2001 Burb K1500 100k Uses Oil

[rhino_llh]

I have a 2001 Suburban, K1500 (4wd) with just over 100k, I bought it used with 33k miles on it. I noticed in the last two oil change intervals that the oil level was pretty low (oil is right at the low mark on the dipstick) when I change it.

I've always changed the oil (myself) at 3k or 3.3k intervals (mostly city driving, with some freeway driving), it's always gone down a little, but seems to be going down even more lately. I use 6 qts of 5w30 as recommended (cheap Wal-Mart oil brand) and replace the oil filter (Fram) with each change.

After the last oil change I've been checking the oil at each fill up and it seems to drop a little each time. I always let it sit for 4-5 minutes (enough time to gas up and pay) before checking the oil level.

My brother-in-law mechanic says that 100k is about when Chevy's start using oil and that's normal.

Anything I can do at this point? Or do I just need to start adding oil after every 1k miles of driving?

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by rhino_llh

I have a 2001 Suburban, K1500 (4wd) with just over 100k, I bought it used with 33k miles on it. I noticed in the last two oil change intervals that the oil level was pretty low (oil is right at the low mark on the dipstick) when I change it.

I've always changed the oil (myself) at 3k or 3.3k intervals (mostly city driving, with some freeway driving), it's always gone down a little, but seems to be going down even more lately. I use 6 qts of 5w30 as recommended (cheap Wal-Mart oil brand) and replace the oil filter (Fram) with each change.

After the last oil change I've been checking the oil at each fill up and it seems to drop a little each time. I always let it sit for 4-5 minutes (enough time to gas up and pay) before checking the oil level.

My brother-in-law mechanic says that 100k is about when Chevy's start using oil and that's normal.

Anything I can do at this point? Or do I just need to start adding oil after every 1k miles of driving?

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

the last time ,,the only time I've been to UTAH I saw a lot of mountains...you have a large vehicle and with this driving environment, your using walmart oil....thats your problem....also your using those cheap,defective fram oil filters that use a very poor quality filter media,,,so all that dirt continues to eat away at your engine componets..

my engines over 40 plus years never used more than 1/2qt every 3500miles...I in the past have used castrol/and penzoil oils with the GM [ac]filters when they were made by ac....since these ac filters are contracted out to another company the quality of these is also poor now..

my current vehicle uses mobil 1 with the purolator plus filter,,this is now over 125,000mi and the engine uses about 1/4qt of oil every 8,ooomi which is the oil change period....some go longer as much as 15,ooomi with the synthetic oil...


on a vehicle I had from new 1983 I put 380,ooomi over 17years on it with mostly castrol[dino] oil and changed oil every 3500mi. with at the time the good GM filters and this vehicle never used more than 1/2 qt every 3500mi...

so to say that these chevy engines use oil at 100,ooomi, I would say it incorrect...with proper correct maintenace..