Chevrolet Impala heavy oil consumption

heyphillip

I just brought this car a month ago and had my first oil change as soon as i got the car. it has 74,000 miles on it and i noticed that it used a quart at about 3,300 miles.I do a lot of driving back and forth to work 100 miles round trip everyday Mon. to Friday all highway miles.does anyone else with the Impala with the 3800 engine experience any oil usage?

mymitties

Hi Phillip,

...I had a 2002 Impala LS with the 3800 V6 just prior to my current '06 LT2 Impala. It had about 89,000 kms (55,600 miles ) when I turned in with absolutely no oil consumption problems at all..!! Sounds like the oil seals my be the culprit here. Sure hope it's not the rings..!!
Let us know what you find out..
Frank

heyphillip

Someone told me to start with replacing the PCV valve. the last owner may not have replaced it at all.

mymitties

Hi again phillip...

Ya' good point in other posting.. It could possibly be the PCV valve ....
Lets hope it is as simple as this...!!!
I have read that if the PCV valve is really clogged, the crankcase pressure forces vapors up through the breather element and oil residue is deposited in the air cleaner housing which eventually contaminates the air filter. Do you see any of this..?? Also, when both the PCV valve and air cleaner element become clogged/contaminated, the crankcase is no longer vented. This now causes the crankcase pressure to increase and results in oil leakage at various gasket surfaces. Do see any of this...??? Finally, a PCV valve that will not open and close properly could direcly affect the air/ fuel mixture and result in a rouger idle and/or hesitation. Do you have this..??
Phillip , were you able to get any background/history of the previous owner's maintenance visits when you got the car. FYI, the PCV valve should have been changed approximatelty every 15,000 miles...

Let us know how you make out...
Frank

heyphillip

No i didn't get the history of the last owner as far as maintaining the car. the only thing i got was that it was an older gentlemen who brought this impala brand new for 29,000 he saved the dealership sticker and put it in the owners Manuel. i was told this gentleman has brought several Chevy's new at this particular Chevy dealership.the sells person told me he traded it for the 2007 LTZ Impala.i took the car to a garaged around the corner from me and what i do know is the air filter is almost new the car had a trans. flush last Oct. the brakes and rotors look as if they have been recently replaced.the sells person who i dealt with told me normally they do not put a used car on there lot with this many miles on it (71,940) but because they knew the gentlemen who owned the car and he took care of it they resold the car as a used car. also i just was told by a body shop that the hood on the car was replaced and the right headlight. they said it looks as if no MAJOR damage was done and for me not to be to concerned about it. the auto body guy said he could tell buy the difference in color in the hood from the rest of the car.they told me they could color match the hood for 280.00 dollars repainted and buffed out. i will get this done in April. i didn't find anything in the car fax that the car was involved in a major accident. the body shop told me car fax doesn't mean anything the owner may have got the car fixed out of pocket and didn't get a accident report from police or report it to the insurance company. if this is the case car fax will not pick this up. i have noticed a little rough idle especially when i am at a light or i stop at a stop sign. Frank other than that the car runs and drives very good.

mymitties

Phillip..

YOU should also check for obvious oil drips underneath, on the ground and blue-ish smoke out the tail pipe...
All signs of oil loss.....
Frank

heyphillip

No blue smoke in fact no smoke at all but i did noticed when replacing the PCV valve this morning 3-25-07 on the passenger side of the corner of the intake manifold there is dried up oil around it. i have not looked under the car for obvious reasons (no jack stand or lift). in fact there are at lease two other areas that have dried up oil but i don't see any wet oil around the engine.what i will do this evening is clean the entire engine with window cleaner and armor all and drive it to see if these areas start to buildup oil again.

mymitties

Phil,

Let's hope that the replacement PCV valve does the trick here.....It doesn't sound like you have any major oil leaks
externally i.e. engine and on the ground.. So at least, this is good !!

