Oil low question (help)

**knightryda01** · 10-05-2008, 03:11 PM

Ok, I got my oil changed at the dealership ( I am not a mechanic)
and I always run mobil 1 in my vehicles.... Never let me down yet.

After reading the threads on here about the ls1 motors being known to lose oil and whatnot I decided to check mine. Came in at the add level on the dipstick. So I'm a quart low?

How much oil does it take to satisfactory fill up the motor? I have heard of people running an extra quart. I want to use just enough oil and be safe.

What weight does GM reccomend? I am guessing they used 5-30 at the dealership.

Also If I am a quart low would it be a good guess that they only filled it with 5 quarts to begin with?

**knightryda01** · 10-05-2008, 04:50 PM

c'mon guys I need some quick help here...

**joejenkinsglass** · 10-05-2008, 04:53 PM

5 1/2 quarts for an ls1 thats all you need. don't use more the extra oil can actually wind around the crankshaft.

**dphillips1984** · 10-05-2008, 06:10 PM

fill it until the dipstick shows full......

**Cronex** · 10-05-2008, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by knightryda01

Ok, I got my oil changed at the dealership ( I am not a mechanic)
and I always run mobil 1 in my vehicles.... Never let me down yet.

After reading the threads on here about the ls1 motors being known to lose oil and whatnot I decided to check mine. Came in at the add level on the dipstick. So I'm a quart low?

How much oil does it take to satisfactory fill up the motor? I have heard of people running an extra quart. I want to use just enough oil and be safe.

What weight does GM reccomend? I am guessing they used 5-30 at the dealership.

Also If I am a quart low would it be a good guess that they only filled it with 5 quarts to begin with?

Get a rag, take the dipstick out and wipe it off the first time. Put it back in and check it again. The oil should be inbetween either the grooves and or the holes. (I forget off hand what our cars dipsticks have for markers.) The higher mark on the dipstick is Full. Our cars call for 5W30 oil. I don't recommend going higher then the full line / mark, people do but I don't..your not suppose to anyway. I don't know about this "losing oil" problem. My car is fine and acts like any other car would oil wise. I only put in about 5 - 5 1/2 quarts of oil when I change mine for it to be full. But if it is at the Add line like you say it should only take a quart or quart and a half to have it at the Full mark. If you are having doubts, go to someone who knows what they are doing.

**Mike's TA** · 10-06-2008, 09:11 AM

If you're losing oil between changes, I would say you have a problem. I have never had to add extra between changes.

**1998 T/A** · 10-06-2008, 10:00 AM

i have a small gasket leak on mine but it lost like 1/8th of a quart in 5k miles

**Benner** · 10-06-2008, 10:06 AM

Your probally losing it at your rear main seal. LS1's are notorious for the rear main seals leaking.

**1998 T/A** · 10-06-2008, 12:29 PM

alright i'll have to have that main seal checked out...I was told that when using synthetic you can just change the filter and put the old oil back in. makes sense synthetic never goes bad right? anyone ever hear of this?

**Benner** · 10-06-2008, 04:02 PM

where are you heaing that from. whoever it is tell them they're complete morons. You'd just be allowing metal particles to keep going through your engine and the synthetic will break down over time just like conventional.

**Cronex** · 10-06-2008, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Benner

where are you heaing that from. whoever it is tell them they're complete morons. You'd just be allowing metal particles to keep going through your engine and the synthetic will break down over time just like conventional.

+1 on that. Ofcourse synthetic breaks down too.

**Mike's TA** · 10-07-2008, 08:40 AM

I'm sure Sarge will be posting on here soon, now that someone has questioned oil usage.

I like reading posts from Sarge, they are so informative.

**Spaz** · 10-07-2008, 10:19 AM

did you make sure you plug is tight and that the filter is snug???

**02blkws6** · 10-07-2008, 10:29 AM

LS1's use a little oil. It is a known fact that the PCV system is the cause. As far as the goofball saying that the rear mains are notorious for leaking, you are wrong. LT1's are, but not LS1's.

**01outlaw** · 10-07-2008, 01:24 PM

mine uses a littel

**blue02Z** · 10-07-2008, 01:56 PM

yeah, ls1's dont leak much, lt1 does. also i run a oil filter for a trailblazer, a pf61. it is the same filter ours calls for just deeper and holds a lil more oil. also you would be fine running a full 6 quarts. 5.5 is always just a lil low and .5 quart wont hurt these cars. another thing mentioned above, the oil doesnt wind up around the crank, the crank aerates the oil

**Benner** · 10-07-2008, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by 02blkws6

LS1's use a little oil. It is a known fact that the PCV system is the cause. As far as the goofball saying that the rear mains are notorious for leaking, you are wrong. LT1's are, but not LS1's.

I'm going off what I've seen personally. Mine leaks, 3 of my friends leak, and we got vettes and fbodies in the dealership several times that had leaks.

**0rion** · 10-07-2008, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by knightryda01

Ok, I got my oil changed at the dealership ( I am not a mechanic)
and I always run mobil 1 in my vehicles.... Never let me down yet.

After reading the threads on here about the ls1 motors being known to lose oil and whatnot I decided to check mine. Came in at the add level on the dipstick. So I'm a quart low?

How much oil does it take to satisfactory fill up the motor? I have heard of people running an extra quart. I want to use just enough oil and be safe.

What weight does GM reccomend? I am guessing they used 5-30 at the dealership.

Also If I am a quart low would it be a good guess that they only filled it with 5 quarts to begin with?

the most important thing you can do is educate yourself. Ask these questions and as many as it takes. Typically people that run extra oil run a larger truck filter. I personally don't. GM recommends 5/30. LS1's do tend to use some oil. Just give it a check every now and then and keep it in the hatched area of the stick. Don't overfill it. Just make sure it's in the hatched area and you'll be fine. Sarge can tell you more about oil than I can, I can only tell you what I do. I don't run synthetic so I don't have experience there but I can tell you I'd never swap a filter and not the oil no matter what type of oil it is. True, the lifespan of synthetic is longer than conventional oil but it still needs changed and maintained just like any other oil. I've heard of people swapping filters only, I just personally wouldn't do it.

**Spaz** · 10-07-2008, 04:43 PM

my LS1's that i've had... all of them... was me pulling in to a gas station filling the oil and checking my gas... my LS6 don't eat any oil...

**Z28_06374** · 10-08-2008, 03:49 AM

I run 6 quarts with the longer truck filter. My car eats mobil 1 but I was running valve cover breathers. I switched to a catch can setup with castrol oil, so far so good...