Screwed Silverado

We've got a '14 Silverado LT All-Star with the 4.3 EcoTec V6 and towing package. With a whopping 12,000 miles on the clock (first noticed the problem at 8000 miles), it is burning oil. Not fast enough for Chevrolet to actually do anything about it. I've been through the whole diagnostic and oil consumption test process through the dealership under warranty, and they determined that the truck is not burning it fast enough to warrant fixing or investigating any further (1 qt every 3k miles). When I went to Chevrolet Customer (Dis)Service, they told me that the truck was "Working as designed" (exact wording used on their call, that they made very sure to point out was being recorded).

Sorry, but I am not impressed by a vehicle that it's considered "working as designed" to use up that much oil. Brand new off the lot.

Plus it's got the annoying V6-4 shake problem. And it occasionally "slams" into gear when you park it on an incline (which is all the time because my driveway is sloped).

Throw in the fact that it's also already had 3 recalls put out on it, and it looks like GM is right back to their 1970's/1980's quality control mentality.

I'm just dreading the next few years because we're not in a position where we can dump it for something more reliable right now.

Duug4

It is not unusual for any make vehicle to use a degree of oil. If the usage is within the limit described in the OM, not sure of your beef. Recalls actually are a good thing compared to the way vehicles use to be. It is almost impossible to source thousands of parts, assemble them into a vehicle and occasionally not need to make an adjustment. How would any make prevent the need for an occasional recall? Is Chevrolet the only make that has recalls? If you were in charge of their engineering or manufacturing how would you prevent the need for an occasional recall?

Screwed Silverado

My beef is their described limit is absolultely ludicrious. The truck is already, at 12k miles, is using more oil than any 100k+ mile engine on any vehicle I have ever owned. The only engine that I've ever had that used AS MUCH oil as it this one is now had 250,000 miles on it, and it was an engine design that was notorious for valve cover leaks.

In order for the truck to be losing enough oil for it to meet GM's absolutely ridiculous guidelines, it would have to either burn it at a rate that would cause a James Bond style smokescreen, or be leaking it fast enough to cause a hazard to any motorist behind it.

My beef is you could probably go up to just about any other brand new Silverado on any lot and it will not use anywhere near the oil that mine is using, but GM refuses to rectify what is clearly a manufacturing defect. Despite the fact that it is using an amount of oil that is consistent with an engine that is long outside of warranty. But rather because their determined threshold is completely unrealistic.

In this case they've got a customer who does religiously maintain and check his vehicles, so I'm not going to run it out of oil and damage the engine. Which is probably good for them because they're not going to have to deal with my engine dying of oil starvation at 20,000 miles. But it does not excuse their behavior or policy.

As for recalls... 3 recalls on one model in less than 2 years is not "occasional". But maybe that's just because I am used to manufacturers that have 1 recall every 7-8 years on one model, and still have higher reliability ratings.

But hey, if you'd rather be an apologist for them, that's cool too.

JK23112

FWIW, my 2004 Silverado with almost 140,000 miles on it uses about 1 quart of oil every 4,000 miles. I bought it used with 74,000 miles almost seven years ago and it has always done so.

One quart per 3,000 miles is not in the "unacceptable" range, but certainly would be enough to make me lose some sleep.......especially on a NEW vehicle.

Good luck with it, though!

Cowpie

I have to concur that the oil consumption on some of these GM engines is pretty bad for modern engines. I have a factory remanufactured 12.7L Detroit engine in my big truck that has 612,000 miles on the reman. Engine originally built in 2000. That truck uses about 2 qts in 22,500 mile oil change intervals. I had a Cummins 14L that went to 1.4 million miles on it with no major engine repairs, got 30,000 mile oil changes and only used about 1 gallon every 10,000 miles when I sold it and it went right to work for next owner. Any attempt by GM or a dealer to make statements about what they feel is "normal" oil consumption for these little V8's and V6's falls on deaf ears. It is purely a result of poor design and quality. I like my GM vehicles, but I do not worship at the GM alter and feel like sacrificing a qt of oil a week to the GM gods. it is what it is. While GM engines are good performers, they have definite problems with oil consumption.

dukedkt442

How was it broken in? In my experience, engines that are broken in by "being babied" and skipping an oil change at 500 miles or 1000 miles on the odometer tend to use more oil later on than engines that are broken in by building cylinder pressure right off the bat. Gotta break in any new engine by being heavy on the throttle in order to properly seat the rings.

Cowpie

I would concur somewhat. I don't quite buy the "drive it like you stole it" kind of methodology some might espouse for breaking in a new engine. I have always just driven a new vehicle like I would its entire life. I have never lost an engine or had a major failure in 45 years, at least with any engine I got new. My previous 1500 5.3 never used more than about 1/8 to 1/4 qt of oil between oil changes, and my current 2500 6.0L, the oil level barely budges on the stick over an oil change interval, maybe 1/8 qt at most. My current commercial truck went right from the dealer to doing a 45,000 lb load (78,000 lb gross) for 700 miles. That engine now has 630,000 miles on it and is in great shape, and only uses 2 qt of oil in 22,500 miles, virtually the same oil usage out of a 12.7L factory remanned engine as my Chevy pickups with less than 100,000. And it gets the pissed worked out of it to the tune of 135,000 miles a year and pulling heavy. Just lucky I guess.

tech2

the extended oil change interval gm olm promote is to long. gm never had these problems until 2008 and started running these giant intervals. Change your oil at 4-5000 miles. I don't care what any oil testing lab says...its black as tar when following the olm.

1 liter in 8000 miles will not cause any long term problems. keep running long term oil changes and you will.

any car will slam into gear when parked on an incline...that is how the parking pawl is designed. put your ebrake on to hold all of the vehicle weight off the pawl and then put it into park and take your foot off the brake. With no rollback, the pawl won't get stuck.

dukedkt442

Extended OCIs sell cars, due to perception "maintenance free." No automaker cars what happens to the car after warranty ends, no car company wants their vehicles to actually be long-term reliable, they merely want the perception of it.

Cowpie

And even the GM OLM is not the most reliable. On the 3.6L in the Cadillac and some others, the had a recall on the programming in the ECM that did the OLM stuff. It was twice what really should be done. But GM only got around to dealing with that after many failed timing chain issues. With the more complicated these engines are becoming, it is not unreasonable to keep to a 5000 mile maximum oil change regimen. I realize that oil is not cheap, but to do an oil change is not that expensive. When engine oil capacities reach 10 gallons like my commercial trucks, then we can talk about how it is too expensive to change oil too soon.