Oil Consumption Test And Diagnosis: Notes
The following diagnostic procedures are used to determine the source of excessive internal oil consumption, these procedures and tests apply to vehicles with 50, 000 miles or less.
NOTE:
Engine oil consumption may be greater than normal during engine break-in. Repairs should be delayed until vehicle has been driven at least 7, 500 miles.
- Severe service (high ambient temperature, short trips, heavy loading, trailer towing, taxi, off-road, or law enforcement use) may result in greater oil consumption than normal.
- Sustained high speed driving and high engine RPM operation may result in increased oil consumption.
- Failure to comply with the recommended oil type and viscosity rating, as outlined in the service information, may impact oil economy as well as fuel economy.
- Oil consumption may increase with vehicle age and mileage due to normal engine wear.
NOTE:
Because a few drops of external oil leakage per mile can quickly account for the loss of one quart of oil in a few hundred miles, ensure no external engine oil leaks are present.
- Oil leakage is not the same as oil consumption and all external leakage must be eliminated before any action can be taken to verify and/or correct oil consumption complaints.
- Verify that the engine has the correct oil level dipstick and dipstick tube installed.
- Verify that the engine is not being run in an overfilled condition. Check the oil level 5 minutes after a hot shutdown with the vehicle parked on a level surface. In no case should the level be above MAX or the FULL mark on the dipstick.