Oil use

[Batman75]

What would be an expected normal amount of oil to add between changes if any? 2005 with 64,000 mi. I've had to add 1 Qt in 4000 mi.

 

[LLC5]

What would be an expected normal amount of oil to add between changes if any? 2005 with 64,000 mi. I've had to add 1 Qt in 4000 mi.

1qt. in 4000 miles is nothing to worry about.

 

[Batman75]

1qt. in 4000 miles is nothing to worry about.

Thanks much!!

 

[Batman75]

1qt. in 4000 miles is nothing to worry about.

I find it hard to read the oil level accurately. The oil level shows different on one side of the dip stick than the it does on the other. One side shows in the center of the hash marks and the other is above. Which side is accurate?

 

[LLC5]

I find it hard to read the oil level accurately. The oil level shows different on one side of the dip stick than the it does on the other. One side shows in the center of the hash marks and the other is above. Which side is accurate?

I use the hash mark side, and scuffing the dipstick with red scotchbright can make it a little easier to see with really clean oil. If the measurement is angled I use the bottom part of the angle.

 

[Batman75]

I use the hash mark side, and scuffing the dipstick with red scotchbright can make it a little easier to see with really clean oil. If the measurement is angled I use the bottom part of the angle.

Thanks again. Both sides of my dipstick have hash marks. When I pull it out the top side shows a line approximately across the center of the hash mark area but when I turn it over the oil is smeared above the top full line with no crisp line. It also shows a different level depending on how the dip stick is inserted.

Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing but I have wanted a Corvette as long as I can remember and this is my first.

 

[LLC5]

I don't think you are making a big thing over nothing, properly being able to read the engine oil level is important.

Use the mark with the defining cut off mark. The other side of the gauge is probably touching something inside the engine or dipstick tube and creating the issue. I usually try to check the oil levels in all my vehicles after they sit over night and cold just for this scenerio, I have a Subaru that is just about impossible to determine the oil level unless it sits overnight.

 

[Batman75]

I don't think you are making a big thing over nothing, properly being able to read the engine oil level is important.

Use the mark with the defining cut off mark. The other side of the gauge is probably touching something inside the engine or dipstick tube and creating the issue. I usually try to check the oil levels in all my vehicles after they sit over night and cold just for this scenerio, I have a Subaru that is just about impossible to determine the oil level unless it sits overnight.

Once again, thanks---I appreciate the help.

 

[Batman75]

Once again, thanks---I appreciate the help.

I'm back with one more question. I had the oil changed at a dealership this morning that has been in business here for more than 40 years. They probable sell and service more Corvettes than any other dealer in the area. My 05 has the Z51 package. The manual says it takes 5.5 quarts with filter. I have read comments that the Z51 takes 6 quarts but can't find that in the manual. They charged me for 6 quarts and the dipstick shows above full. Going by the manual 6 quarts is .5 quarts too much. Is this a problem?

 

[LLC5]

I'm back with one more question. I had the oil changed at a dealership this morning that has been in business here for more than 40 years. They probable sell and service more Corvettes than any other dealer in the area. My 05 has the Z51 package. The manual says it takes 5.5 quarts with filter. I have read comments that the Z51 takes 6 quarts but can't find that in the manual. They charged me for 6 quarts and the dipstick shows above full. Going by the manual 6 quarts is .5 quarts too much. Is this a problem?

Here's the deal, with a wet sump engine it will probably only take 5.5 qts. to fill the crankcase to full if you do NOT raise the back of the vehicle when draining the old oil. When you raise the rear of the vehicle when draining the oil you will get about another .25-.50 qt. of oil out of the oil pan, this is the way I change my own oil and I use about 6.0-6.25 qts. to full. With a vehicle on a hoist I doubt if the rear of the vehicle was raised to drain the extra oil out as it can be unsafe to do. I like to run .25-.50 qts. over the full mark for my own vehicles (not customer vehicles), and I would say that anything under 1 full qt. over will be fine, if it is overfilled over 1 qt. than problems may exist. If you are only .5 qt. overfull I think you will be fine.

 

[Batman75]

Here's the deal, with a wet sump engine it will probably only take 5.5 qts. to fill the crankcase to full if you do NOT raise the back of the vehicle when draining the old oil. When you raise the rear of the vehicle when draining the oil you will get about another .25-.50 qt. of oil out of the oil pan, this is the way I change my own oil and I use about 6.0-6.25 qts. to full. With a vehicle on a hoist I doubt if the rear of the vehicle was raised to drain the extra oil out as it can be unsafe to do. I like to run .25-.50 qts. over the full mark for my own vehicles (not customer vehicles), and I would say that anything under 1 full qt. over will be fine, if it is overfilled over 1 qt. than problems may exist. If you are only .5 qt. overfull I think you will be fine.

Well thanks one more time. I used to work on cars many years ago when they weren't so complicated.

I retired in 2001 from 41 years with the power company. I was a journeyman electrical lineman and lost interest in working on cars in 1965 when I started my apprenticeship.
My trade was a different kind of mechanically inclined.

 

[LLC5]

Well thanks one more time. I used to work on cars many years ago when they weren't so complicated.

I retired in 2001 from 41 years with the power company. I was a journeyman electrical lineman and lost interest in working on cars in 1965 when I started my apprenticeship.
My trade was a different kind of mechanically inclined.

So I drove my C5 yesterday and checked the oil level after 1 hr of sitting, kind of hard to read the exact level, let it sit over night and now the reading is clear.

BTW, my C5 takes 6.75 qts of oil to be about .25 qt. over when draining the oil with the rear end raised, not 6.25 qt. as I stated earlier. C6 may have a different oil capacity.

 

[Batman75]

So I drove my C5 yesterday and checked the oil level after 1 hr of sitting, kind of hard to read the exact level, let it sit over night and now the reading is clear.

