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does your z34 or 3.4DOHC, for that matter use oil?


Dan94Z34

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My Z has 112,000 miles on it. I have started to notice that the thing uses oil, about 1-1 1/2 quarts between oil changes(3000miles). My fuel mileage isn't affected. I still get between 24-25 MPG on the highway. I dont see any blue when starting it up in the morning. I think its going out the pipe when im going down the highway. Is the motor on its last legs?

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you're burning the oil then.

 

if you don't leak enough to notice it on the ground but you use oil you're burning it.

 

your engine has wear if it's burning a quart and a half a oil change, but i wouldn't say that it's going to die tomarrow or anything like that

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Its very possible that the oil is being sucked up through the PCV system. That is what mine has been doing and a new PCV doesn't fix it. I am going to try a different coil control plate under the lower intake manifold, as I found oil in the tube where it connects to this piece. Do NOT bypass the PCV system to try to fix this though, as its very much needed on the motor and I actually noticed a loss of performance with it bypassed.

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yup...my 3.4 pulls oil through the PCV pipe that sits on top of the oil distribution cover below the lower intake. when i changed gaskets, i pulled the pipe and oil dripped out. of course, my old '94 3100 pulled oil too. i think its just a 60* v6 thing.

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My 3.4 with 120k burns oil.

On cold start, it blows a puff of blue smoke, but it quits soon after.

I have my Microsoft Outlook set to remind me every 3-weeks to check the oil level. Last time I checked, it didn't need anymore. I probably need to top it off every 6-weeks.

 

I'm not sure how much it loses per oil change because I top it off regularly.

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I pulled the PVC valve out this morning, and there is oil in there. This must be where mine is sucking the oil. There is no blue smoke when I start it in the morning. I just checked the gas mileage today and got 22 with a combo of city and interstate.

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My 3.4 with 120k burns oil.

On cold start, it blows a puff of blue smoke, but it quits soon after.

I have my Microsoft Outlook set to remind me every 3-weeks to check the oil level. Last time I checked, it didn't need anymore. I probably need to top it off every 6-weeks.

 

I'm not sure how much it loses per oil change because I top it off regularly.

 

you only check oil every 3 weeks?

 

imo once a week at least....

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you only check oil every 3 weeks?

 

imo once a week at least....

 

My GTP never burns oil but I check it every fill up.

 

neither does my CS (i'm really surprised because my grandparents owned it 3 years, and changed the oil 3 times :roll:), but i check it once a week.

 

i'll check it once a week in the Colorado too. it only takes 2 minutes, why not check it? why rely on a dashboard "low oil" warning light?

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Not really relevant to this thread, but my 1992 3.1L consumed a quart of Mobil-1 5W30 within 3000 miles when I first switched to synthetic, and ever since, it hasn't consumed a drop.

 

93Cutlass, doesn't the Colorado come with the GM Oil Life Monitor? Of course, you still have to check oil quantity, but from the technical papers and lab studies I've read so far, the OLM actually is extremely accurate, with plenty of margin to spare if you run synthetic.

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93Cutlass, doesn't the Colorado come with the GM Oil Life Monitor? Of course, you still have to check oil quantity, but from the technical papers and lab studies I've read so far, the OLM actually is extremely accurate, with plenty of margin to spare if you run synthetic.

 

i assume it does, my mom's '03 Impala, and my pop's '03 Silverado both have the OLM.

 

i'm sure i'll end up changing the oil before the OLM says to. i change oil every 3 months. the DIC in my CS says the oil life is down to 10%-20% when i change it.

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My 3.4 with 120k burns oil.

On cold start, it blows a puff of blue smoke, but it quits soon after.

I have my Microsoft Outlook set to remind me every 3-weeks to check the oil level. Last time I checked, it didn't need anymore. I probably need to top it off every 6-weeks.

 

I'm not sure how much it loses per oil change because I top it off regularly.

 

you only check oil every 3 weeks?

 

imo once a week at least....

 

What would be the point in that? If it's not low enough to top off after 3 weeks, it'll be 3 times less likely to be low after 1 week. :shrug:

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My 3.4 with 120k burns oil.

On cold start, it blows a puff of blue smoke, but it quits soon after.

I have my Microsoft Outlook set to remind me every 3-weeks to check the oil level. Last time I checked, it didn't need anymore. I probably need to top it off every 6-weeks.

 

I'm not sure how much it loses per oil change because I top it off regularly.