Cross your fingers...and keep us posted on this one.
Frank

csandste

A quart in 3300 miles would be considered normal consumption in many new cars let alone one with your mileage.

mymitties

Some oil consumption is considered normal on most cars these days...this we know.. Not all have it though, But 'ya, it's fairly normal...

In my humble opinion, since the industry wide acceptance is around one quart /1000 miles, I personally think that one quart/3300 miles is slightly higher than I would like to see, even for a car with these miles (71,940) ....especially a CHEVY !!

Frank

cnw

Phillip, Check to make sure the oil filter is seated properly and not leaking around the gasket. If the filter gasket sticks to the block, and the new filter is installed, it will produce a leak--might be a little or a lot. I had an interesting experience with that when I was stationed in Turkey. I bought a beater Ford Cortina station wagon to drive back and forth to work. Motor--V6--had been recently rebuilt and it was four-speed standard, dual exhaust, bucket seats and got great gas mileage; pretty decent car even for a Ford, and a good price at $600, even in 1984. Only problem--previous owner said it used oil excessively. He was right--about two quarts per every tank of gas. I checked for leaks under the car--nothing dripping anywhere. I had someone follow me looking for tale-tell blue smoke--nothing, even though there were oil droplets over the rear of the car. Finally, one afternoon I was working on the car and had the engine running; backed away from the car and looked at it--drip, drip,drip, drip--steady stream coming from the oil filter. Since it was due an oil change, I took it to a shop and had it done, new filter, problem solved. Drove the car for 18 months without a problem.
Hope you find the problem soon, and hope it's a simple solution.
Clark

lineman3

I am just going by the last couple of post. Can anyone show me where in writing that the industry standard is 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles? I am not trying to be rude, however that is ridiculous. And if a mechanic or dealer or publication says it, they are just as ridiculous. Motors 30 plus years ago didn't use that kind of oil. There is an inherent use of oil in all internal combustion engines. Can't be helped. However, with a properly working motor, it is minimal. MY 67 pontiac V8 doesn't use a quart every 1000 miles, it doesn't move the level every 3000 miles. I was until recently a master tech for Harley Davidson. None of the motors I built or saw from the factory used oil like that. In fact I would be diagnosing that motor if it did. Oil leaks, valve guides, valve seal, rings, pistons, hone cross hatch, PCV valve, improper ECM/PCM tuning ( too much gas washing down the cylinders of oil ) and the list goes on. Don't accept 1 quart every 1000 miles. In california they call that a gross polluter. Just some thoughts, I am not trying to be dissrespectful to anyone. And if you wish to except that kind of oil usage thats ok too. You just don't have to.

Jeff

mymitties

Hey there Jeff... Sorry man... this seems to have got you a litte irritated..!! :mad:

No your not being rude or disrespectful here...irritated yes, but that's ok...you have the freedom to voice your opinion..
Ya, just go to your computer, type in i.e... auto or car oil consumption in Yahoo or Google and away you go...And wella... different reports, reporters, sites, talk about various experiences & use by car makes/models , by manufactures , and by yes industry standards etc in numerous places.
Hey Jeff, I understand that you are quite passionate about this, but personally speaking, I don't want to get into a big emotional hurrrrang with you over this.. If you think it's ridiculous and unacceptable, fine, you can take-up the issues with those who are reporting and writing on it in various sites..ok !!
The statement I read and reported on was that... " SOME OIL USE IS CONSIDERED NORMAL ON MOST NEW CARS THESE DAYS...NOT ALL THOUGH " etc. etc... The operative words being " MOST NEW" ...I glad to hear that your '67 V8 may not use anything near the so called reported standard oil consumption numbers.. Congratulations here..!!
Personaly, I still think it is a little high at ! quart/1000 miles...Oh well..
But you know, I'm OK...I use absolutely none, and I am very, very happy .!!!!!! Well, case closed here...
Happy motoring....
Frank

heyphillip

I called three different Chevy dealerships on this oil usage and what they tell me is a engine using a quart of oil at 3300 miles is considered a good working engine with this many miles on it according to Chevy specs. they told me that if i took it in for service to see what the problem is there isn't much they can do because 1,000 miles a quart is NORMAL!!!!!. Thats crazy. i explained that my other car a 1995 impala SS with 160,000 miles on it and it uses no oil at all. they said some cars use oil and some don't

quietpro

In my experience, minus cars with obvious oil burning or leaks, I've seen anywhere between 1/2 qt. to 1 qt. between oil changes (3,000 miles), often less.

