Burning Oil

[60DegreeVVT]

Ok i dont know what is going on with my oil in this car. about 1000 miles ago i took it in for an oil change and i was like 2 quarts low. and i was Effing Shocked! I got no idiot light and i was just about 1000 miles over the 3000 miles of used.

well i noticed today under heavy throttle, low gear (ie 3rd) the car looked to have smoke/dust coming from behind it. i figured no big deal because the road was kinda dusty. then i am sitting at a light and i noticed that there is smoke creeping out of under the hood. Not lots of it but enought to cause some concern.

so i sat and idled and the smoke went away (4-5 seconds) so i held the gas and the brake and i get smoke.

now i just came back from the store and i see smoke being lit up from my headlights... so i was like WTF?!?!

i checked the oil level and i am down a 1/2 quart of oil. i have to be burining it but i dont know why...

OTHER THAN IT IS A CHEVY MOTOR why is it burning oil?

it is an 07 G6V6 with the LZ4.

Help?

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Whoa, that's not good.

What's the mileage? You might have shot piston rings, sounds like a bad case of blow by, the oil's being burnt off like gas. Check the plugs too, for carbon/oil buildup.

[60DegreeVVT]

there is 48000 miles on the car

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Geez. It's a possibility.

Any idea on it's past owner's maintainence? That's really odd for it to eat up oil.

[Jakeman17]

He was first owner I think

Im gonna go with rings

[kaymo]

shouldnt be at that many miles... unless he put sand in the oil

something is wrong. perhaps a seal somewhere? if you have blowby, your oil would probably smell like gas as well. and be thinner from the gas. im not familiar with this engine but id start with a leakdown test to eliminate rings. if it is the rings, i would be going to chevy and saying WTF. it might be out of warranty, but an engine shouldnt be burning that much oil at that many miles. id take it to chevy and start bitching about lemon laws and how your tax dollars bailed chevy out

[Jordan5150]

The engine is not out of warranty, check the rings out and if something is up it should be under the 5 year/100,000 mile

[Jedi3]

OTHER THAN IT IS A CHEVY MOTOR

that cracks me up!

I dident know you had an 80's or older motor in your car? I thought we had GM motors in your car. lol

Im pretty sure the days of brand specific motors are gone and you have a GM one. The last days of brand specific motors were the 1st gen Saturns. Sorry for the offtopic point but when people say stuff like that it makes me lol.

Ok back to your car you have the 5y or 100k warranty so I would definitely bring it in. Sounds to me like you have blow by in your motor. NOT GOOD!!!

[60DegreeVVT]

Another great point was brough up on another board and it might be leaky valve cover gaskets...

BUT... i posted this status update :

it seems to be getting worse. today when i shut the car off i sat there for a moment and the smoke is super visable. and when i walked by the front of the car it smelled like an old 87 K5 Blazer that burns 1 quart every 200 miles..

WTF...

i have Physical Theropy tonight so i will inspect for leaky valve cover gaskets and see if i cant find out where it is comming from.

[Rodimus_Prime]

Theres also the possibility that the last time it was changed it wasnt done properly, i find it unlikely a motor that new would have an oil issue

[Jedi3]

Yea that could be it too I just figured you opened the hood before you even made the thread and checked.

silly me.

The saturn techs have told me in the past the upper intake manafolds tend to leak in these motors. I would inspect that too.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Wait, wait...

The UIM? O.o there's just airflow there...

Maybe the LIM gasket...but the newer LX9, LZ4 and LZ9 motors have an improved LIM design, and if it was, there would be coolant leaking and mixing with oil... The LA1 was the last 60*V6 tone plauged by leaky LIM gaskets. Odd.

You're not losing coolant, are you? Does the oil have a milkshake texture to it? Shit, it might even be a head gasket, but they have an excellent head gasket design.

WTF???

[60DegreeVVT]

Theres also the possibility that the last time it was changed it wasnt done properly, i find it unlikely a motor that new would have an oil issue

The oil was professionally changed last time.

Yea that could be it too I just figured you opened the hood before you even made the thread and checked.

silly me.

The saturn techs have told me in the past the upper intake manafolds tend to leak in these motors. I would inspect that too.

Oh i opened the hood and took a look around... remember i said that i checked the level and i was 1/2 quart down after 1000 miles of driving...

I just did not inspect the manifolds or heads because it was dar in the garage.

' date='Apr 1 2010, 09:02 AM' post='19569']

Wait, wait...

The UIM? O.o there's just airflow there...

Maybe the LIM gasket...but the newer LX9, LZ4 and LZ9 motors have an improved LIM design, and if it was, there would be coolant leaking and mixing with oil... The LA1 was the last 60*V6 tone plauged by leaky LIM gaskets. Odd.

I am starting to think it is a valvecover gasket

' date='Apr 1 2010, 09:02 AM' post='19569']

You're not losing coolant, are you? Does the oil have a milkshake texture to it? Shit, it might even be a head gasket, but they have an excellent head gasket design.

No my oil is clean. my coolent is full. i know what it looks like when i have a headgasket problem

[kaymo]

well if you know that, why havent you found the leaky valve cover yet? LOL

so do you mean the oil smoke ISNT coming out the tailpipe, its coming FROM the engine bay FROM the hood?

yeah thats valve covers.

[60DegreeVVT]

Yes... at an idle it is comming FROM under the hood. When i accelerate it is plausible that the oil pressure is highenough taht the smoke is being blown out of the engine compartment and i see it behind me.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Crazy question, where is the oil pressure switch on the LZ4? Oil flows through it, it might have broke. I've seen it happen on Chryslers a lot, a few GMs too.

[60DegreeVVT]

I have an external Oil Pressure gauge. Pressure is not the issue.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

I have an external Oil Pressure gauge. Pressure is not the issue.

No no, the sensor itself I was getting at. They can leak oil without tripping the oil light.

[kaymo]

perhaps your external oil gauge is leaking onto yor engine?

or the senor as chaos said.

and if you accel, of course you're gonna see it behind you. not from oil pressure, but from the air moving around and thru your car

[60DegreeVVT]

perhaps your external oil gauge is leaking onto yor engine?

or the senor as chaos said.

and if you accel, of course you're gonna see it behind you. not from oil pressure, but from the air moving around and thru your car

The pressure gauge is not leaking. i looked. Also it is not in the block i have a spacer that feeds the Temp gauges and pressure gauge.

i was just being a smart ass about the smoke behind me... lol

[60DegreeVVT]

Fixed...

turns out the people who did my oil change last time didnt tighten down the oil filter. i could see oil drip down and drop on to the downpipe.

I hit the area with brake clean and tightened down the filter... no more leak..

god i am an idiot for not checking the easiest thing first.

FIXED

[Jedi3]

NICE!!!

is always a mega win when its the stupid stuff!!!!