New truck using oil during break in?

[MDM]

I've got a new half ton pickup with 1100 miles on it. I checked the oil today and it was a hair over a half quart low. Is this normal with a new truck? This is my first new one in 12 yrs. I think the salesman did say it may use a little oil up to the first oil change.

 

[Ryan03]

I would not worry to much about it at this point. I would recomend toping it off, and checking it frequently. If it continues to use oil at this rate beyond say 3k, my expert opinion would be consumption at the rate of 1/2 qt every 1100 mi would be quite excessive, as this would be about 1.5qt between 3k oil changes.

Many late model engines use chromoly piston rings, which sometimes can take a couple hundred miles to fully seat, this is rare, but I have seen it occasionaly. Have you checked the oil prior to 1100mi. I have seen many new vehicles put into service low on fluids, as some dealer techs will whiz through the new vehicle check in and not bother to add that 1/2 qt of oil, or pull that diff.fill plug etc. Congratulations on your purchase, and I hope you enjoy your new truck.

Ryan

 

[Builder]

I've got a new half ton pickup with 1100 miles on it. I checked the oil today and it was a hair over a half quart low. Is this normal with a new truck? This is my first new one in 12 yrs. I think the salesman did say it may use a little oil up to the first oil change.

Did you let the truck sit for a while without running before you checked the oil, or did you check it a minute or 2 after you shut it off?

 

[MDM]

It was full at the time of purchase. It is a Dodge with the 5.7 Hemi. I read on one website that Chrysler had sent a memo out to all dealers sometime in the past stating that it was normal to for their vehicles to use 1 qt every thousand miles and that. This site was a Chrysler bashing site, so who knows it that is true.

 

[MDM]

Did you let the truck sit for a while without running before you checked the oil, or did you check it a minute or 2 after you shut it off?

Yeah.

 

[Builder]

OK, cool. Some people don't know it takes a few minutes after shut down for oil to drain down.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My Saturn has used a quart every 800 miles since it had 25,000 miles on it. It now has 118,000 miles and has gotten no worse. I argued with Saturn about it but they have said if it gets over 1 quart per 500 miles they will re-ring the motor. It has not. Its a well documented problem with certain GM motors, especially the Saturns and Cobalts. Never had 1 single problem with the engine, plenty of other things, but not the engine. Well that is not true, replaced a coil pack.

Anyway, if its doing it now make them make it right. I would not stand for that on a new truck.



Chris

 

[ToadHill]

I bought a Ford Ranger in 1987 and it used 1/2 quart of oil from mile 1 until my first change at 3000 miles. I sold it at 275,000 miles and it used 1/2 quart between oil changes.

 

[DieselPower]

A new engine will use more oil than a broken in one will. If the piston rings have not completly seated yet it allows some oil to get by. I would put some more mileage on it and keep a eye on the oil consumption. If it does not start to go down I would start asking at the dealership.

 

[Skyco]

With 1100 miles on it I'd go out and run the out of it, both hard acceleration and deceleration without using the brakes, downshift the trans manually if it is an automatic. Then I'd change the oil and filter.
Sometimes they just get babied too much to seat the rings well.