I have to agree with Jeff on the higher use being a polluter. It's too bad pollution laws aren't tougher and enforced.

Cheers,
Ron

heyphillip

I talked to at this date 10 different dealerships and they all told me the same thing which is CRAZY!! a quart every 1,000 miles is considered NORMAL GM specs. and my LS is in good working order as far as oil consumption.most of the dealerships recommend i start using the high mileage engine oil in my car. the question i have is this oil all hype.. and does it help with oil consumption?

quietpro

From what they advertise with the high mileage oil, it has chemicals in it that help restore some of the elasticity of the seals and other components in older engines that tighten them up...and should/could help reduce oil consumption. They don't cost a whole lot more and I would give it a shot. I would monitor your oil consumption once you switch, give it a fair shot by adding more of the high mileage oil as it is consumed, and see if your consumption starts to drop off a bit. If it doesn't change at all, then the extra money isn't helping but you'll only be out a few bucks from the price of regular oil. If it does help, it will have been a cheap fix.

lineman3

I want to first say that I was not trying to sound irritable, however, I do know that in print I sound that way :confuse: , you are not the first to say so . So hopefully you wont hold it against me as it is not intentional. As for the dealerships, of course they are all going to repeat the corporate company line, trust me they are told what to say, we were too, I just didn't do it. I agree, as I said, some oil consuption is normal and cannot be helped in an internal combustion engine. And no, I too will not get into an emotional arguement back and forth, and I surely hope you will accept my explaination of the way I sound in print seriously, however, I do like a fair discussion on the subject. By the way, my 99 chevy silverado also doesn't use oil between changes, it has 63K on it.

Jeff

lineman3

I want to first say that I was not trying to sound irritable, however, I do know that in print I sound that way :confuse: , you are not the first to say so . So hopefully you wont hold it against me as it is not intentional. As for the dealerships, of course they are all going to repeat the corporate company line, trust me they are told what to say, we were too, I just didn't do it. I agree, as I said, some oil consuption is normal and cannot be helped in an internal combustion engine. And no, I too will not get into an emotional arguement back and forth, and I surely hope you will accept my explaination of the way I sound in print seriously, however, I do like a fair discussion on the subject. By the way, my 99 chevy silverado also doesn't use oil between changes, it has 63K on it.

Jeff

heyphillip

I called the dealership today to get the history of the last owner who brought the car new there they tell me theres a PRIVACY ACT and they can't release that info. WHAT!!!! so if you buy a used car and you ask the dealership for the history of the car you can't get it but they want your money. i don't know if this is nation wide or just in the state of NJ.

mymitties

Hey Jeff..

Nope...Not holding anything against you my friend....
And, you know, I to like a fair discussion !! This is a great forum for this as you can well see...Great guys ( and Gals) here.

Yep...Sure do accept your explanation and everthing is COOl..!! :shades:

Frank

mymitties

Ask the dealer to call the prior owner and to him to call

YOU directly...then you can ask him all the important questions you want!!!

Let us know how you make out..
FRank

mymitties

Hey Phillip
My last message didnt quite come out they way I intended
it to... So, let me try again.. Since they (dealer) won't divulge any information to you.. Ask your salesman if he would call the prior owner for you to see if he( prior owner) would be willing to talk to you directly about the car's history. If so, salesmen can give him YOUR phone number and WWWELLLLLA.

