumption in our 15 Ody, with severely gummed up rings, to zero oil use. Google odyssey VCM piston ring damage.

We drove to the East coast and then to Florida this past summer. 10,000+ kms with zero oil usage.
Before it would burn 1-2 quarts over 5k.
I treated the engine with zmax 1 month before the trip then changed the oil and treated again just before we left. I use 5w-20 in this engine.
FWIW.

All 3 have worked in various cars over the years.
 
I don't see your location but I have had good luck on a D.I. engine with QuakerState "Full Synthetic" 10W30.

Since the consumption ticks up with age, it is likely increasing with excessive fuel dilution over time and viscosity breakdown especially in an " around town" car. Regarding the PCV I recall my GM 4.3L Vortec V6 had a glued-in PCV oriface with no backfire pill. That puppy drank some oil too. At the time I was running Valvoline "conventional" 5W30. 5w30 generally are NOT robust oils due to reliance on VM - modifiers which are not paraffinic oily lubricants.
 
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