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Chevrolet Impala heavy oil consumption

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Comments

  • 06impalals06impalals Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Impala LS with the 3.5 V6 with 115000 miles on it. it doesnt burn or leak oil, BUT for some reason i use 3-4 quarts every 2000 miles. i was going to replace the pcv valve but its not equipped with one!! any ideas PLEASE!!! i went on a 400 mile trip this past weekend and used 2 quarts of oil .
  • autumn55mnautumn55mn Member Posts: 6
    I have the same car and had the same problem. The dealer just got the ok from GM to replace the intake valve and all the other seals around it at no cost to me as they determined that was the problem. My car has only 45,000 miles and didn't have such severe usage as you have but what they found was the usage increased the closer I got to the 3,000 miles without changing the oil. I was told the problem is fixed but will be watching it closely.
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2008 50 Aniversary Impala that has the same problem I read about here. I noticed on long trips, I was using a great deal more oil than in city driving, once running nearly dry. My dealer now has me on the familair consumption test, but has already documented the heavy usage each time I return from a trip. I have even taken it to Chevy dealers in the distant city and document that they added a quart after a 350 mile trip. When asked, the dealer tells me they have never seen this problem in an Impala! From this message stream, I guess I'm not hearing the truth from them.
  • autumn55mnautumn55mn Member Posts: 6
    After I completed the consumption test, the dealer sent the information to Chev. The dealer replaced all the seals and gaskets stating that the cause was "leaking valve guilde seals. This work took several days but as they had given me a 2012 Chev to drive, it was not a problem for me.
    I also noticed that the consumption seemed to increase as I was getting nearer to the time for the oil change.
    One other item is that I kept the dealership informed about this website and my responses about their service.
    Good luck to you.
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    I'm still enduring the consumption test. Just was in for the scheduled oil change and continued to discuss this issue with the Dealer. They are still maintaining the company (GM) line that... "expected oil usage for this car is 1 quart every 2,000 miles". I find that totally unexceptable. I also shared the information from these postings, and he just shrugged off information from "blogs" or non-GM websites. I've also advised the dealer that it seems my lifelong loyalty toward GM might be at an end. And now I have to make another hi way trip where I'll be nearly out of oil by the time I reach my destination (350 miles) like the 3 trips before. Getting to know the GM dealers that as much as this one at home! This just doesn't sound like the image GM keeps trying to convince us they are. Pretty sad...
  • howards_411howards_411 Member Posts: 1
    I also owned an 2006 Impala SS that consumed far to much oil. My gut feeling says the root cause is caused by the displacement on demand. Like everyone else, oil consumption was far heaver on the highway compared to city driving.

    While driving to Chicago from Indiana I notice an issue when the engine went from 4 cylinders to 8. I could only replicate this problem If I drove 65-70mph on 4 cylinders anywhere from 5-8 miles without engaging all eight cylinders. After the extended 4 cylinder mode driving I would gently press the gas to engage all 8 cylinders and a plum of smoke would exit the exhaust. I am not talking about a small amount of smoke either, It was a significant amount.

    The challenge is to keep your car from engaging all 8 cylinders for an extend period of time. A neighbor who owns a 2007 was able to replicate the exact same problem Has anyone also notice this problem?
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    The latest in this never-ending story is that the dealer added some dye to the oil, then after 500 miles, scoped the engine and under carriage with a black light. I'm still waiting to hear the results but this was supposed to prove the oil wasn't leaking somewhere. A total of 3 different GM dealers have checked every inch of the vehicle and could not find any leak. But anything they want to do to prove the problem is consumption rather than leaking, I'll endure. I just want the problem addressed and fixed. But they still seem extremely reluctant to admit any problem. There was even a factory letter GM published about the 8 cylinder Impala. Same problem but the letter doesn't address my 6-cyl Impala. I'll share the info the dealer offers me (if any); it looks like I'll have to call them because they haven't called me like they promised, and its been over a week. Customer service - what a crock.
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    After 5 - 6 months of the oil consumption test, and the dye, I had the "check engine" light come on, with a traction warning (while driving in a snow storm) so I had them look at that while doing the next oil consumption check. Several things were "discovered" -
    Steering Fluid gear leaking - replaced
    Tie Rod Ends loose - replaced
    Small Leak from Intake Gasket - replaced gasket
    Front Crank Seal leaking - replaced seal
    Trans Fluid leak - replaced trans line fitting

