How much is normal oil consumption

14638 · Jun 27, 2009

my truck has 36,423 I just changed the oil and it seems like I got less out than I put in

:teeth:
On a serious note. I run pennzoil conventional 5w30 the time between my last two oil changes was 5/5-today 6/26 and I trekked 3,794 miles.
My only method of measure was I filled one 5qt pennzoil bottle up to the rim and I had about 2 cupfuls left in my drain pan.
Usually I put in about 6.5 qts. one 5qt, one 1 qt and down to the 500ml line on a quart bottle. so if my half assed guestemation is correct did I consume almost a quart of oil?
I know those bottles aren't filled to the rim from the factory but am I overreacting? Is this normal consumption or do I have an issue here?

silverstar · Jun 27, 2009

The dipstick is a wonderful tool. LOL. Check your dipstick next time. The area in between the top fill line and the bottom mark is 1 qt. My truck, knock on wood, doesn't move on the dipstick in 5k miles. I also run regular pennzoil with a pure one filter. With that low of mileage your truck shouldn't use any oil. Higher mileage engines can sometimes burn up about a qt in between changes.

14638 · Jun 27, 2009

Yeah I shoulda checked the damn dipstick... working at jiffy lube burned out my ****ing common sence I guess

14638 · Jun 27, 2009

went and measured the oil I drained I'm about a quart short, so about how much oil consumption is normal?
Driving habbits affect consumption?
Short trips commute over a hill and a heavy right foot at times are on my list.

sudden urge · Jun 27, 2009

A quart for 3,000 miles would be considered very normal by the auto companies, but I would not be pleased with that amount. Look at your dipstick level today, run it another 3500 miles, then check the dipstick before you drain it. I put in 6.5 quarts w/filter, and that puts me a 1/4" below the max line.

IronHide · Jun 28, 2009

You may have only been .5 of a qt. short. I s/w a Nissan Technician and asked how much oil a Titan takes upon change and he said 7 qts. w/the filter dropped and drained completely.

silverstar · Jun 28, 2009

I put 7 in mine each oil change and it puts it right to the full mark. On an engine that new and in these modern days I would consider even a quart per change unacceptable. These aren't the 70's when it was amazing to see an engine make it to 75k miles. The old air cooled porsche engines drank oil. I remember one that motor trend had as a long term tester and they were putting in a qt. of mobil 1 every 1k miles! But that was the early-mid 90's and things have changed alot since then. Heck nowdays even ferraris and lamborghinis are reliable cars!

BuckeyeTitan · Jun 28, 2009

I know somebody with a 5.7 Toyota Tundra that has to put a quart in every tank of gas, and Toyota says its OK :bangit:. But I put in 6.5 quarts with a filter change about every 3,000-5,000 miles and its always the same on the dipstick before and after the change. So I wouldn't say it's normal that your oil was down but I wouldn't think there is really anything wrong either.

desertruner09 · Jun 28, 2009

I think 1 quart is too much for an engine that is still a relatively young modern engine. I have 72K miles on my truck and there is no noticeable change on the dipstick over a 10,000 mile change interval.

Learjet · Jun 29, 2009

I just towed my travel trailer 2,500 miles round trip and with 63,000 mile on the truck it uses no oil looking at the dipstick.

SaintsTheMetal · Jul 1, 2009

yea, mine burns no oil at all either. at your low mileage I would be a little concerned, but that's just me that gets worried about any tiny thing I hear

HRTKD · Jul 1, 2009

Maybe you didn't fill it up quite as full as you should have on your last oil change. Mine takes 7 quarts and change to get the oil level to the upper line on the dip stick. I let it drain out a good 30 minutes with the plug open and the filter off.

14638 · Jul 2, 2009

im chalking it up to
1. didn't check the stick for once when I drained it.
2. didn't drain the filter out
3. oil left in the pan and in the motor
probably consumed a very minor amount.
I'll keep an eye on it for the next 3,000 and get worried if the stick is dry.

to be clear the operating range between the two dots represents a quart?

mjw357 · Jul 2, 2009

I am thinking it's mostly how you are measuring it. Like you said, oil bottles are not filled anywhere near the top. Look at the side of the bottle, most have little tick marks for ounces/mL, you will see that a quart in one of those bottles is pretty near the bottom of the neck part of the bottle.

silverstar · Jul 2, 2009

yeah the distance between the dots is a quart.

ursman · Sep 15, 2009

...Just my .02 but its absolutely ridiculous to think that using any amount of oil on a properly maintained engine it "acceptable". Damn guys! I'm sure that most of you bought these relatively expensive beasts with a quality product in mind. i know that i did. If your rig is loosing oil, theres a more serious issue at hand. Get it checked pronto!

14638 · Sep 19, 2009

looks like maybe almost a 1/4 of a quart. Too small to notice on the dipstick and I checked it quite a bit this last interval, but by pouring the oil back into containers I came up shy.
I'm convinced after talking it over with my grandpa it's acceptable.
Once you consider the filter holds some, evaporation, and what gets wasted in the motor which does happen or those guys with catch cans would come up dry every time...

along with that temperature and the plastic in the bottles giving and whatnot pffft... I'll live and sleep well.
Well not really but this oil thing isn't bothering me.

hell if I don't find a job soon this truck will be someone elses problem not mine :teeth:

How much is normal oil consumption

14638

silverstar

14638

14638

sudden urge

IronHide

silverstar

BuckeyeTitan

desertruner09

Learjet

SaintsTheMetal

HRTKD

14638

mjw357

silverstar

ursman

14638

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