 

you only check oil every 3 weeks?

 

imo once a week at least....

 

What would be the point in that? If it's not low enough to top off after 3 weeks, it'll be 3 times less likely to be low after 1 week. :shrug:

 

ever heard of surprise oil leak?

 

my last AC Delco oil filter leaked like a mofo irregulary. some weeks it wouldn't loose a drop, and the next week it would be half a quart low. i know it was the filter because my drain plug was tight, i didn't double-gasket the filter, the filter itself was covered in oil, and my current filter, and the filter before the bad one, doesn't leak a drop. you never know when an oil leak will develop.

 

it seems like a really stupid idea to only check your oil once a month, kind of like people who wait for the "Low Oil" or "Change Oil" light to come on before they'll change their oil.

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ever heard of surprise oil leak?

 

Oil LEAKS are obvious. Only ones I had were oil pump drive O-rings and they weren't critical enough to even need checking once a week.

I've been driving and doing all my own work since 1992. I've never had a low-oil related problem in any of the 10 cars I've owned or driven since.

 

my last AC Delco oil filter leaked like a mofo irregulary. some weeks it wouldn't loose a drop, and the next week it would be half a quart low. i know it was the filter because my drain plug was tight, i didn't double-gasket the filter, the filter itself was covered in oil, and my current filter, and the filter before the bad one, doesn't leak a drop. you never know when an oil leak will develop.

 

Sounds like you must of fucked up somewhere. I've gone through literally hundreds of filters, Fram, AC Delco, Wix, STP, SuperTech, Mobil 1... not a single one leaked a drop. And if it did, it would be pretty obvious. An oil slick on concrete isn't hard to miss.

 

it seems like a really stupid idea to only check your oil once a month, kind of like people who wait for the "Low Oil" or "Change Oil" light to come on before they'll change their oil.

 

Ever heard of OCD?

In 12yrs I've never had any condition that caused the oil to get low enough to light up a "Low Oil" light. I use the Oil Life Monitor religiously and have never had any engine problems. My 89 is up to 198,000 and hasn't had 10% of the problems yours has had. Heck, I don't even make a point to check its oil level, I only check it once in a blue moon. The 88 had 187,000 when I gave it to a friend. I wonder who is doing something right. Hmmmm....? :wink:

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I have to check my oil at least once a week with all the driving I do. I go through 3000 miles in under a month easily.

 

I only lose less than a half quart of oil in between oil changes.

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ever heard of surprise oil leak?

 

Oil LEAKS are obvious. Only ones I had were oil pump drive O-rings and they weren't critical enough to even need checking once a week.

I've been driving and doing all my own work since 1992. I've never had a low-oil related problem in any of the 10 cars I've owned or driven since.

 

my last AC Delco oil filter leaked like a mofo irregulary. some weeks it wouldn't loose a drop, and the next week it would be half a quart low. i know it was the filter because my drain plug was tight, i didn't double-gasket the filter, the filter itself was covered in oil, and my current filter, and the filter before the bad one, doesn't leak a drop. you never know when an oil leak will develop.

 

Sounds like you must of fucked up somewhere. I've gone through literally hundreds of filters, Fram, AC Delco, Wix, STP, SuperTech, Mobil 1... not a single one leaked a drop. And if it did, it would be pretty obvious. An oil slick on concrete isn't hard to miss.

 

it seems like a really stupid idea to only check your oil once a month, kind of like people who wait for the "Low Oil" or "Change Oil" light to come on before they'll change their oil.

 

Ever heard of OCD?

In 12yrs I've never had any condition that caused the oil to get low enough to light up a "Low Oil" light. I use the Oil Life Monitor religiously and have never had any engine problems. My 89 is up to 198,000 and hasn't had 10% of the problems yours has had. Heck, I don't even make a point to check its oil level, I only check it once in a blue moon. The 88 had 187,000 when I gave it to a friend. I wonder who is doing something right. Hmmmm....? :wink:

 

well, say i'm from the old school, but i was taught and learned to check your oil at least once a week. i don't need a palm pilot to remind me :wink: anyways, at least you check your oil, i know a lot of people who don't

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116,xxx miles on my Z-34 and it doesn't leak a drop of oil, or coolant, and it doesn't burn any oil either. almost NO usage between oil changes.

 

altho, I'm leakin' trans fluid from somewhere towards the back of the trans (but I don't care enough to look for the actual leak) - it's such a small leak it's probably a quart every year or so.

 

--Dave.

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