    Gasket replacement covered by factory warranty
    All else covered by extended warranty

    We will see if this solves the problems. I'll take it back in 500 miles for another oil consumption check. Does seem to be a lot of "problems" in a car only 4 years old and 51,000 miles! My trust in this car has been severely compromised. I see a trade in near future!
  • leisure40leisure40 Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2006 Impala SS, we bought it new and it it using 1 qt every 1000 miles, told the dealer and there answer was it is acceptable to Chevy to use this amount of oil in this engine, GM wil do nothing about it, but I have owned Chevy all my life and am serously thinking about buying Kia or ford, I have been told that the oil is getting burned up in the catalytic converters and this is why you dont see the smoke , and there are no leaks anywhere, If someone has an answer as to how to remedy this with GM or what to do, I would really appreciate it,
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    My 2008 had the same problem (see earlier posts). Finally they agreed to replace gaskets where they claimed they found "small" oil leaks - this after 6 months of an oil consumption test. I don't have the invoice handy now to identify exactly what they did but I mentioned all the work done in an earlier post within the past week. If you can't find the post, let me know and I can reply again with more info. Dealer had told me the same thing - the GM line is that a quart per 1000 miles was "acceptable". I raised the roof because that wasn't acceptable to me at all. I have to believe they found it when they added a dye to the oil when they changed it once (part of the consumption test) then scoped it with a black light after 500 miles or something like that. It took another problem for them to fix both the oil issue and the other issue that came up - the gasket replacement was covered by factory warranty, and the rest by an extended warranty. Good luck ... I know what a hassle you are experiencing.
  • oileatingchevyoileatingchevy Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2012
    Too much BS going on ! My 2008 Impala will suck the oil pan dry long before its due for a oil change. Same story taking car in for 20 min sit & wait, to check oil every 500 miles. The wife drives it to work 80 expressway miles round trip a day, plus her other shopping so almost 100 miles a day. Its sitting at the dealer day 2 now for another check engine light on. I found a Chevrolet Customer Relations Department # 800-222-1020 the lady was nice and said they will call the dealer today she even gave me a case # a phone# ext# as I told her, I will make signs of my car drinking out the hood with a baby bottle of oil, put them on the both sides front & rear and park it in front of every chevy dealer in town, I will make a unhappy chevy owner picket sign and have some of the internet emails to show interrest people thinking of buying a chevy! with chevy saying using 1 quart of oil every 1000 or 2000 miles is OK ! It dont leak a drop of oil, its not in the cooling system, so its burning it ! even if no sign of smoke !
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Good afternoon oileatingchevy,

    I'm happy to hear you've been in touch with our Customer Assistance Center - do you have a case number (71-**********)? I would be happy to check in on it to see if there are any updates for you.

    It is correct that the accepted rate of oil consumption in passenger vehicles is 0.946 liter (1 qt) in 3200 km (2000 mi). All engines require oil to lubricate and protect the load bearing and internal moving parts from wear including cylinder walls, pistons and piston rings. When a piston moves down its cylinder, a thin film of oil is left on the cylinder wall. During the combustion process, part of this oil layer is consumed. As a result, varying rates of oil consumption are accepted as normal in all engines.

