CW5150

Had my truck about 3 months now. When I first got it I swapped the engine, trans and dif all over to synthetic. Never really checked the oil before I did the swap because I checked it when I bought it (just had a conventional oil change) and it had only been a couple of weeks. I checked it about two weeks ago and it was about a quart low. I added half just a precaution to not over fill (new synthetic is hard to see on the dipstick sometimes). I just checked it again today and there was just a small spot on the end of the dipstick. I see no drips at all in my driveway, and eventhough it is a daily driver there are times when it will sit there for a couple of days. I see a little oil underneath, but that could be just residual from the change (oil everywhere from the filter...got an idea to fix that the next time). I've probably gone about 1,000 miles since the change and have now put an extra quart in...although it may not have been totally full when I did the change (5 qts with filter change).
So just wondering how much oil you guys go through between changes so I can determine if there is an issue or not.

BMcEL

Less than a quart every 3k.

TNRabbit

What oil & weight?

I use about 2-3 quarts in 8000 miles.

CW5150

Mobil 1 10W-30. I'll check it tomorrow after a short drive and keep an eye on it. Just not sure where it would be going...

ksti

^ About the same

Also note in the FSM it states-

4.0 US qts. w/o oil filter

4.5 US qts. with oil filter

5.1 US qts. Dry fill

How many miles are on your rig?. Just wondering why the switch to synthetic?

CW5150

Yeah...that was about right. Put in 5 when I changed it, now up to 6. I have used synthetics in a lot of my vehicles and it has always been good. Just under 150k and looking for at least another 100k. Wondering if maybe some seals are seeping now. Guess I will just keep an eye on it.

MudHippy

Before new pistons and rings ~1qt. per 1500 miles. Used to burn quite a bit(~225k miles).

After new pistons and rings ~1qt. per 4000 miles. Now it seems like it hardly burns any.

Shell ROTELLA® T Triple Protection® 15W-40.

TNRabbit

FYI: I changed to Amsoil 0W-40 & my oil usage dropped significantly. It also goes up when I rev the engine over 4000 rpm....

BMcEL

I run Rotella T6 5w40 BTW. 260k+ miles.

85gijunk4x4

about 3 quarts every week in my 85. thats one reason i stopped driving it...spent more money oil then i did gas .....seriously...

honest to goodness, if i started it up, took it around the block and really whaled on it, i could see a noticable drop in the oil level.

but on a serious note, between my multiple rigs (not counting the 85) I'd say average 1 to 1-1/2 using either 5 or 10w30 depending on season.

granted, oil changes usually happen alittle later then 5k, sometimes close to 6

ksti

Then it sounds like a 1/2 quart to much to start with. Not trying to sound insulting, but i would put it on as level ground as you can find and re-check oil level and see where it's at.

Pat8942

Maybe you should check the oil after you change it to make sure it's full, then you will know for sure how much oil you're using. You guys are driving me nuts with the non problems and the exotic elaborate fixes for things that really don't need fixing,just my 2 cents and no disrespect intended

blake.nemitz

i used to run synthetic but with high miles my motor drank it like kool aid. i switched over to rotella 15-40 and it doesnt consume any anymore

CW5150

OK...first off I know enough to check my oil when parked on level ground. Second, all I was saying with the level when I changed it was I think I left it a little short of "F" because I added what should have been the correct amount per the FSM and being my first change on this engine I didn't want to overfill. I was simply asking what other people see in terms of normal oil consumption between oil and filter changes.
Thanks to those of you who actually responded to the topic question.

BMcEL

Who are you and what the hell are you talking about?

MudHippy

What he's saying is that when you change the oil and filter you should make sure to fill the engine oil to the FULL mark on the dipstick. Then make note of the miles on the odometer when it was filled. Then at any time during the interval between changing the oil and filter again you can monitor the amount of oil lost by simply refilling it completely FULL again. Just by making note of the amount of oil it took to refill it to FULL again and comparing that to the miles on the odometer currently. How ever much oil it took to refill it after whatever amount of miles the engine's run since you the last time you refilled it, and/or since the last time you changed it, is how much was lost/"consumed" during that interval. Basic math.

Why he's suggesting that is because it doesn't seem as though the OP is making any realistic attempt to carefully keep track of how much oil he's putting into his engine and when. If he did, then he'd know how much his engine is "consuming"/losing relative to the amount of miles the engine has run since oil was added. It would then be a "non problem".(Which makes complete sense to me.)
That's all well and good. And you're welcome.

But what I still can't quite figure out myself is, how much oil is yours consuming? And/or what's normal in your book?

BMcEL

Where exactly are the 'exotic elaborate fixes'? The question was 'how much oil do you use between changes' and I don't see a single 'exotic elaborate fix' posted. I understood his first sentence, ya smartass.

BTW, the Ed Gein avatar is a little creepy lol.

ksti

[QUOTE=BMcEL;51968190]Where exactly are the 'exotic elaborate fixes'? The question was 'how much oil do you use between changes' and I don't see a single 'exotic elaborate fix' posted. I understood his first sentence, ya smartass.

CW5150

I have gone about 2K miles since changing it and have used 6qts...so about 1.5 extra. I did have an issue with my starter for about 10 days and noticed because it was hard to start it would smoke a little when turning over (normally don't notice any) so maybe there was a little used there. Again, I don't see any leaks or signs there off when parked...of course that doesn't mean there aren't any. I was planning 5K change intervals with synthetic so I will report back through the rest of this cycle and let you guys know if I find anything. Thanks for the responses and input.