Top Off or Change it Early

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99Saturn

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Car(s) in question are both 2006 Chevy Cobalt.

Seems like between 3K and 4K miles, the car consumes about a quart of oil (by 4K it is a quart low, maybe consumption doesn't start until 3.5K), at least the two I have access to and take care of. Traditionally I've topped off with an extra quart and then changed the oil at 5K or 6K. I'm wondering if perhaps I should rethink this and be changing at like 3.5K to try to avoid the quart of consumption. Not just thinking about the engine but also wondering if I am doing unnecessary damage in the long run from burning oil (cat/exhaust system?).

Thoughts/opinions? Thanks in advance.
 
Originally Posted by 99Saturn
Car(s) in question are both 2006 Chevy Cobalt.

Seems like between 3K and 4K miles, the car consumes about a quart of oil (by 4K it is a quart low, maybe consumption doesn't start until 3.5K), at least the two I have access to and take care of. Traditionally I've topped off with an extra quart and then changed the oil at 5K or 6K. I'm wondering if perhaps I should rethink this and be changing at like 3.5K to try to avoid the quart of consumption. Not just thinking about the engine but also wondering if I am doing unnecessary damage in the long run from burning oil (cat/exhaust system?).

Thoughts/opinions? Thanks in advance.

so your contention is that the engine does NOT use oil until the oil has 3500 miles on it? I highly doubt that's the case and if it is....perhaps go a bit heavier in viscosity.
 
When you say a quart low, is that a qt below the MIN mark on the dip stick? You do add a qt at the MIN mark but you are not considered operating out of range.

I personally would keep doing what you are doing and change with SuperTech 5w30 conventional
cool.gif
 
Is it leaking or burning the oil?
If it is burning, maybe try a 10w30 weight?
If leaking, see if you can repair the leak.
Perhaps a HM blend might help.
 
Not a leak, it's burning. When I said a quart low, I meant at the MIN mark yes (if I wait that long). I go to the max line at the oil change, level is fairly steady through at least the first 3K but at 4K it is around a quart low. Not claiming there is no consumption during the first 3K, but it is minimal versus being a quart low by 4K.
 
What time frame and what driving type? Also, what is total capacity?
If lots of short trips and around a year, I would just change it at 4,000.
If it is driven often and longer distance, adding a qt will "refresh" the oil and a 6,000 mile change makes more sense.

My truck uses a qt every 1500 miles.
With my driving, I am around 4500 miles a year, so I add oil @ 1500, 3000, and change @ ~4500.
I probably could get away wth just a top off every 1500 and change the filter annually, but can't make myself do that.
 
What kind of oil are you using quality full synthetic or is it the Kmart blue light special limited series of the month?
 
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I have the same 2.2 litre in my Malibu with 219,000 miles and I've learned a few things over years.

The OLM is conservative so there is no harm is going as long as it tells you.

The only way to get a consistent oil level reading is park in the exact same spot and let the oil drain overnight. If you check the oil 5 minutes after shut down and then 5 hours later, it will have climbed at least %40.

I use whatever oil is on sale at the time [ conventional/semi syn/full synthetic] and usually mix it with what is left over so I can't recommend a specific brand but three times I have used %100 conventional oil [no mixing] and all three times oil consumption went down considerable. Doesn't make any sense but I saw what I saw what I saw.

In your case I would just top up the oil and go the full OCI.
 
I would just top it up and change the oil when you normally do. Maybe try a high mileage oil in whatever brand you like. I have always had good results with valvoline maxlife. Start with a high mileage in the correct weight for you car (5w30) and then move up from there if the results are not satisfactory (10w30->10w40). The catalytic converter will eventually go out whether you burn oil or not. As long as you use an API SL/SM/SN+ oil, you are giving it the best chance for a long life.
 
Originally Posted by 99Saturn

Seems like between 3K and 4K miles, the car consumes about a quart of oil (by 4K it is a quart low, maybe consumption doesn't start until 3.5K), at least the two I have access to and take care of. Traditionally I've topped off with an extra quart and then changed the oil at 5K or 6K. I'm wondering if perhaps I should rethink this and be changing at like 3.5K to try to avoid the quart of consumption. Not just thinking about the engine but also wondering if I am doing unnecessary damage in the long run from burning oil (cat/exhaust system?).


Don't put an extra quart of oil in your engine. Using a quart of oil in 4K is no big deal. Just fill it to the full line on the dipstick and keep on crusin'.
 
Topping off is cheaper than a change so I'd top it off and get a couple more thousand miles out of it.
 
With 3-4K miles on the oil, I'd top it up and run it until the end of your normal OCI.
 
Originally Posted by hatt
Topping off is cheaper than a change so I'd top it off and get a couple more thousand miles out of it.
Either that, or at least add enough to make it to your preferred change interval before the level falls below the low mark.

Sudden acceleration of consumption most of the way through multiple change intervals is improbable. Among other possible explanations, the apparent dipstick level isn't linear with respect to the actual volume of oil in the sump.
 
Originally Posted by hatt
Topping off is cheaper than a change so I'd top it off and get a couple more thousand miles out of it.

Part of the reason for doing an oil change is to replace depleted additives, so adding oil will likely help in that regard. I remember back when extended OCIs were recommended back in the 90s by some motor oil sellers, they would recommend a filter change at normal intervals, and part of the explanation was that the amount of top off oil would add some additives. Even back back when Mobil 1 wasn't recommended for extended OCIs I tried an experiment when I did an extended drain in an older car. I went 3000 mile filter only changes with M1 10W-30 and then had a UOA done. It showed almost ideal numbers except for a bit high lead. I stopped the experiment, but at that point it seemed like it was still working out.
 
Originally Posted by dave1251
Keep it topped off and change at 10K*.



*With UOA


With the fresh oil at 4k you can probably go much further than 5-6000 miles. 7500 at least IMO and likely 10k easy.
 
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