    Other factors can affect oil consumption, including continuous driving at high speeds/high RPMs may increase oil consumption (because this may not always be an everyday occurrence, it is hard to determine exactly how much the oil economy will be affected) and engine wear (piston scuffing, excessive piston-to-wall clearance, tapered or out of round cylinders, worn, damaged or improperly installed valve guides, seals and piston rings will all cause an increase in oil consumption).

    Again, I'm happy to check into your case if you wanted to get that number to me!

    Regards,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • oileatingchevyoileatingchevy Member Posts: 4
    Like I told Gm Customer Service , I made signs w/ pictures of my car drinking oil, a picket sign that said UNHAPPY CHEVY OWNER ! I parked it in front of 4 Chevy dealer lots, only took 5 mins for them to come out and talk to me. They were all nice to me except one , who called the cops on me, but its not against the law to picket, just keep moving, be nice, dont block people or cars ! He later came around to my way of thinking and said he will make some phone calls and try to help. I gave them all the case # names ect. only took 15 - 20 mins at each place. One of the Bigger Chevy dealers said they already fixed a car with the same problem before, and would gladly check into it, make some calls and call him back Monday morning, ended up taking the car there at 11:00 he gave the wife a 2012 loaner car. Car was ready next morning they did the heads, and also found the intake manifold gasket was leaking but not on the ground, they found it with mirrors. We bought 3 new chevys from our small town Chevy dealer in 2009, where we buy our next car ?
  • mr79hurstmr79hurst Member Posts: 4
    I want to buy a new 2014 Impala as soon as they come out. New one really great looking but I don't trust that 3.6 engine. After reading about it in the Cadillac and its been out a few years and do they try to change for the better or do they just keep building the way it is. I have a 2009 Impala LTZ with the 3.9 and its a great car. Change oil 3-4000 and dealer always checks before change and its always full. Thats bs that a quart to 700-900 is normal. I had over 65 cars in my life time and the most oil I had one burn was a quart to 1200-1500. I would like hear from someone who has 2012 with 3.6 or other GM with that engine. I've read most of the Cadillac complaints. I can't believe GM would keep building that bad of engine and not improve it and not take care of the customers who have already purchased them.
  • bgvettebgvette Member Posts: 1
    i have also have had the same problem with my ss impala and after about a year of going threw the same thing with the dealer i got hooked up with the excutive dept.in detroit they did agree that there was a issue and just last week put new pistons and rings in my engine.I have not put many miles on the car yet but it has a lot more power.....time will tell....good luck
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    I also have the 3.9 V6 in a 2007 Uplander. It has 66k miles and does not use any oil between oil changes. I use Mobil1 and change the oil every 3k miles. A quart or two every 1k or 2k miles is ridiculous for a new car, especially a luxury car like a Cadillac. I agree with you, stay away from the 3.6. It's a poorly designed and engineered engine. Good luck with your next purchase.
  • cjbscjbs Member Posts: 1
    We bought a 2008 Chevy Impala last spring from a dealership. The car only had about 23,000 miles, excellent condition inside and out. We noticed when checking the oil it was barely reading on the stick,so called dealership and they did not say much about it and changed the oil again. Then, it was very low again on stick and first thought " It's using oil because it was not leaking oil . Then, the dealership sent us to the Chevy dealership and they replaced a seal ,said it was a small leak . Then, it is still reading about 1 notch on stick and we are upset about this whole situation. Should this be considered a lemon car and pursue under the lemon law act ? It is still under warranty but we do not want this car because we know it will be nothing but continued problems . Please give us any feedback on this.
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    My 2008 went thru that for about 6+ months, with trips to the dealership every 500 miles for a consumption test (they checked the oil). Finally after another idiot light showed up (check engine) they kept it for a day checking it forward and backward. They found at least 3 "small" leaks, which took them 3 days to fix. It was all done under warranty but it was the idea that they kept telling me there was nothing wrong before they had to chase down the check engine light. Even told me the loss of oil was within toleration by the factory. So far their fixes seem to have done the trick. I even get better gas mileage if my last road trip is any indication. I've entered several posts here related to the on-going issue from months past. Search my id and you should get a feel for what I went thru. Keep at them and don't take their glib excuses; demand better service than that! I love the car but was very very disappointed in how they handled my questions and complaints. Good luck! ID=onemorebob
  • mbohlembohle Member Posts: 2
    have a 2006 cts with same engine.have 96,000 on it,but has been using 1 qt every 1000 miles,dealer and gm swear this is normal.got new oil 4,000 miles ago. checked crank case oil level doesn't register, both dealer and gm want me to pay 90.00 for oil change and 236.00 for oil consumption test. gm knows engine loses oil 53 pages of cts complaints on edmunds,com.
    have driven chevies for years-my opinion,buy base impala-no frills-drive it until it falls apart.
    had a lumina that had 150,000 miles on it.all did was change air filter,oil filters,rotate tires and put on tires when needed.would still have car if woman had not run a stop sign and totaled car.
    for a fun ride get a stang,fast and friendly
    gm got public money and will now sell their high end cars to welfare queens, take'm back when they don;t pay and than selle;m again
  • impalapete1976impalapete1976 Member Posts: 1
    :lemon: I hope not . I have a 2008 impala lt with 45,000 miles have the same problem. No leaks what so ever. Added 2 quarts last week and a 1/2 pint yesterday. What the hell. Dealer next week thanx to my 5 day drill. Keep you guys posted when they check it out.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    We're looking forward to your update, impalapete1976. If you would like to get in contact with us, feel free to send us an email with any inquiries you may have at socialmedia@gm.com