Frank

csandste

FWIW, I'd be concerned about a quart in 1K, but not a quart in 3K. GM's official line, however, is that it's in the normal range. (insert anti-GM rant here)...

http://autotechrepair.suite101.com/article.cfm/032106

I would look into high mileage oils, however.

chrisis30

GM considers up to 1 qt. of oil too 2,000 miles accepptable (this is located in GM ASE software that the GM garage runs on) and if you go to your dealer they will put you on a oil usage chart (a print out paper that they write down your oil usage on a paper and figure it out. (this is the 3.8 engine not sure if other engines have differant allowances)

jamiho

My 06 Impala SS currently has 40,000 km (24,000 mi) and has been using at least 1 litre of oil between oil changes since new. I usually have to add oil after about 2-3,000 miles. I added today with the oil "computer" showing 55% oil life remaining.

I've been buying new GM vehicles since the early 70's and have never before had to add oil between changes....what's going on?

larryo2

Just read your message on the '06 Impala SS oil consumption; I don't have it with me, but will send to you in the next day or so, but GM issued a TSN about two-months ago for the 5.3 Liter. Looks like for some '06 and '07 Impala SS's and some other GM models with this engine there's a nick in one of the valve trains (they have to replace the head and you can get it done under warranty).

I have an '07 Impala SS (got in June '07) with almost 10K miles and no consumption so far, but I keep watching...

quietpro

I have been noticing a higher than normal oil consumption as well. I wouldn't call mine terrible, but noticeable. Between my last oil changes, my car burned a little over a quart over 6,000 miles. I don't consider that to be a problem but I do consider it to be higher than normal since it didn't burn this much between previous oil changes. I had attributed it to an increase in stop and go traffic since commute route changed but I will be keeping a closer eye on it with this latest bit of info. Thanks for the input!

radzilla

Hey larryo, quietpro, jamiho,
I've got an 06 SS as well and have been having similar problems with the oil consumption. Have you guys done anything about it yet to resolve the minor problem. Is there a link to the TSB for the valve train problem.
Thanks!

larryo2

Hello and the TSB number is 07-06-01-007; this was in my local newspaper back in July 2007 and the article goes on to read:

"Several GM models with 5.3-liter engines may be plaged by excessive oil consumption (specifically lists '06 and '07 Impala's). The trouble may be caused by a nick in one of the valve stems. Replacing the cylinder head should seal things up. No mention of extra warranty coverage."

I have about 12,400 miles on my '07 SS (bought in June '07) and so far haven't had any consumption issues ("knock on wood")!!

quietpro

Well, the car consumed just over a quart over the last 6,000 miles. How have the rest of you been faring lately? Any increase in oil consumption? 2,000 of these miles were highway so I'm pretty sure it's either getting worse or stop and go driving has nothing to do with it.

larryo2

Not bad so far (knock on wood) and just checked my oil today (2,000 miles from my last oil change; 14,500 miles on 07 SS) and don't need to add any oil on a mix of highway and city driving. Have you gone back to the dealer and told them about TSB 07-06-01-007 and the "nick in one of the valve stems?" Just curious...

quietpro

No, I haven't brought up the TSB yet. I want to make sure my oil consumption is worse than average. I hate nothing more than being told my car is fine by some jackass behind the counter. All I KNOW at this point is my car is using more oil than any other car I've owned (except my first one that left a small cloud at every stop). I was hoping more SS owners would chime in here.

For you and all other 06+ SS readers, how much oil are you consuming? Please state how many quarts/liters per thousands of miles/KMs. Of course, you Canadians out there could help us Americans by converting back to Imperial standards. Those who say they don't have a problem, is that no noticeable oil between changes or just not enough to require adding oil? Thanks, folks!

martin22

My 2c, Ron: I am relying on the oil life monitor to determine when to change oil. My current driving profile results in an interval of about 9,000 miles. During that interval, I need to add 1 quart which I think is quite reasonable.
Martin

larryo2

Surprised more SS owners are chiming-in, but looks like this TSB effects the Avalanch, Silverado, GMC Envoy, Sierra, Saab 9-7X, Grand Prix, Suburban, Tahoe, and other models with the 5.3 liter; I'll bet there's some oil consumption messages on those boards...

wesleyg

I have an 06 SS with 17K on it now, bought it new and always check my oil level regularly. Since new the car uses about one half to three quarters of a quart every 2 thousand miles. I change the oil at about 3800 miles so that is all I add before the next change.

