How much motor oil is normal?

See? To an old timer, a gallon a week is nothing. Here's excessive oil consumption. I drove a truck with a 318 Detroit, had to pick up a load 75 miles away. Boss said, check the oil and take some with you. ( 150 mile round trip, mind you) It didn't show any on the stick, put 3 gallons in and took 2 gallons with. When I got to the pickup ( 75 miles) checked the oil, again, nothing on the stick, put the 2 gallons in, still was a gallon low. That's excessive oil consumption.

 

I would say 1 gallon of oil between oil changes at a 500 hour service interval is probably normal.

 

You obviously didn't slam your fingers in the door before you drove the Detroit. Drive it like you stole it! Lol

 

HA! Don't kid yourself, I spent many an hour sitting behind those wretched things. Thank goodness I was getting paid by the hour.

 

We drive piece of junk international day cabs. I got in one the other day and put 4 gallons in it.
Asked the driver the next day if he checked the oil.
Said he put a gallon in.
We put 5 gallons in a 300 mile trip on a motor with only 280 thousand miles.
Glad thats not my daily truck

 

I have a million miles on mine and I use 1 gl every 20,000 miles...... 1.5 gl in the summer when I idle alot

 

My last truck had about 900k on the Volvo D16 motor, used a gallon every 12-15,000 miles after running Amsoil synthetic for a couple changes.

It had been running Rotella 15-40 prior and used a gallon every 4-5,000 miles.

I've had other engines that have changed to Rotella after using other brands and every time the oil consumption had increased considerably. If you look at the data, Rotella is the highest burn off(volatility) oil you can buy.

Anyhow BB, unless you're running a leaky Detroit that's pretty high oil consumption. Most likely will need a in frame soon.

 

Mine uses about a gallon every 2 weeks. 862k on her though and only had injectors and actuators replaced on her.

 

So first off, if you read the previous posts, oil is measured in gallons not quarts in these big diesels. I had an ISX with 30,000 miles taking a gallon every 2800 miles. Cummins wanted it documented for 10,000 miles after we questioned their initial assessment that this was within the normal range.

In a newer motor any more than 2 gallons in 35,000 miles I'd be trying to find out we're it is going.

In an older motor a gallon a week is not unheard of.

 

If you don't add a gallon does the oil level keep dropping or will it stay at a gallon low? Reason I ask is I drove a '05 with an Acert Cat and for the three years I was in it it would burn that first gallon off and I'd run it until the next service with the dipstick showing a gallon low. If you're just topping off that first gallon you could be just wasting oil. And I wouldn't worry about adding it a quart at a time.

 

It's kind of "nice" to have to add oil every now and then. This keeps the oil quality raised as opposed to not adding any new oil between oil changes and allowing the oil quality to deteriorate faster. But I don't like dealing with an engine that needs oil added every 3,000 miles or less. So, it's a matter of point of view as long as consumption is not excessive. Using that much oil as some note, you could probably get away with only changing filters and not dropping all the oil and replacing the oil since it's kept "mostly new" with all the new oil additions.