Got an 03 Yukon slt with the 5.3 flex fuel v8, valvoline guy tells me it looks like she burned about a quart give or take little. Was a little black but not bad, said it looked pretty good to him. Is a quart every oil change normal? How much oil burning is enough to worry about, and how do you stop it? I change the oil every 3,000 miles, give or take a few hundred miles. Dont really pull anything, and no smoke or problems, oild pressure always seems pretty good.
Burning Oil
- Thread starter chop1215
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
Rivieraracing
Full Access Member
Is it pretty clean and oil free underneath your engine? Have you had someone drive behind you while you are driving and observe your tailpipe for smoke, especially when you step on it?
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2011
- Posts
- 50,322
- Reaction score
- 17,038
Using a quart of oil between oil changes is pretty normal for these. I wouldn't worry about it unless you start seeing puffs of blue smoke coming out your tail pipe at start up or something like that
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2011
- Posts
- 50,322
- Reaction score
- 17,038
Nope....no worries at all. You should be alright. This is pretty common for the 5.3. 
afpj
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2009
- Posts
- 800
- Reaction score
- 352
how much is a quart low on the dipstick? Down to the "add" mark? or one "dot"? Trying to figure out oil loss rate without having to drain and measure, or adding as I'll probably add too much then end up draining it.
Sasquatch
Full Access Member
My 5.3 barely uses a drop of oil using royal purple and going 5000 miles between changes.
Kman
Full Access Member
I'm down a quart every 3,500 miles. Seems normal.
How many miles?
The displacement on demand 5.3s are known for burning a quart or so during an oil change interval. Even right off the factory floor.
I've owned some 15 5.3 equipped GM vehicles in the last 10 years (business) and the non-DOD engines (pretty much the whole fleet) rarely lost more than 1/4 quart over 5000mi oil changes. With 200k or more miles, 1/2-1 quart isn't uncommon though.
I forget which year GM changed it, but I would look into having your PCV valve checked or replaced.
The displacement on demand 5.3s are known for burning a quart or so during an oil change interval. Even right off the factory floor.
I've owned some 15 5.3 equipped GM vehicles in the last 10 years (business) and the non-DOD engines (pretty much the whole fleet) rarely lost more than 1/4 quart over 5000mi oil changes. With 200k or more miles, 1/2-1 quart isn't uncommon though.
I forget which year GM changed it, but I would look into having your PCV valve checked or replaced.
Similar threads