I had an 04 Impala LS before this with the 3.8 and surprisingly it also used just about the exact same amount of oil in 2 thousand miles. I dont beat on any car but I do drive it briskly. I really find no problem in this amount of consumption. But if I had to add about a quart in one thousand miles this I would be unhappy with.

wbowl99

I know there has been talk of whether it is okay to wait until the oil life indicator said the oil needed to be changed, or go with the ancient standard of every 3K. I've read different views, but both dealership that I have gone to tell me every 3K. At my 3K mark the indicator said I had over 50% of oil life left. So I decided to call the service line. My question to them was, if the owner's manual says the oil change is due according to the oil indicator unless it was reset for some reason, why do dealerships tell you it has to be every 3K miles?

After putting me on hold for about 5 minutes to find the answer, I was told. . . Waiting until the oil life indicator says it needs a change won't hurt your engine or void your warranty and you can do that, but they trusted their dealer service departments and if they said every 3K, that's what it needed to be. Also, it is really better to change it every 3K because the oil starts to break down and it is really better for your engine to do so. :confuse: So if it won't hurt my engine to wait, but after 3K the oil breaks down and could hurt my engine . . :confuse: . .Am I the only one that sees the contradiction in this?

nosirrahg

Your dealer wants you to change your oil (at the dealership) every 3,000 miles so they can make twice as much money as they would if you changed it per the oil life indicator.

FWIW on my 2000 Impala I struggled with this decision, and finally opted to change my oil myself when the monitor told me to and switch to synthetic oil (Mobil-1 in this case). Doing it myself with synthetic costs about what paying someone to do it twice with regular oil would, but I changed it less often (less hassle) and I was comfortable running synthetic for 6k miles. Sold the car last month with over 100k miles on it, added 1/2-qt of oil outside of oil changes over the life of the car, and it was running great when I sold it. I plan to do the same thing with my current vehicle (Jeep) which says in the manual to change oil per the monitor, or every 6 months/6000 miles. I think oils are much better now than they were (as are engines), so I'd be inclined to go by the monitor and not worry too much about it.

martin22

May I refer you to this link title

The article and the follow up comments make interesting reading

I had the first oil change on my SS done at 3k - the subsequent changes are done when the system says so.

cmartin5

Why do they let this ride? I hope they fixed this problem. My Chevy impala started burning oil over the last 4 oii changes. 1.5 quarts of oil at last change @ 81,430. I know all engines can suffer from this especial with high wear (beating on it), mileage, not warming up on cold starts 32or less, improper oil change intervals. but i can say none of these reasons are possible. i have taken care of this old lady at the age of 3 yrs old! burning oil is alright for the environment we live in and the air that are kids breath? Not in a opinion of an engineer or an environmentalist. I would hope that chevy perfected the 4 stroke gasoline engine that they have been making for long f in time you know? If they want to go that way why not bring back the 2-stroke? I believe this is quality issue. material specifications, clearance specifications, engineering error, craftsmanship of worker, or cooperate idea to score more future repairs then realised its happening way sooner than they thought? oopps!! were's the government in this? o yeah they don't drive American cars at home they are so loaded anyway what's engine in there kids new car? 5000 bucks o i'm just going to have buy you that BMW u wanted for Christmas. Mass producing cars in not quite the way to go with lossy materials and designs and poor craftsmanship. Why not make something that Europeans would want to buy at mid range over say BMW 325 or Mercedes C class. And yes that mean's interior and electrical/computer Quality too!

i hope some reads this Cmartin

ryster

This isn't just an issue with Chevy/GM. Take a look at Edmunds' long-term road test blog. They are frequently adding oil to their cars, including their BMWs.

Several years ago I had a new '99 VW New Beetle. The 2.0L 4-cylinder in that car loved to consume oil. At least a quart every 3,000 miles. There was even a note in the owners manual to check the oil level at every fuel fill-up. I kind of laughed at that initially, but then quickly realized it was a necessity with that car.

