loss of oil

[cbetts]

I figured out I was losing my oil though the vapor recover on the intake. It was clearly evident when I pulled off the AirDoc to clean the throttle body.

 

[06 H3]

thats where I think all of mine is going. I never noticed oil consumption issues until I had the head replaced...not sure if its a coincidence or not but I saw deserth3 say the same thing.

Im gonna change my oil tomorrow or sunday and see how much is missing.

 

[3Hummers]

That is an obscene amount of oil usage for a few thousand miles.

 

[06 H3]

I dont have any oil leaks. When I park the only current thing that will drip is water from the A/C. Its gotta be going somewhere. Its either burning off or going back into the intake.

 

[tnd2]

Mine wasn't using the amount of oil your mentioning, but it was puffing smoke on start-up, until I switched back to plain old Pennzoil 5w30 from a syn blend. The smoking stopped, and at 3000 miles there is zero usage. The down fault, I change the oil every 3000, but its easy and cheap. Its time again, 121000...

 

[CaseyS]

Start keeping an eye on the oil level. This is exactly the symptoms my I5 showed as it died a slow death. This was all north of 200k miles though. I would burn 2-3 qts over a 10k oil change interval. When you get to the point that the low oil pressure light comes on when you hit the brakes, you are 2 qts low. Got to this point several times.

If you are burning a quart over 4000 miles, I'd say you have 50-75k left in the engine life before a rebuild or swap is in order. If you pull the intake and check the PCV tube and see plenty of oil, then that's the same issue I had. It is either valve guide leakage or blow-by. Mine was never enough to smoke until the very end. Just a minor steady oil consumption. In the last dying breaths, I was consuming 2 quarts per tank of gas.

At some point you will likely switch from synthetic to just cheap oil to keep it going. I went to 20w50 and it helped a little when it started getting real bad.

I'd say you should start a 2 year plan for either a rebuild, replace or an engine swap.

 

[cbetts]

I dont have any oil leaks. When I park the only current thing that will drip is water from the A/C. Its gotta be going somewhere. Its either burning off or going back into the intake.

I am really surprised that checking the oil isn't on your pre-trip inspection list. I always have the fear of having low oil while attempting a really steep climb and losing pressure.

I was thinking about how I was riding behind you back in April while climbing the grade up Highway 14 and smelling your exhaust. You were spewing something pretty nasty. I also attribute running high RPMs with more blow-by and thus burning more oil.

 

[4speedfunk]

Next oil change...substitute a quart of oil with a quart of Risolene. I'm not big on snake-oils and miracle elixirs but, I can vouch for this stuff.

My Suburban has 200K on the clock, and it burns a quart every 5000 or so...not bad enough to mess with. Last spring it started getting lots of lifter-chatter at start-up but, only for about ten-seconds. I surfed the net and got all kinds of opinions...most of which I did not believe. Everything from collapsed lifters, to filter by-pass springs, to loose rockers, bent pushrods, blah blah blah. Not to be a dick but, I've been around a motor or two (hundred), and I know b.s. when I hear it. Lifter chatter at start-up is very common on all GM motors, and most sources say to leave it be.

So for the helluvit, I tried the Risolene. At first it did nothing, and I was getting ready to pull the valve-covers and have a closer look. But I decided to wait until I returned from a long road-trip from Indy to Charlevoix and back. Well apparently...the 10-hour one-way highway journey finally activated the Risolene. Whatever that stuff is...WORKS! It supposedly breaks down sludge build-up and also adds a super-slick treatment to the mechanical surfaces. Long story short...I believe the chatter was due to a plugged or stuck check-valve on the lifters. Oil that normally stays in the lifters, was bleeding out when I shut it off...I assume due to at least one or more stuck check valves. I've been driving it daily and it has not chattered one single time since I got back in early August. Now I need to change the oil (I imagine the filter is full of yuck). I will continue to use the Risolene on every oil change. Some additives are mearly treatments that you are supposed to drain after an hour or so...but Risolene is a long-term additive, good for the life of your oil change. On high mileage motors, I cannot find a downside to using additives like this. It saved me a bunch of time & money trying to trouble-shoot my old 5.7L Vortec. Some high-mileage motors are like a perfect old pair of blue jeans, and this Vortec has been a great one. I will keep it around as long as I can.

 

[06 H3]

Start keeping an eye on the oil level. This is exactly the symptoms my I5 showed as it died a slow death. This was all north of 200k miles though. I would burn 2-3 qts over a 10k oil change interval. When you get to the point that the low oil pressure light comes on when you hit the brakes, you are 2 qts low. Got to this point several times.

If you are burning a quart over 4000 miles, I'd say you have 50-75k left in the engine life before a rebuild or swap is in order. If you pull the intake and check the PCV tube and see plenty of oil, then that's the same issue I had. It is either valve guide leakage or blow-by. Mine was never enough to smoke until the very end. Just a minor steady oil consumption. In the last dying breaths, I was consuming 2 quarts per tank of gas.

At some point you will likely switch from synthetic to just cheap oil to keep it going. I went to 20w50 and it helped a little when it started getting real bad.

I'd say you should start a 2 year plan for either a rebuild, replace or an engine swap.