BTW, my C5 takes 6.75 qts of oil to be about .25 qt. over when draining the oil with the rear end raised, not 6.25 qt. as I stated earlier. C6 may have a different oil capacity.

Even though the manual says to warm up the engine then let it set for 5 minutes, the read will be more accurate. But as you said, the read is clearer checking it in the morning after setting all night.

 

[Toms007]

I like to check mine while it is cold, before I start the engine, just for that reason.

 

[Batman75]

I like to check mine while it is cold, before I start the engine, just for that reason.

After reading all of LLC5's comments, I'm comfortable deciding what the oil level is. With all of the cars I've owned, I have never had such a difficult time knowing what a dip stick was telling me.

I sure hope it doesn't have anything to do with getting old.

 

[Hib Halverson]

I'm back with one more question. I had the oil changed at a dealership this morning that has been in business here for more than 40 years. They probable sell and service more Corvettes than any other dealer in the area. My 05 has the Z51 package. The manual says it takes 5.5 quarts with filter. I have read comments that the Z51 takes 6 quarts but can't find that in the manual. They charged me for 6 quarts and the dipstick shows above full. Going by the manual 6 quarts is .5 quarts too much. Is this a problem?

Back in 2013 there was a thread here on the CAC about LS3s and oil smell. The problem was caused by confusing information from GM about LS3 wet sump engines with and without Z51. That post is reproduced below.

Best bet is to look under the front end and see if you have an engine oil cooler. If you do, it's possible that this confusing situation with oil level may also apply to the LS2.

Keep in mind that, if you have an engine oil cooler, it takes a lot longer for the cooler to drain so the oil level may be different 5 hours after a shutdown than it will be 5 minutes after a shut down. The half a quart in the cooler will be retained if you're checking 5-min after shut down but it may drain back after 5 hours making the oil level appear overfull. In short, if the engine has a cooler, the oil capacity of the engine may be six quarts but one-half quart of that is not measured with the dipstick because it's in the cooler and the lines.

In re: the oil smell problem.

About six months ago, I took a question on the oil capacity of Grand Sports with the LS3 wet-sump engine. The people asking were concerned that the oil level in their wet-sump LS3s was overfull even though they'd been filled with the 6-quarts of oil specified in GM service data. You can read the original thread here:2012 Grand Sport Wet Sump Oil Capacity.

To get an accurate answer I had to research a while, both in email exchanges with sources at GM and with my set of Factory Service Manuals.

In 2008, LS3's oil capacity, if the oil and filter were changed, according to factory service data, was 6-quarts, however, the actual capacity was 6-quarts for LS3s in cars ordered with Z51 and 5.5-qts for LS3s in cars without Z51. The extra half-quart was held in the Z51's oil-to-air engine oil cooler. Sources at GM told me that inspite of the half-quart difference, service data did not differentiate between the two oil capacities.

In 2009, the error in Service Manuals was corrected listing LS3s w. Z51 at 6-qt and LS3s w/o Z51 at 5.5 qts.

In 2010, the Z51 option and its EOC were discontinued. For MY10 the LS3 in Grand Sports ordered with Z52 had a dry sump oiling system with a capacity of 10.5-qt. The LS3 wet sump engine, in Grand Sports w/o Z52 and all base cars, when the oil and filter were changed, had 5.5-qt oil capacity, but factory service information incorrectly listed an oil capacity of 6-qts.

This error is consistent in MY10,11 and 12 Corvette Service Manuals and, while I haven't yet ordered a 2013 Service Manual, nor do I have access to GM's ESI, I suspect this error persisted to the end MY13 production.

This means that the oil capacity of all 2010-2013 LS3s with wet sump oiling is overstated by half a quart and any technician using factory service data will overfill the engine by half a quart–that goes for not only dealers but just about any service facility doing oil changes because publishers of aftermarket service data get their oil capacity numbers from GM.

If the oil smell after oil changes with no obvious leaks is occurring with 2008s w/o Z51 or 2010-2013s w/o Z52, it is possible that the smell is coming from the engine oil being half a quart over full. Typically, if the oil level is too high, oil consumption is high until the oil level normalizes. That may explain why the smell eventually goes away during a period of time after the oil change.

 

[Batman75]

Back in 2013 there was a thread here on the CAC about LS3s and oil smell. The problem was caused by confusing information from GM about LS3 wet sump engines with and without Z51. That post is reproduced below.

Best bet is to look under the front end and see if you have an engine oil cooler. If you do, it's possible that this confusing situation with oil level may also apply to the LS2.

Keep in mind that, if you have an engine oil cooler, it takes a lot longer for the cooler to drain so the oil level may be different 5 hours after a shutdown than it will be 5 minutes after a shut down. The half a quart in the cooler will be retained if you're checking 5-min after shut down but it may drain back after 5 hours making the oil level appear overfull. In short, if the engine has a cooler, the oil capacity of the
engine may be six quarts but one-half quart of that is not measured with the dipstick because it's in the cooler and the lines.
.

Thanks for the information. Mine does have an engine oil cooler.

 

[LLC5]

After reading all of LLC5's comments, I'm comfortable deciding what the oil level is. With all of the cars I've owned, I have never had such a difficult time knowing what a dip stick was telling me.

I sure hope it doesn't have anything to do with getting old.

No it's not you, it's the vehicles.

My wife's Subaru turbo, when the engine is warm, can show me 5 different oil levels in a row in the span of 1-2 minutes, let it sit over night and all is good. I have found that letting all the oil drain back into the crankcase over night gives the most honest and consistent readings.

 

[jfp1]

let the computer tell me when oil is low

i just wait till I get the advisory from the computer I am at about 20% life and no alert so far. I usually run the oil per the car's orders.