Oil consumption increasing (off warranty soon)

[muranomike]

I know this topic has been batted around alot, but would like some opinions.

My 02' C4 Cab will be going off warranty in the next 6 months or so.

Lately I have noticed increased oil consumption (about 1 litre every 750-1000km). There are no obvious oil leaks and everythign else seems fine.

Before it goes off warranty is there anything I demand the dealers do to ensure I won't have a problem a year down the line? I know some oil consumption is 'normal' but mine seems to be increasing.

Thanks

Mike

[magcuda]

If you check your owners manual you will see that this is "normal" oil usage, has been for years for flat motors

[muranomike]

Yes, I would agree. However up to 45,000km the oil usage was non measurable, however in the last 2 thousand km's its 1 litre per 1000 km. I assume that a change in oil consumption is more of a concern than the oil consumption itself. Agree?

[JimPDX]

I know this topic has been batted around alot, but would like some opinions.

My 02' C4 Cab will be going off warranty in the next 6 months or so.

Lately I have noticed increased oil consumption (about 1 litre every 750-1000km). There are no obvious oil leaks and everythign else seems fine.

Before it goes off warranty is there anything I demand the dealers do to ensure I won't have a problem a year down the line? I know some oil consumption is 'normal' but mine seems to be increasing.

Thanks

Mike

All cars consume oil. Its as plain and simple as that. Some faster than others, some hardly noticeable others quickly noticeable, however, if you are consuming a quart every 1000km or so, its probably no big deal as far as the car is concerned. What grade and type of oil are you using? Are you using the recommended factory fill?

[geza]

Has anything changed in terms of the oil you use? Different viscosity? You posted about using 5W30 a while ago - ?

[muranomike]

No, nothing changed with the oil. I only use Mobil 1 0w40 oil.

My car did get in an accident at about the time the oil consumption increased.. but this was just a fender bender, when the car was parked and someone drove into the front bumper... But I don't see how this could cause an increase in oil consumption.

[geza]

If all is the same, and you are driving it about the same - it would seem that all is OK since the consumption you state is within spec. I have noticed on our 04 40th that oil consumption seems to vary - city driving it is more pronounced, longer distance virtually negligable.

If you don't have thick black soot in the exhaust pipes, white smoke, low oil pressure, significant oil leaks - you should be OK.

Edited November 5, 2005 by geza

[neil.schneider]

I think that is too much oil consumption. 1 quart every 1500 to 2000 miles maybe but not 1 quart every 500/600.

My 03 was consuming 1 to 2 quarts every 400 miles or so and after battling with PCNA, they finally replaced my engine. I did have black spots behind my left tail pipe. Since I got the new engine(about 3000 miles ago) there has been no oil consumption that I can tell.

[Hroussard]

Here is another potential contributing factor to " oil consumption". If you are making many short trips whereby the engine really does not get really hot, the water in the oil sump will not boil off and thus it looks as if the oil level measured by the system and the dipstick does not change. Ie it shows ZERO oil consumption. Now, if you then go on a long trip , the engine really gets a work out and the water boils off, you suddenly will see a drop in the oil level.

Cheers

HarryR

[umn]

...

Lately I have noticed increased oil consumption (about 1 litre every 750-1000km). There are no obvious oil leaks and everythign else seems fine.

...

1 litre per 1000km is definitely too much for normal use (track days are a different story). On a 996 engine with less than 100,000km on the clock, you would expect no more than about 0.2 per 1000km, if that.

The reason that car manufacturs deem consumptions of up to 0.5l/1000km normal in their manuals is simply to fend off warranty claims during the first 10,000km, where higher oil consumption can happen.

Personally, I don't have to top up any oil between 20,000km servicing intervals, and that includes spins on the Nurburgring as well as 150km/h-plus blasts on German motorways. My car now has more than 100,000km on the clock.

What user HarryR writes is correct, except it is normally not water that gets collected in the sump but petrol which gets diluted in the oil, but the effect is the same. It is therefore important to check oil comsumption over a longer period of time.

Cheers,

Uwe

Edited November 7, 2005 by umn

[skymast]

Similar issue with mine. I identified the likely problem visually but i still haven't figured out what the problem is ....

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=6114&hl=

[LVDell]

Wow! That is alot of oil consumtion.

[muranomike]

Well thats what I think, but I get half of the people saying it is normal.

I just don't think it is...

Mike

[LVDell]

I have been changing the oil in my 996 for the last 30K miles and change it every 5K-7.5K and NEVER had to add oil between changes. A couple times between changes I have maybe added .5 qt but that was after a hard weeekend on the track. I have a tough time believing that anything more than what I experience is normal.

[C4S Surgeon]

I have been changing the oil in my 996 for the last 30K miles and change it every 5K-7.5K and NEVER had to add oil between changes. A couple times between changes I have maybe added .5 qt but that was after a hard weeekend on the track. I have a tough time believing that anything more than what I experience is normal.

I still use a qt every 1000 miles or so, more at the track. I run too light a grade though, 5w30, it's what's readily available around me, I'll be switching back to 0w50 to see if that makes a difference. I did try stp a while back, really slowed the use alot.

It may be common, but it ain't normal to use that much oil.

Edited November 16, 2005 by C4S Surgeon