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • lovemyimpalalovemyimpala Member Posts: 1
    I love my 2007 Impala, so I'm totally disappointed. My "Low Oil" light came on. The dealer told me I should never be low on oil unless I have a leak or it's burning too much. I haven't seen any spots on my driveway, but I have smelled a faint burnt oil smell. I got an oil change last week and I'm already seeing less on the dipstick. I'm taking it in for service on Friday. After reading these posts, I'm afraid it may get costly! I just hope they find out what's wrong the first time.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Good afternoon lovemyimpala,

    We hope that the service visit on Friday goes well; if you want for us to check into the situation further please email us at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and the name of your dealership).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • rba13rba13 Member Posts: 1
    Any update. Make sure you keep pestering them. GM fed me a line of bull, until my car was out of warranty. I wish there was a simple fix for this.
  • impalapete76impalapete76 Member Posts: 4
    Hi Sarah, this is just an update on my 2008 Impala. Well the same issue is going on. This is the 3rd time that my dipstick has no oil. The car has only 49831 miles on it and recently did an oil change at 48170 miles approx. My wife drove it down to NYC from Felts Mills NY which is only 340 miles apporx. she had to add 2.5 quarts of oil and I believe that is excessive oil to add. Also she had to add coolant almost a gallon. This issue needs to be fixed. The complaint number I have is 71-1105851756 and the dealership all they can tell me is that oil change is needed and thats not the problem. I love the vehicle but this issue needs to be fixed. If you can help me I will greatly appreciate it. Im deployed now so any info please feel free to email me at peterpoo4eva@yahoo.com thank you. :mad:
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello impalapete76,

    I just checked in on that case and see that it is currently with your District Specialist, who is doing their best to check into this further. I will make your agent aware of your post and concerns and do my best to keep an eye on it. As your current agent is with a more specialized group within customer service, I will not be able to take the case over or anything like that, but I can keep you updated.

