Kohler command 23 oil consumption

[gasman556]

I’m starting to see more consumption on my kohler command 23 on my zero turn Deere. I’m adding about 1/3 of a qt every 6 hrs of use approx. Before this season, it hasn’t consumed much (if any) oil between changes. Or at least not to this degree. Engine has around 690 hrs on it and has had annual changes with amsoil (10w30) or HPL small engine 10w40 with Napa gold filters. Is this level of consumption concerning? Or something to be expected for this amount of hours? Mower is around 13 yrs old now.

TIA

 

[fantastic]

I’m starting to see more consumption on my kohler command 23 on my zero turn Deere. I’m adding about 1/3 of a qt every 6 hrs of use approx. Before this season, it hasn’t consumed much (if any) oil between changes. Or at least not to this degree. Engine has around 690 hrs on it and has had annual changes with amsoil (10w30) or HPL small engine 10w40 with Napa gold filters. Is this level of consumption concerning? Or something to be expected for this amount of hours? Mower is around 13 yrs old now.

TIA

That is quite a bit I would think. Have you replaced the hose that is sort of like the PCV? Crank seal leaking?

 

[gasman556]

That is quite a bit I would think. Have you replaced the hose that is sort of like the PCV? Crank seal leaking?

I haven't replaced the hose. I will have to check that out as I didn't know that was a point of failure (egg on my face). I can't SEE any leaking, but does not eliminate this as being a potential (crank seal leak).

I'll try to do an internet search to find these potential failure points. Thanks again.

EDIT: should I try to change the "breather assembly," or "breather tube" for the PCV type thing?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Gee maybe you should be doing the mower test with VRP.

 

[gasman556]

Gee maybe you should be doing the mower test with VRP.

It's been running HPL for the past two changes. Thanks though.

 

[oldcodger]

Pull the plugs and see what they look like.

 

[racer12306]

I would agree that is a concerning level of consumption. Annual changes for 13 years, so you're only looking at 50-60hrs per change which is far from abuse, overkill in my opinion.

At least it's manageable while you figure it out.

Check the breather, check the plugs.

 

[Brian123]

I’m starting to see more consumption on my kohler command 23 on my zero turn Deere. I’m adding about 1/3 of a qt every 6 hrs of use approx. Before this season, it hasn’t consumed much (if any) oil between changes. Or at least not to this degree. Engine has around 690 hrs on it and has had annual changes with amsoil (10w30) or HPL small engine 10w40 with Napa gold filters. Is this level of consumption concerning? Or something to be expected for this amount of hours? Mower is around 13 yrs old now.

TIA

I will try and help you out, an you do not need VRP which we only get in a 5w30 here, and at my Viscosity of 10 it is only good to 217F
HPL Small Engine Formula 10W-40 is good on my 10 number up until 242F. The hottest my riding mower with a kohler 7000 series engine that is in the front has seen is 230F and I am using HPL CK-4 10W-40. You have a rear mounted engine which will run hotter than a mower with a front mounted engine. I did the infrared gun thing but then I got an $8.00 meat thermometer thing and when I turn off the mower I pull the dipstick out and see what the temperature is.

I also did a calculation with HPL 10W-50 and I got a temp at my thickness of 10 of 264. Here is why this is important, Kohler now has a 10W-50 oil that is made by Amsoil, I looked at the owners manual on my Kohler 7000 series engine, it lists both 10W-30 and the Kohler 10W-50

Here are some other suggestions, after you are done mowing, blow the machine off, including around the engine. Always check your oil before using your mower. There is a Viscosity Calculator that I can put a Link if you would like, and you will have some fun with it.

 

[gasman556]

I will try and help you out, an you do not need VRP which we only get in a 5w30 here, and at my Viscosity of 10 it is only good to 217F
HPL Small Engine Formula 10W-40 is good on my 10 number up until 242F. The hottest my riding mower with a kohler 7000 series engine that is in the front has seen is 230F and I am using HPL CK-4 10W-40. You have a rear mounted engine which will run hotter than a mower with a front mounted engine. I did the infrared gun thing but then I got an $8.00 meat thermometer thing and when I turn off the mower I pull the dipstick out and see what the temperature is.

I also did a calculation with HPL 10W-50 and I got a temp at my thickness of 10 of 264. Here is why this is important, Kohler now has a 10W-50 oil that is made by Amsoil, I looked at the owners manual on my Kohler 7000 series engine, it lists both 10W-30 and the Kohler 10W-50

Here are some other suggestions, after you are done mowing, blow the machine off, including around the engine. Always check your oil before using your mower. There is a Viscosity Calculator that I can put a Link if you would like, and you will have some fun with it.

