OK I'm choked...burning oil?

[SLightfoot]

Well since the last oil change, I have had about 700 miles towing 8800 lbs, the rest completely empty.



While I was walking around the campsite in the morning, decided to give the oil a quick check Normally it is just a little bit below the "safe" mark, but this time it is about only 1/4 above the "add" mark. OK I say to myself, I'll check it when I get home (about 160 miles).



Well, just came in from checking it, since I wanted to make sure it was cold when I checked it... and now it is right exactly on the "add" mark.



The other funny thing is that the engine temp was running 10 degrees celcius hotter than it used to as well... . The power was normal.



I'm a little concerned now about this oil thing.



Although before I never used to tow anything, the oil would NEVER drop a single tiny bit from where it was when it was filled during the oil change.

Now it definately is dropping.



Engine has 22,500 miles on since new and only 1300 towing miles total.



Any ideas?

 

[Runaway]

Shawn, I'm sort of clueless to this question, but would be interested in any responses. I changed my oil this weekend and noticed I was down to the add mark in about 6000 miles. About 4500 of this was towing. Truck is just short of 12000 miles on it right now. My guess would be the rings are not seated yet - (at least that is what I'm hoping).

 

[Alan Reagan]

If you are not getting smoke, and you are losing oil, it has to be going somewhere. The most likely destination would be the blow by bottle. Is it full? Losing that much oil (not due to blow by) would cause smoke. I would check it at a consistent time such as first thing in the morning on a level surface. If the rings are not yet seated, you will have a lot of blow by oil loss. Empty the blow by, check the oil. Work it hard for a few days and keep an eye on everything.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Are you sure the truck was level in the campsite? A slight incline or decline will make a difference on the stick - I've made that mistake before, checked it on a slight incline, added oil because it was a little low, then when I checked it on level ground it was overfull.

 

[Alan Reagan]

Steve, You didn't slip off and buy a Duramax did you? Nah, I know better than that. There was a post over there about having to check the oil with the truck PERFECTLY level.

 

[zman]

How full is the filter when you change the oil? If it isn't full, and mine is almost always 1/3 empty, then the oil in the filter is being siphoned back into the pan. This can cause some strange oil level readings depending on how soon after shutdown you check the oil...



Steve