Engine is new, consuming oil, which oil is best?

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Ring seating is mostly done within the first 50 miles of the engine life. Either you get it right or you don't. And we are talking about gas rings not oil. During this you also can get it wrong that cause permanent damage. That is why your manual says no full throttle in early stage from full stop (low gear). Full throttle can be used and should be used but at HY cruising speed for 30 secs and then let go till rings are cooled otherwise get glazed. Repeat a few times and it is set.
In his case what is done or not done it is over with too many miles. He can try but not sure it'll change.
 
Originally Posted By: Noey


Yeah? So, how do you explain gulping down a quart every thousand miles?

People once believed the world was flat, too. They were convinced, after all, they always experienced the world as flat. That's until someone showed them it wasn't so.

The guys has a problem with his engine, likely caused by his adolescent response to having a zoom zoom car. Most folks don't run a performance car flat out on a consistent basis until everything has seated. That some have gotten away with this isn't the issue, it's that he apparently has not.

The safe, even *Gasp!* scientific way of demonstrating this..if the damage isn't permanent, which we can find after the inevitable tear down... is to back off for a while and see what happens.

What exactly is the problem with that?


I gave several valid points to your first rude and uninformed post. Insulting him with your keyboard may make you feel better but it added absolutely nothing to the discussion.

The engine likely gulps oil due to either a manufacturing defect or an improper break in procedure. The fact that you are somehow unaware of normal procedures for high performance engine break in does not prove anything at all. Neither does your obvious disdain for his 'zoom zoom' car.

Got anything meaningful?
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
In that case, switch it over to a high mileage 5W-30 that'll be thicker in grade like Castrol GTX HM.

I'd keep the experimentation to a minimum while trying to get something (anything) done under warranty in this case. I'd put nothing in there right now except a 5w-30 that has the big dexos1 logo on it. There's no point in giving GM more ammunition in this.
 
Originally Posted By: CaspianM
Ring seating is mostly done within the first 50 miles of the engine life. Either you get it right or you don't. And we are talking about gas rings not oil. During this you also can get it wrong that cause permanent damage. That is why your manual says no full throttle in early stage from full stop (low gear). Full throttle can be used and should be used but at HY cruising speed for 30 secs and then let go till rings are cooled otherwise get glazed. Repeat a few times and it is set.
In his case what is done or not done it is over with too many miles. He can try but not sure it'll change.


Five of the last six cars that we bought new were driven home at speed on the highway. I even took the '99 Accord to 100 mph on the way home just for grins.
The other was brought here for us from a dealer in Indy.
I'm sure that the delivery driver didn't spare the horses on his way here.
Maybe there is something to high loads at lower revs early in an engine's life, since none of these cars, most now gone, had any unusual oil consumption through their lives with us, which for the departed cars exceeded 150K in all cases and 200K in one.
 
I've noticed that not a single person in this whole thread has even suggested to the OP to pull the spark plugs, and see if one of them is oil fouled, which would indicate that there's an issue in one or more cylinders.

So I will:

Hey GM4LIFE:

You should consider pulling the spark plugs, and see if any are oil fouled.
That much oil being burned might show up somewhere.

BC.
 
There is only one way to reseat rings when they are not properly broken-in:

bon_ami_powder_cleaner_1_1_2013.jpg
 
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GM4LIFE. I didn't read every single response but a few members suggested to drive it normally. I totaly agree. Start at 2000 miles and make sure oil is at the full mark. For the next 1000 miles drive the car normally. Then see if the usage is gone.
 
I have only had one GM use oil every 1k and it got 300k when engine was changed. I worked at GM dealership for most of 20 years before I got hurt and yes GM says it is normal. Most if not all had oil changes to early or engine braking with a standard transmission when new and GM would call this abuse. You have to be careful cause if you want to make them mad they can pull up top speed or average speed as well at high rpm numbers and label it abuse and void warranty. I normally would give customer a warning before I said anything. Remember new cars have computers that tech calls tattle tales. Not only Chevy but all manufactures some are worse than others. Think of car insurance company promising lower rates if they plug their tool into your computer to see if you qualify. Some engines aren't affected as some are depends on quality of work at factory. New engine may or may not use oil just a chance you take if they did give you another.
 
Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
I have only had oil consumption issues with two new GM LSx equipped vehicles. First one was my 2006 CTS-V with the LS2 engine and this 2014 CTS-V Coupe. Both of them were manuals which I feel is the reason why. Manual equipped cars run at much higher RPMs than automatic equipped cars. I haven't had any issues with any other GM LSx based engines.

It is not true that stick shift manuals will automatically result in higher oil consumption, unless you drive it hard from the get go and always change the gears after RPM limit for the shift is reached. RPM is higher ONLY if you dive it that way and not by default. Auto transmission cars shift at pre-defined optimum RPMs for every gear shift. But in manual transmission cars the driver can actually even further IMPROVE from this pre-defined max RPM by adjusting to a soft driving style !
 
With 1.0L per 1000 miles of oil use you will never need to change the engine oil again.

Just change the oil filter at the prescribed OCIs and top up with the 5w-30 oil.

Topping up in this way the oil will have fresh additives replenished.

Not sure what the excess usage means to the rest of emission system affecting the CATs etc.
 
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Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
My question here on this forum was simply if there was an oil brand I can switch to that would decrease the consumption or an oil brand that would withstand evaporation better in the high heat this engine produces.


The car in my signature is notorious for burning oil due to inverted rings at assembly. I've used various brands of 10w-40 and 0w-40 oils based on the viscosity that the manual recommends. Almost all of them - conventional or synthetic - were burned at 0.5 to 1 qt per 1k miles. The only brand that got 0 consumption was conventional Supertech 10w-40 by WPP. That's no longer available at my local WalMart which replaced their ST oils with another supplier - Citgo probably.

I suggest trying ST by WPP in 5w-30 if you can find it. Otherwise, just look at it as a feature. I've learned to live with my 0.5qt/1k mile consumption using Castrol 0w-40 for now. Engine revs smoothly with it all the way up to redline, and it feels peppy again each time I top it off every 1k miles.
 
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Originally Posted By: gregoron
Engine revs smoothly with it all the way up to redline, and it feels peppy again each time I top it off every 1k miles.


So your car starts feeling slower and then when you top it off it feels peppier again?

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Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
In that case, switch it over to a high mileage 5W-30 that'll be thicker in grade like Castrol GTX HM.

I'd keep the experimentation to a minimum while trying to get something (anything) done under warranty in this case. I'd put nothing in there right now except a 5w-30 that has the big dexos1 logo on it. There's no point in giving GM more ammunition in this.


Gotta disagree..

Thicker oil should be the FIRST thing to try... cheap, harmless experimentation that MIGHT reduce oil consumption a little, or a lot...

And, no it won't hurt your engine... really. Regardless of what SOME people believe...!
 
Originally Posted By: geeman789
Thicker oil should be the FIRST thing to try... cheap, harmless experimentation that MIGHT reduce oil consumption a little, or a lot...

And, no it won't hurt your engine... really. Regardless of what SOME people believe...!

Of course a thicker oil won't hurt his engine. I was talking about giving GM ammunition, not about ruining motors. 20w-50 will work just fine. But, considering he may have a major "debate" with his dealer over this yet, it would be wise to follow the manual. When GM wants dealers to monitor consumption on a problematic vehicle, it would only make sense to not be jumping from brand to brand and grade to grade. On the other hand, if he doesn't want GM's help, he can run whatever the heck he wants.
 
Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Why even worry about oil consumption? Just trade it in on a new model next year like your list shows.


I always lease and do short term leases which allow me to get in and out of cars often, but I love the V Coupe so much and since this is the last year of the V Coupe, I can't lease another new one after this, so I may keep this one for 2-3 years.



who cares, he's going to get rid of it in 2-3years. they're going to "buy it back" then
 
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