Thanks for the advice. #1 I am hitting low oil pressure when braking hard. This has NEVER happened before. I will say that when I was prepping for my SAS. I dropped the Hummer off at the dealership for brakes and an oil change so I can finish test fittiing axle brackets and setting up the axle. I conveniently had my PCM and transmission control switch go out after my oil change and brakes...and it took 2 days for them to do it too. Something is fishy, who knows maybe they never filled it up all the way. In the past I had no oil consumption issues until after the head was replaced and from there on it was about a quart for 5k miles. Suddenly it is now 2 quarts for a tad over 3k? Maybe they ****ed up. Either way all maintenance in now on me. I will keep a close eye. I need to plan for the worst though. Maybe a 4bt is in my future. In relations to the stock 3.5 where does the oil pan sit? Lower? higher? I gotta keep it outta the way of my solid axle up front.

I am really surprised that checking the oil isn't on your pre-trip inspection list. I always have the fear of having low oil while attempting a really steep climb and losing pressure.

I was thinking about how I was riding behind you back in April while climbing the grade up Highway 14 and smelling your exhaust. You were spewing something pretty nasty. I also attribute running high RPMs with more blow-by and thus burning more oil.

I never checked it because I never had consumption issues this bad, now I will probably check.

Next oil change...substitute a quart of oil with a quart of Risolene. I'm not big on snake-oils and miracle elixirs but, I can vouch for this stuff.

My Suburban has 200K on the clock, and it burns a quart every 5000 or so...not bad enough to mess with. Last spring it started getting lots of lifter-chatter at start-up but, only for about ten-seconds. I surfed the net and got all kinds of opinions...most of which I did not believe. Everything from collapsed lifters, to filter by-pass springs, to loose rockers, bent pushrods, blah blah blah. Not to be a dick but, I've been around a motor or two (hundred), and I know b.s. when I hear it. Lifter chatter at start-up is very common on all GM motors, and most sources say to leave it be.

So for the helluvit, I tried the Risolene. At first it did nothing, and I was getting ready to pull the valve-covers and have a closer look. But I decided to wait until I returned from a long road-trip from Indy to Charlevoix and back. Well apparently...the 10-hour one-way highway journey finally activated the Risolene. Whatever that stuff is...WORKS! It supposedly breaks down sludge build-up and also adds a super-slick treatment to the mechanical surfaces. Long story short...I believe the chatter was due to a plugged or stuck check-valve on the lifters. Oil that normally stays in the lifters, was bleeding out when I shut it off...I assume due to at least one or more stuck check valves. I've been driving it daily and it has not chattered one single time since I got back in early August. Now I need to change the oil (I imagine the filter is full of yuck). I will continue to use the Risolene on every oil change. Some additives are mearly treatments that you are supposed to drain after an hour or so...but Risolene is a long-term additive, good for the life of your oil change. On high mileage motors, I cannot find a downside to using additives like this.

I will try it! thanks for the advice. What kind did you use? Just typical engine treatment?

 

[Panzer07]

Next oil change...substitute a quart of oil with a quart of Risolene. I'm not big on snake-oils and miracle elixirs but, I can vouch for this stuff.

My Suburban has 200K on the clock, and it burns a quart every 5000 or so...not bad enough to mess with. Last spring it started getting lots of lifter-chatter at start-up but, only for about ten-seconds. I surfed the net and got all kinds of opinions...most of which I did not believe. Everything from collapsed lifters, to filter by-pass springs, to loose rockers, bent pushrods, blah blah blah. Not to be a dick but, I've been around a motor or two (hundred), and I know b.s. when I hear it. Lifter chatter at start-up is very common on all GM motors, and most sources say to leave it be.

So for the helluvit, I tried the Risolene. At first it did nothing, and I was getting ready to pull the valve-covers and have a closer look. But I decided to wait until I returned from a long road-trip from Indy to Charlevoix and back. Well apparently...the 10-hour one-way highway journey finally activated the Risolene. Whatever that stuff is...WORKS! It supposedly breaks down sludge build-up and also adds a super-slick treatment to the mechanical surfaces. Long story short...I believe the chatter was due to a plugged or stuck check-valve on the lifters. Oil that normally stays in the lifters, was bleeding out when I shut it off...I assume due to at least one or more stuck check valves. I've been driving it daily and it has not chattered one single time since I got back in early August. Now I need to change the oil (I imagine the filter is full of yuck). I will continue to use the Risolene on every oil change. Some additives are mearly treatments that you are supposed to drain after an hour or so...but Risolene is a long-term additive, good for the life of your oil change. On high mileage motors, I cannot find a downside to using additives like this. It saved me a bunch of time & money trying to trouble-shoot my old 5.7L Vortec. Some high-mileage motors are like a perfect old pair of blue jeans, and this Vortec has been a great one. I will keep it around as long as I can.

I will give that risolene a shot tomorrow I'm gonna drain one quart of oil and drop a quart like u said since I just changed my oil on Tuesday.


Torres

 

[06 H3]

I did my first ever oil change lol Im a noob...

5 quarts of high mileage pennzoil and 1 quart of risolene and changed the oil filter. I will watch the consumption now. I rack up miles quickly so I should be able to report soon.

 

[Panzer07]

I did my first ever oil change lol Im a noob...

5 quarts of high mileage pennzoil and 1 quart of risolene and changed the oil filter. I will watch the consumption now. I rack up miles quickly so I should be able to report soon.

U should really invest the 10-15 bucks for that little oil valve does make oil changing a lot easier and less messier, just plug a little rubber hose to an empty can give it 5 min or so and it all old oil will be drain and packed, as for the oil filter I find it helpful to use a grocery plastic bag to wrap around it so it doesn't spill. Just my 2 cents lol


Torres

 

[deserth3]

Just had engine, tranny, and exhaust manifold on my 06 replaced by a Chevy dealer. Including rental while it's done. $12k
That comes with a 3 year 100k warenty on the engine and tranny.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[4speedfunk]

Good lord. I hope so.