Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) another stupid oil question

[Tractorat]

Is there a rule of thumb about how long it will take to fill up the breather bottle? My 02 has about 42k on it, and it was at least full at my last oil change. Not sure if they checked it the last time or the time before.

On a couple of long trips pulling my TT this summer and last, I used about a half a quart of oil both times (2200mile and 4000 mile trip) I think I saw a thread that said going down steep hills can cause the oil to run out of the engine (I assuming that would be into the breather bottle ?)



Thanks,

Tractorat

 

[keimmmo]

You will never find a hill steep enough to make oil come out the breather tube on the highway. I have had my truck in some pretty wild places and have never had a problem.



My breather bottle "fell off" a few years ago. I extended the breather tube and haven't worried about it since.



Steve Keim

 

[JCyrbok]

I run extended drain periods ( about 25k on last change) I have never had more than about a 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom of the bottle. Never had it overflow and I rarely have to add more that a "splash" of oil. Never had to add more than about 1/2qt between filter changes which is 5k. I however do not pull real heavy any more than occasionally, I do haul heavy often in the bed though.



As for the oil coming out on a steep hill, that is true, but it would make a MESS and u would know about it. Also I think that the hill to be really pretty steep and prolonged for that to happen, but again I have never had that happen so someone else with experience may chime in.



Make sure that when u empty it, it is not just water from washing/rain/engine cleaing/puttle jumping etc.



As for checking and emptying the bottle I have gone as far as 15k before checking it and there was hardly anything in it. I tend to check it at filter changes though to be on the safe side.



hope this helps

J-

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks for the replys. But Im not sure I expressed my question correctly. For both of these trips I went from Seattle east and back (over the cascades twice and over the Rockies twice) What I meant to say was "will the oil run out of the engine and INTO the breather bottle. I havnt had any problem with oil running on the the pavement. If it is indeed running into the bottle (and not overflowing the bottle), it would explain my oil usage with so few miles.





thanks again,

Tractorat

 

[JCyrbok]

I'm not sure how steep of a grade and/or how long they are on that trip, but I think that for actual oil to run out of the engine and into the bottle u have to have a very steep nose down attitude, like driving a mountain power line trail. I think that all the oil that ends up in the bottles are basically condensed oil vapors from the crank case vapor.



U may want to check the coolant and/or do an oil analysis for poop and grins to make sure u are not leaking oil into the cooling system some where in the engine.



Like I said in almost 25k on my last oil change, other than filter change make up oil, I actually added about 1/2 qt. Could be the heavier load of towing the trailer. Does the engine oil need topping off after an equivalant mileage of non towing?



Hope this helps

J-

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks for the reply. It sounded pretty far fetched to me as well, but Im pretty sure Ive seen on this site that, going down hill, people have actually had oil run out of the engine into the breather tube. So, I thought I would just thow it out there and see what came back. Nope, coolant is pretty clean. Truck doesnt smoke. Hadnt lost any oil until about 32 to 35k miles, even on long cross country trips pulling my TT over steep mountains.