I currently have a 2006 Impala, purchased new and now just shy of 48,000 miles. The oil consumption in the 3.5L V6 in mine varies with the kind of oil I am using. For the first 45,000 miles I used conventional oil every 3-4K miles. I would lose and add oil between changes. Last change I switched to full-synthetic Castrol Edge 5W30 as I am going to extend my oil changes and go by the OLM. I checked the oil level a couple of days ago, and with over 2,000 miles on the synthetic there has been no drop in oil level.

Now that I am going to be going ~8,000 miles between oil changes (that is the pace the OLM has me on based on the monthly OnStar reports), I will check it every 1,000 miles or so to make sure the level stays safe. There have been similar stories of owners who switch to full-synthetic and stop losing oil.

My previous vehicle, a 2003 Dodge Durango 4.7L V8, also lost about a quart of oil between changes.

It just seems normal to me.

shotgunss

My 2006 Impala SS purchased new by me started burning 3-4 quarts of oil between 6,000 mile oil changes as typically indicated by the cars computer before it even reached the 36,000 warranty expiration. Dealer has replaced the valve covers under warranty stating that a service bulletin stated the PCV valves which are built into the valve covers were allowing too much air flow in the engine and that the engine was pulling oil back in through the air intake. mechanic stated that this looked logical upon replacement of the valve covers due to the sludge he observed where the PCV valve feeds back into the air intake. Having now driven another 6,000 - 7,000 miles since the valve covers were replaced, total mileage now 46,000, the oil consumption has not improved. I will report the TSB reported in you previous posts relating to the nick in the valve guides and head replacement to see what the dealer tells me. Is there any new information you can provide me with, as the post I am replying to here is over 2 years old?

Thanks,

larryo2

autumn55mn

My 2006 Impala is using all the oil in the car at about 2.500 miles. No message stating the oil is low or to add oil. It just runs out.
The local garage says they want to monitor the usage but I feel they are not telling the truth. If your message board is any indication of all the problems, then shouldn't Chev have a better answer by now? I drive my car about 100 miles a month (think little old lady) and only have 35,000 miles on it. I am told it is my driving or lack of driving which causes the problem. Don't believe it but I need more information.

tommy42

I have a 2001 with 35451 mile on it with 3.8 Ido not use any oil. I use Mobil 1 5-30.

gmcustsvc

autumn55mn,
An oil consumption is the first test the dealer would need to do. Please keep me updated on your progress.
Christina
GM Customer Service

autumn55mn

Through constant checking on the oil levels, I have determined that the problem exists when I take the car on a trip which is longer than one hour at freeway speeds. The dealer is still tracking the usage but that is all. Since most of my driving is local, it took a while to locate the problem. It is not what I expected of a Chev.
Thank you for your interest in my problem.

gmcustsvc

autumn55mn,

Please keep us posted on any information from the dealership.

Thank you and have a great weekend!
Caron, GM Customer Service

greyscot

I have an 06 ss with 41,000 on it now it has been driven mainly in town with occasional trips with no oil usage but now my wife started driving 45 miles each way 5 day's a week and it has started using oil like crazy,1.5 quarts in 3000 miles.I am taking to the dealer now this should come under the powertrain warranty?
greyscot

autumn55mn

That sounds identical to my problem. As long as we drive in town, there is no oil usage but on infrequent road trips, it will use one quart or more. The dealer has me driving an additional 2,000 miles and is checking the mileage and usage. He says he will then send a report to Chev. I am hearing things like a possible ring job but I don't know what that is. Although I have explained that the problem only appears on trips with highway speeds, they don't seem to get it. How can driving another 1,000 miles in our small town give them any more information. Good luck to you. Please keep me informed if you can. I would certainly appreciate it.

autumn55mn

After checking the mileage every 1,000 miles for 5,000 miles, the dealer got the ok to do something. They said they found the seals were not tight on the intake and they are doing something about that today. Hope this is the end of the problem.