    Thank you for your service to our country!
    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • 2009_impala2009_impala Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2009 Impala with 54,000 miles and am exhibiting the same loss of oil described above. I have been using full synthetic since when I purchased the car at 10,000 miles. In the last six months, I have twice been alerted that my oil is low and to stop the car. Each time, the oil was 2.5 quarts low... I am going to follow up on this with the dealer and will provide an update on what I find out.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    2009_impala,
    Looking forward to your update!
    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    Is the engine in your vehicle a 3500 or 3900 V6? Or is it the V8?
  • impalapete76impalapete76 Member Posts: 4
    Well obviously since my wife is taking care of the car because Im deployed. Here is a update. Once again DAMN OIL CHANGE, and they having my wife coming every thousand miles, the funny thing is my warrenty ends in febuary. So I told her to take the car at the end of this month that they can check it. Until then I wont know. I will keep updateing when I get the word. I do feel you guys pain. But since I was a GM Tech back in the day I am familiar with GM vehicles so worst comes to worst Ill do the job myself since the dealer is giving me the run around. :mad:
  • katz69katz69 Member Posts: 2
    Just had my second oil change since November 2012 as indicated by the "change oil soon" message. This makes the second time I was told that no oil showing on dipstick. I have a 2009 Impala LTZ 3.9 liter with only 60,000 miles....something is bad wrong here as this car should not be using that much oil!!! Looks like I am losing some through the exhaust..... I am very disappointed! This is my third Impala I have owned and never seen anything like this. Sad to say...getting rid of it soon to trade in on a new 2013 Ford Explorer. Goodbye GM, I am done!
  • katz69katz69 Member Posts: 2
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    katz69,
    Have you already gotten this evaluated by a dealership to see what may be going on? If you want for us to follow up on this with your dealer (if involved), please send us more information via email at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and a summary of the situation).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • impalapete76impalapete76 Member Posts: 4
    Hi Sarah,

    Well they finally found out what is wrong with my 2008 Impala 3.9 and hopefully this will resolve the problem. Its something to do with the vavles , I'm thinking valve seals or valve guides. Well they taking the vehicle Monday 8th of April and keeping it up to a week. I will keep everyone updated once the job is done. Oh yeah I lost about 2 qts. in 800 miles according to oil consumption test.
  • marvinlee1marvinlee1 Member Posts: 51
    Car companies are capable of building low-oil consumption cars, and most do. High oil consumption on recently-engineered cars reflect bad engine quality that the dealer and manufacturer often prefer to ignore. Some engine problems that can exist to cause high oil consumption include: Worn engine boring tools on the manufacturing line. Mistakes in engineering such as specifying non-optimal piston rings. Out-of-tolerance parts such as pistons and rings. Leaky oil seals. Distorted engine block. Mistakes in machine-tightening of cylinder head bolts at factory. Yes, factory production machines can go out of tolerance. Incorrect cylinder honing at factory. Occasionally, though less often in modern engines, the engine block may have been poorly designed. Etc.

    Any car other than professional racing cars should easily get two thousand miles per quart of oil. That level of normal oil economy includes domestic brands, foreign brands, and pickup trucks. Excessive oil consumption threatens the environment, adds owner cost, and increases customer inconvenience.
  • chevygirl37chevygirl37 Member Posts: 3
    Hi ImpalaPete76,

    I don't know if you're still on here at all but I have an Impala LT '08; bought it brand new and has the same problem you describe with your Impala 09. I'm thinking of taking it in to have it looked at. I've been scared since money is tight but something needs to be done. My Mom and I want to go on a trip for Thanksgiving to visit family and I'm afraid to drive the car on a long trip (being 2 women alone). Was just wondering what the outcome was of your vehicle? Was it resolved? Is your car running OK now?

    Hope to hear from you.
  • chevygirl37chevygirl37 Member Posts: 3
    Hi Sarah,

    I am experiencing the same problem with my Impala LT 2008. Oil consumption issue; my Mom and I want to take a trip to visit family for Thanksgiving but I am scared to take it on any long trip (690 miles there and back). It sounds as if the problem must be 1 or more displaced valve seals. It's the only thing that makes sense. No leaking oil, no smoke from the tail pipe. So there isn't a leak and it's not burning oil. It has 59355 miles on it; have barely driven the car. Change the oil regularly and always have since the day I bought it brand new. Was shocked when I took the car in for an oil change and the technician tells me there was no oil on the dip stick!! What?!?!? I take care of my elderly mother and I cannot risk taking this car on a trip and having it break done when my Mom has a heart condition. We just paid the car off too... :( Cannot believe it!!