I have been checking oil level before mowing now since the mid summer since I first noticed consumption. The cooling fins were clean and I’ve been better about blowing all the grass clippings off afterwards too.

Is the calculator something you can see online that compares Cst, etc of different weights at different temps? I’ve seen those before.

 

[gasman556]

I would agree that is a concerning level of consumption. Annual changes for 13 years, so you're only looking at 50-60hrs per change which is far from abuse, overkill in my opinion.

At least it's manageable while you figure it out.

Check the breather, check the plugs.

The oil is as black as night whenever I change it (normal given air cooled engine best I can tell), but yes - interval isn’t bad imo.

I’ll check and post the plugs this weekend. Hopefully figure out the breather tube thing too.

 

[Brian123]

I have been checking oil level before mowing now since the mid summer since I first noticed consumption. The cooling fins were clean and I’ve been better about blowing all the grass clippings off afterwards too.

Is the calculator something you can see online that compares Cst, etc of different weights at different temps? I’ve seen those before.

https://www.widman.biz/English/Calculators/Graph.html

 

[Brian123]

The oil is as black as night whenever I change it (normal given air cooled engine best I can tell), but yes - interval isn’t bad imo.

I’ll check and post the plugs this weekend. Hopefully figure out the breather tube thing too.

Kind of sounds like a UOA should be done to check everything including Fuel Dilution, OAI from Amsoil is a good bet. The Speed 1 is another option.

 

[ripcord]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I've owned and run a couple of Kohler Commands with tons of hours on them and neither used much if any oil between changes. They didn't darken the oil quickly, either.

 

[gasman556]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I've owned and run a couple of Kohler Commands with tons of hours on them and neither used much if any oil between changes. They didn't darken the oil quickly, either.

That's great! Did you have some words of wisdom to bestow?

 

[loneryder]

I’m starting to see more consumption on my kohler command 23 on my zero turn Deere. I’m adding about 1/3 of a qt every 6 hrs of use approx. Before this season, it hasn’t consumed much (if any) oil between changes. Or at least not to this degree. Engine has around 690 hrs on it and has had annual changes with amsoil (10w30) or HPL small engine 10w40 with Napa gold filters. Is this level of consumption concerning? Or something to be expected for this amount of hours? Mower is around 13 yrs old now.

TIA

Have you always used Amsoil since it was new? Is this a commercial engine?

 

[ripcord]

That's great! Did you have some words of wisdom to bestow?

There's something wrong? Your experience is out of the norm? I don't know what to tell you.

These engines do not have skinny little low tension rings like modern cars so I think it's unlikely the problem is that they are carboned up. Especially with how frequently you change the oil. The fact that you are seeing rapid dirtying of the oil seems to point to blow by, but honestly, a quart every 20 hours or so is not that excessive.

 

[racer12306]

There's something wrong? Your experience is out of the norm? I don't know what to tell you.

These engines do not have skinny little low tension rings like modern cars so I think it's unlikely the problem is that they are carboned up. Especially with how frequently you change the oil. The fact that you are seeing rapid dirtying of the oil seems to point to blow by, but honestly, a quart every 20 hours or so is not that excessive.

A quart every 20 hours replaces the entire sump in 40 hours. Considering a 100hr recommended OCI, at that rate, is there a point to "changing the oil" and not just popping on a new filter every 100 hrs?

 

[Rand]

You have 2 choices:
Run it till it blows (5-10 years from now?) keeping oil in it diligently.
or
try to fix it.. if its still running well. it might not be worth a tear down at this point.

A quart every 20 hours replaces the entire sump in 40 hours. Considering a 100hr recommended OCI, at that rate, is there a point to "changing the oil" and not just popping on a new filter every 100 hrs?

I would still change it once a year.

 

[gasman556]

You have 2 choices:
Run it till it blows (5-10 years from now?) keeping oil in it diligently.
or
try to fix it.. if its still running well. it might not be worth a tear down at this point.


I would still change it once a year.

Were it not for my somewhat OCD checking of the oil, I’d of never noticed the consumption until it was catastrophic. It runs fine. No smoke that I can tell after initial start up (choke use). I’ll keep on top of checking the oil for now I guess. Thanks for this.

 

[gasman556]

Have you always used Amsoil since it was new? Is this a commercial engine?

Amsoil small engine 10w30 or 10w40. Recent (2 yrs ago) change to HPL small engine 10w40. It….may be the commercial Kohler? It was bought from a dealer as a “light commercial/homeowner” iirc. I’ll have to look at the sticker to confirm.