2000-2002 Chevy trucks and daytime running lights

[crashz]

Soundguy,

I've heard of that issue before. Haven't had any oil consumption at all on my 04. Seems like people have either had significant consumption or none at all.

You said your wife is the primary driver, does she drive short distances? What oil do you use?

The reason I ask is that I have a hair brained theory:

The pistons on the LS blocks have short piston skirts, that have given significant issue with piston slap. Mine slaps a start-up. The slap volume and duration are inversly proportional to the cold viscosity of the oil used (going by actuall viscosity measurements and not oil weights). Volume and duration are also ambient temperature dependent as well.

While the piston rocks in the bore, my thought is that the rings are acting like pumping mechanisms, moving the oil up in the bore until the piston is warm enough to expand and stabilize againts the cylinder walls. With a light oil, the piston get cushioned faster, and pumps more oil into the combustion chamber.

So why, do I see less consumption than someone else? Well, my rig gets up to temp and then driven on the highway within 3-4 minutes from my house. I think my inital warm up time is relatively quick and I'm on the throttle pretty soon. I drive a minimum of 20 miles each way to work, and often much more than that. So my theory ist that the sooner that the cold/hot cycle is completed, the less oil is consumed overall. The less startup cycles per 1000 miles, the less oil consumption.

Like I said just a theory.

What were we talking about? DRLs? Sorry to get off topic.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think its more a hit or miss due to quality control. I have had 2 Saturns. They were 1 year different but the same car. One used no oil. One used a qt every 600 miles using the recommended 5W30. You could also run 10W30 which I did and saw no improvement. This started at 30,000 miles. I got rid of both with roughly 145,000 miles to 150,000 miles. I ran the recommended oil in the good one the entire time. The other I switched to 10W40 then 15W40 Diesel oil after 100,000 miles and got it to only use a qt every 1,000 miles. It ran fine other than that and averaged 33mpg but drank oil just as quick. Never dripped a drop.

Now my good friend and college roommate has been a GM man his whole life until recently. He has had 5.7L trucks, 6.0L trucks, and 5.3L trucks. Each and every one, 3 total, of the 5.3L trucks used about 1.5 qts between oil changes. He was never happy with this. My co-pilot has a Yukon with the 5.3 and never a drop but his wife has a 1 year old caddy that uses 2 qts of Mobil 1 between oil changes.

Its really just hit or miss. I am so confident in my 2 Fords and my Nissan I do not check the oil between changes. The only engines I have had ever use oil were the 8.1L's I had in boats, 2 of them, and the Saturn. I have owned 3 other GM's and they did not use a drop and had a number of 4.3L , 5.0L, 5.7L, and 7.4L based motors in boats and overall they were good and used no noticeable oil.

Yes, I know every motor uses oil. Of the 20 or so vehicles I have owned only the GM's have used enough that I could see it on the dip-stick.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

we used to use the 5w30 oil it called for but have changed to 10w30 which has cut consumption by about a quart between changes.

wife drives to and from work each day.. averaging a 20-25 minute trip each way. 3x per week she makes another 15m each way trip, and on the weekends it gets a couple 1+ hour trips, and on sunday it gets another 15m each way trip.

for general info, it's also a 5.3l

my dodge is the one that gets worked hard and put away wet.. and it is the one that gets the cheap oil and filters.. walmart supertech.. etc.

as for

soundguy

Soundguy,

I've heard of that issue before. Haven't had any oil consumption at all on my 04. Seems like people have either had significant consumption or none at all.

You said your wife is the primary driver, does she drive short distances? What oil do you use?

The reason I ask is that I have a hair brained theory:

The pistons on the LS blocks have short piston skirts, that have given significant issue with piston slap. Mine slaps a start-up. The slap volume and duration are inversly proportional to the cold viscosity of the oil used (going by actuall viscosity measurements and not oil weights). Volume and duration are also ambient temperature dependent as well.

While the piston rocks in the bore, my thought is that the rings are acting like pumping mechanisms, moving the oil up in the bore until the piston is warm enough to expand and stabilize againts the cylinder walls. With a light oil, the piston get cushioned faster, and pumps more oil into the combustion chamber.

So why, do I see less consumption than someone else? Well, my rig gets up to temp and then driven on the highway within 3-4 minutes from my house. I think my inital warm up time is relatively quick and I'm on the throttle pretty soon. I drive a minimum of 20 miles each way to work, and often much more than that. So my theory ist that the sooner that the cold/hot cycle is completed, the less oil is consumed overall. The less startup cycles per 1000 miles, the less oil consumption.

Like I said just a theory.

What were we talking about? DRLs? Sorry to get off topic.

 

[Soundguy]

Yes, I know every motor uses oil. Of the 20 or so vehicles I have owned only the GM's have used enough that I could see it on the dip-stick.

Chris

same here.. the 5.3l in the yukon is my only oil user.

none of them leak either.. not even the yukon..

that's the vehicle that if we are going to drive for an hour trip, and it's been more than 1000miles since the oil change.. that I check the oil in before going.. and always carry a quart of oil in the back..

soundguy

 

[timswi]

I really don't get this..I've had an '89 Diesel Suburban, a 91 Siverado, a 97 Silverado, an '01 Tahoe, a '04 Sierra. Currently have an '06 H3 and an '11 Sierra (this is only the last 9 or so years). None of them used more than a half quart of oil between changes and all but the current vehicles had well over 100k, some of them close to 200k. OK, the 6.2 diesel would burn 3/4 of a quart between changes.

Even my 70SS 396 Chevelle only burned a quart or so between changes. Most of that was because I beat the car senseless (at least 2 sets of rear tires per season). I now have to rebuild the motor or go crate. The big block is a 1970 and never rebuilt.

Had one dash cluster replaced under warranty on the '04 Sierra. One parking light wire rubbed against the rad support on the '97 at around 175K. 5 minute fix. One aftermarket 7pin connector rot internally (not GM's fault). A couple of glow plugs went bad on the diesel, they were original and needed replaced around 130K along with the waterpump and one battery terminal.

Seems that GM is under siege again. I have never experienced any of the issues that you guys have...If I would have, I'd have dumped the offending vehicle long before things got out of hand.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My truck consumes no oil, but the 302 in my F-150 drinks oil like a redneck drinks cheap beer.

You remind me of my 8 yr old girl. Do you like Justin Beiber, too? :laughing:

I was waiting for your Ford story to counter my GM story. I would venture to guess that even though I have only owned 4 GM vehicles, of which 3 used no oil, I have owned more GM powered boats than vehicles that 4 family's would own. Of them only the 8.1's used oil. All the others were just fine.

As for the Justin Beiber comment, no I do not. I like country and rock. But thanks for paying attention and reusing my line from a week ago. Now I know you can read and comprehend what I am writing.:laughing:

Have fun.

Chris