"Normal" Oil Usage

[ncrowley]

I have a Cat C7. How much oil should it use in a year? Should I never add oil between the yearly changes or is it normal to add oil? When should I worry?

I just had to add 2 quarts - the last oil change was June 2013. I have never had to add oil before.

[tiredkid]

ncrowley wrote:
I have a Cat C7. How much oil should it use in a year? Should I never add oil between the yearly changes or is it normal to add oil? When should I worry?

I just had to add 2 quarts - the last oil change was June 2013. I have never had to add oil before.

was that in 500 miles?or 5000 miles? big difference

I see u have now said 4000 miles. How many miles on engine?
aquart in 4000 miles is nothing.When at add line wait and see if it goes below the add line

[wolfe10]

donsuefuggrwe wrote:
I run my 300HP Cat 2001 Tradewinds 2 quarts low. If I fill it to the full line on the dipstick it quickly blows out or burns or whatever two quarts. I go 11000miles between changes and rarely add oil. 125000 miles.

Wonder if calibrating the engine oil dipstick (i.e. verifying that the ADD and FULL marks are correct) would "solve" this?

Said another way, your engine oil dipstick may cause you to overfill by 2 quarts.

[tinkerer]

My C7 has the 19 quart oil pan and if you measure our precisely that amount the measuring dipstick will say it's near the add mark. But when I run the right amount in 5000 miles it uses nearly any oil. Over fill it and will find it's own level.;)

[RayChez]

I have the 3126-E Cat engine which is the same block as the C7 with the shallow 19 quart pan. I change the oil once a year and it is about one quart low. I average about six thousand miles per year. But it also depends on what kind of driving I have been doing. Last year I done a lot of mountain climbing and that is probably where it will use the oil because when I was cruising in the flat states of Iowa it did not strain the engine at all. It was all cruising. So it does make a difference on the terrain you are pulling.

[wny_pat1]

donsuefuggrwe wrote:
I run my 300HP Cat 2001 Tradewinds 2 quarts low. If I fill it to the full line on the dipstick it quickly blows out or burns or whatever two quarts.

I've found this to be true in many of the commercial tractor trailers I have driven over the years, both Cummins and Detroits. Fill them out and they will blow out about 2 qts the first day, and level off at 2 qts low. So I also have always ran at 2 qts low, and it seems to stay right there. Have noticed that when it starts using oil, that it is a indicator of the need for a oil change. Can't comment on Cats, cause I have never driven on on a regular basis.

[donsuefuggrwe]

I run my 300HP Cat 2001 Tradewinds 2 quarts low. If I fill it to the full line on the dipstick it quickly blows out or burns or whatever two quarts. I go 11000miles between changes and rarely add oil. 125000 miles.

[wolfe10]

Yes, there are two different pans on the C7 shallow and deep. A call to Caterpillar with the engine serial number will remove any doubt about the oil capacity of YOUR engine.

While use of the exhaust brake may slightly increase oil consumption (remember, they work by generating back pressure-- in the range of 55 PSI), it is a no-brainer-- use it.

BTW, a quart/800-1000 miles is very reasonable on any diesel engine.

Trackrig wrote:
I have a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion with a C7. That engine used at least two if not three different oil pans. If there was lots of clearance under it, I believe they installed a 23 quart oil pan. Mine has the shallow oil pan and only uses 19 quarts. When I climbed under mine, either the oil pan had a sticker on it saying the capacity or it had a P/N and I called Cat. If you put in too much oil for the oil pan, you're going to "use" a lot more blowing it out the breather.

The engine will "use" some of it in the vapor it puts out through the breather tube. I've been told it will "use" more oil with extensive use of the engine brake. I've noticed more oil residue on the front of my Jeep when in the mountains in western Canada.

Brett Wolfe - what is your take on what I've been told?

Between my yearly oil changes, 6 - 8,000 miles, I been using 2 - 3 quarts.

Crawl underneath it and see if the oil pan has a sticker on it, then call Cat.

Bill

[wa8yxm]

I drive gassers but unless you do a whole lot of very heavy mountain driving more than one qt per oil change is excessive for all engines. (In short you should NEVER have to add)

On my gasser... For the first few years I did have to add if I did heavy duty mountain driving.. last few years I've found flatter routes and no added oil .

[ncrowley]

Good information. I use the engine brake a lot going over the mountains here out west.

[Trackrig]

I have a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion with a C7. That engine used at least two if not three different oil pans. If there was lots of clearance under it, I believe they installed a 23 quart oil pan. Mine has the shallow oil pan and only uses 19 quarts. When I climbed under mine, either the oil pan had a sticker on it saying the capacity or it had a P/N and I called Cat. If you put in too much oil for the oil pan, you're going to "use" a lot more blowing it out the breather.

The engine will "use" some of it in the vapor it puts out through the breather tube. I've been told it will "use" more oil with extensive use of the engine brake. I've noticed more oil residue on the front of my Jeep when in the mountains in western Canada.

Brett Wolfe - what is your take on what I've been told?

Between my yearly oil changes, 6 - 8,000 miles, I been using 2 - 3 quarts.

Crawl underneath it and see if the oil pan has a sticker on it, then call Cat.

Bill

[ncrowley]

I have put about 4K on it since the last oil change. The oil was just at the add line and I filled it until it was at the full line.

[wolfe10]

How many miles since your last oil change. You mention a date, but not how many miles you have driven.

By far, the #1 cause of oil "consumption" is overfilling the crankcase.

Your chassis maker, not engine maker fit the dipstick. Do not assume it is necessarily accurate. It would not hurt to CALIBRATE IT-- free at your next oil change.

Also, have you confirmed the correct oil quantity with Caterpillar-- give them a call with your engine serial number: 877 777-3126.

Lastly, with any diesel engine, do not add oil until the oil level gets to the ADD mark (yes, on a calibrated dip stick).

I know this sounds complicated, but with engine maker doing some things and chassis maker doing others (like the oil dip stick) that is how it is.

[lanerd]

I had my C7 for six years. Normally put about 5K/yr on it and changed the oil every winterization. Not once did I ever put more oil in it during the year.

Ron