    Please help...
  • impalapete76impalapete76 Member Posts: 4
    Well the out come of the vehicle was the valve guides were bad they replaced them a couple valves and spark plugs because they had oil on them , that fixed the problem. If your vehicle is still under warranty have them do an oil Consumption test this will determine how much oil you loosing. When I did mine we drove down to NYC in which is about 350 miles from where I live and in total 700 miles , do not add oil if you do this but if the engine fails it's not your fault you will just end up getting a new one if your under warranty, besides the point I lost 2 1/ 2 quarts of oil and they fixed right away, I ended up trading it in for a 2013 Buick verano.
  • chevygirl37chevygirl37 Member Posts: 3
    Thank you so much for responding to me so fast! That is so strange I was thinking about trading it in for a Verano as well but didn't want to start having a car payment again since I just paid this one off. My Mom and I want to drive home to Jersey from South Carolina. Since the car is now out of warranty I'm going to take it to local mechanic that works on engines and see if he can fix it for me :)

    By the way how is the Verano working out? I've heard that it also has engine problems and that's what steered my away from it besides having payments.

    Thank you again for your input! You've been a great help!
  • onemorebobonemorebob Member Posts: 7
    my 2008 LT (50 year anniversary) went thru the oil comsumption test for several months. another issue came up causing the engine light to come on and they found some very "minor" leaks i think around the manifold. while they were in there they finally tracked down the problem of losing oil - seals around the valves? not positive what the actual items they fixed but whatever they finally did fixed all the problems. plus it increased my gas mileage! luckily i had an extended warranty so that covered all the work - about 2 grand worth of work. i now have 70,000 miles on it with no further problems.
  • m_engineerm_engineer Member Posts: 2
    Same problem for me. Second time. 2008 impala LTZ with 3900 V6 and active fuel management. We do a lot of town and some highway driving. Car operates in 3 cyl mode a lot of time. Could the non-active cylinders be letting oil past the rings because there is no combustion pressure to seat the rings? I know the system switches between groups of three to avoid fouling the plugs. I cannot find any evidence of external leak and no obvious smoke emissions from exhaust. Sure would like an anwer from Chevy technical people.
  • m_engineerm_engineer Member Posts: 2
    Forgot to say mileage 49000
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,742

    Could the non-active cylinders be letting oil past the rings because there is no combustion pressure to seat the rings?

    I know the system switches between groups of three to avoid fouling the plugs. I cannot find any evidence of external leak and no obvious smoke emissions from exhaust.

    Sure would like an anwer from Chevy technical people.

    The most common cause has been the use of products that did not meet GM's engine oil specification. There was a lot of noise that served to confuse consumers and even shops over the years. The claims of "equivalent to" the actual spec even were used to shout down technicians who tried to get the word out and some "experts" even tried using the angle that requiring "special" oils was nothing more than a money grab by the manufacturer and the shops. GM's 6094M and 4718M specifications were obsoleted in 2010 and superseded with the dexos specification which then went all the way back to 2004 models. The correct products that truly met the manufacturers specifications reduced piston ring deposits (among a dozen other requirements) compared to products that only met the API and ILSAC specifications.

    Compression is not required for the oil control rings to do their jobs.

    Articles like this one http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/do-i-have-to-use-the-manufacturers-oil.html (and take special note of the Valvoline representative's comments about the GM dexos requirement ) served to support consumers choices to just go for cheaper products. Today Valvoline has reversed their position and now have a licensed dexos product. http://www.centerforqa.com/gm/dexos1-brands

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