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Oil Consumption - Quick Questions

sullivanclan
Explorer
Explorer
Just finished a long trip of just under 3000 miles on our 2003 Ford 450 E Series Class C Motorhome with 46,000 miles on it. Driving through Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. So plenty of hill climbs.

We went through one quart of oil, putting a little bit in at every other gas fill up.

Does that seem about normal? Seems ok to me, but I thought with so many of you all driving the same units, I would check with you all.

Thanks,
2003 Ford 450 Jayco Greyhawk 25D
1986 Jeep Renegade
2011 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon JK
13 REPLIES 13

sullivanclan
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks everyone. Very helpful. Just FYI, I do the morning oil check as well, but actually waiting until it is needing the full quarter makes better sense.


matt
2003 Ford 450 Jayco Greyhawk 25D
1986 Jeep Renegade
2011 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon JK

Sam_Spade
Explorer
Explorer
Jayco-noslide wrote:
We have about the exact same RV with about the same miles and ours doesn't burn any oil that I can detect.


Same here. About 3K miles after an oil change and it's still right up to full. My gen however is using a little bit.
'07 Damon Outlaw 3611
CanAm Spyder in the "trunk"

Jayco-noslide
Explorer
Explorer
We have about the exact same RV with about the same miles and ours doesn't burn any oil that I can detect. I don't think it's terribly unusual but I would feel better if it used a half quart or less. I would have it checked for leaks look for oil spots under it and keep an eye on whether or not consumption is increasing.
Jayco-noslide

tpi
Explorer
Explorer
A quart per 3000 is fine. Mine uses a bit less but they're all different.

On any oil consumption issue you have to weigh the consumption vs. heavy engine repairs. Is it really beneficial to the engine to tear it down to solve this? Could more go wrong than just the oil consumption? This does not apply to small stuff like PCV valve etc.

While Ford probably did the best they could with oil pan capacity due to space issues, it would have been great if the oil pans held a couple quarts more oil.

bobsinn
Explorer
Explorer
I started burning about a Qt. every 700 miles on my V10, it had about 60K on it. I took it into Ford for the 60K maint. they replaced the PCV valve (along with other stuff) , 12K miles since no oil burnt. They thought the PCV would be the fix and it was.
2001 Itasca Sundancer 27P
2000 Honda Civic

fla-gypsy
Explorer
Explorer
My V-10 although not in a moho never uses a drop of oil and is 7 years old now.
This member is not responsible for opinions that are inaccurate due to faulty information provided by the original poster. Use them at your own discretion.

09 SuperDuty Crew Cab 6.8L/4.10(The Black Pearl)
06 Keystone Hornet 29 RLS/(The Cracker Cabana)

darsben
Explorer II
Explorer II
Sam Spade wrote:
tatest wrote:
I don't add oil in small increments, rather add only when the dipstick checked cold inthe morning (I check every morning) shows it a quart or more down.


This is good advice since the oil usage might be higher when it is "FULL". I won't add until it gets near the quart-low mark.


That is why the manufacturer puts an add line on the dipstick.
But some people wear a belt and suspenders and then hold their pants up.
Traveling with my best friend my wife!

Sam_Spade
Explorer
Explorer
tatest wrote:
I don't add oil in small increments, rather add only when the dipstick checked cold inthe morning (I check every morning) shows it a quart or more down.


This is good advice since the oil usage might be higher when it is "FULL". I won't add until it gets near the quart-low mark.
'07 Damon Outlaw 3611
CanAm Spyder in the "trunk"

kwplot34
Explorer
Explorer
Our V10 will use about a 1/2 quart every 3000 miles. I check the oil in the morning before hitting the road again, gives the oil a chance to drain back down to the oil pan.

tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
Mine does not use a quart in 5000 miles. Though I've had some cars and trucks using a quart every 500 miles, like the good old days, usually they were dripping it onto the road or parking place.

But a quart every 3000 miles, whether burned by crankcase ventilation, or dripping onto the road, is pretty good for any modern engine, the Triton V-10 included. I don't add oil in small increments, rather add only when the dipstick checked cold inthe morning (I check every morning) shows it a quart or more down. Thus I seldom add oil, cosidering the dealer often overfills by 1/2 quart at oil change.

Be aware that a level check at a gas stop might read more than a half quart below the "cold inthe morning" level. That much oil is retained in passages and valve covers when a running engine is stopped, and will take an hour or more to drain back to the crankcase. So iftopping off in small increments, you might be working to keep it overfilled.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

rockhillmanor
Explorer
Explorer
Yup I was concerned about that too. But everything I've read and heard about that said it's ok. Go figure.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

navegator
Explorer
Explorer
Make sure you measure the oil level in the morning when the engine has been shut down over night, if measured after running the engine the dip stick will show one quart low, the engine retains some oil in the heads and oil galleries and takes some time to drip back down to the oil pan.

navegator

Hemi_RT
Explorer
Explorer
Ford state a litre (about 7/8 US quart) in 500 kilometers is normal so about a quart in 3000 miles isn't bad plus if you are really working the engine it will us a little more