210k Chevy Avalanche oil questions

[Newlyme]

I have a 2003 Chevy Avalanche with 210k+ miles on it and it runs great and starts right up.
My issue is oil usage. No leakage. There is no obvious obnoxious smoke screen going down the road.
The truck calls for 5w-30 and I am using Mobile One full synthetic.
My question is, would my oil usage drop if I went with a thicker oil, 10w-30, 10w-40? Or would that be worse for the engine? (Less usage, less lubrication on start ups).
I only use the truck four or five times a month tops. Most months less. In the winter I park it inside heated garage.
It runs way too good to go tearing into that engine.
So what do you think?

P.S. Knock on wood for all of the runs great comments.

 

[William1]

Oil weight will make little difference other than affect mileage and possibly ease of start up in cold conditions. I suggest staying with OEM reccomentd opil weight.
What is the rate of consumption? One quart per thousand miles is considered perfectly acceptable.

 

[85Hokie]

"I only use the truck four or five times a month tops. Most months less. In the winter I park it inside heated garage.
It runs way too good to go tearing into that engine.
So what do you think?"

IF used that little......what IS IT losing over time? In other words, are you losing 1 qt at 500 miles? If you read many manuals on cars/trucks - THEY will spell out that an engine may lose a quart over "x" miles.....like 3000-5000.....and this is to cover their a$$.

anyway to answer your question - increasing the viscosity of the oil, moving from 5w to a 10w "might" help, if it does it will be only a little.

This is what you might expect cold - a little higher pressure, a little more engine noise, a little more wear on moving parts, a little less loss of oil..........but all of this is a temporary band aid fix! ONCE oils reach a FULL running temperature (100 C)- the viscosity gets to about the same.

So......I would not change a thing! At 210,000 miles.....there are parts that have worn a good bit, time to rebuild? no - time to worry? no.....

really there is very little that you can do to "stop" this loss.........other than rebuild the engine.

Lots of cars/trucks reach the 200,000 mile mark, most reach it due to the owner changing and using good oils over the life of the vehicle. The shear fact is that a moving part is going to wear....period!!!

So.....unless it is leaking on the floor or blowing smoke going down the road (I know neither is happening) then just keep adding oil!

IF the truck had 30k......then the answer would change big time!

 

[Newlyme]

I forgot to look before my first post about miles since the last oil change.
5k miles, (almost on the dot), since the change. It's been awhile, just didn't seem like that much use, (that many miles), had elapsed since early spring.
It just surprised me yesterday when I decided to check it. I was down a quart. I've been resisting the "High Mileage" oils when the advertising says they soften hard dried out seals. I'm not sure what else they are supposed to do. So I guess it's not that bad after all.

 

[85Hokie]

I forgot to look before my first post about miles since the last oil change.
5k miles, (almost on the dot), since the change. It's been awhile, just didn't seem like that much use, (that many miles), had elapsed since early spring.
It just surprised me yesterday when I decided to check it. I was down a quart. I've been resisting the "High Mileage" oils when the advertising says they soften hard dried out seals. I'm not sure what else they are supposed to do. So I guess it's not that bad after all.

If down a quart over 5k ....I would not worry at all.....


My youngest son (21) has a v6 rodeo ..... eat oil like skittles.....
I have to ask him every give month to check oil! He carries a gallon in the back of the SUV.....cheapest 10w30 I can find!

 

[D2Cat]

85Hokie, some of the older hay balers had a couple of plastic jugs (like automobile windshield fluid bottles) with a hose coming down to the chain for oil to drip on the sprockets for constant oil. Might rig up one of those for the son!!

 

[85Hokie]

85Hokie, some of the older hay balers had a couple of plastic jugs (like automobile windshield fluid bottles) with a hose coming down to the chain for oil to drip on the sprockets for constant oil. Might rig up one of those for the son!!

If I could "trust" him to hit the hole....... NM .....gonna get in trouble with that one!

Have to beat him over the head to "check" the oil! AND I have to go to wallyworld and get the oil!......naw - it aint that bad...

 

[D2Cat]

Put a sending unit in it that has a low oil pressure side that can light up a light and ring a bell!

 

[prof.fate]

which motor?

GM had a LOT of issues with the 5.3 using oil - as early as 20k miles...as in a qt per 500 miles.

Issue was oil rings..so a rebuild is needed.

If you see oil when you accelerate, it's the rings.
If you see oil when you let off the gas, say, going down a hill, then it's the valve seals (much easier job).

Have someone follow you to observe, or you follow someone driving your truck.

 

[skeets]

My old Chevy truck had 240k plus. I figured if it dropped a quart between oil changes that was good enough and I just use 10w30 Walmart stuff. The real old GMC had over 200k with a 4.3 same deal. I would have gotten more out of it but a kid in a grand took the front end off for me.
For my money just keep doing what your doing and call it good!

 

[mattwithcats]

I put Shell Rotella T6, full synthetic, 5W-40, in my Mom’s Nurse’s Saturn.

Ran great, slowed the oil burning.

Saturn S Series are known for oil drainback grooves clogging, resulting in piston ring wear, and oil consumption....