5.3L running out of oil?

[goat364]

So, while helping a family friend shop for a used Suburban I have come across several of them at used car lots who have had the engines replaced and they don't even have 50k miles on them. I thought this was really odd being that the LS engine family is pretty bulletproof. Then last weekend my bosses sisters 2010 LTZ Suburban runs out of oil and siezes the engine! Come to find out she had an 08 burb do the same thing to her. Both engines were under warranty and the dealer replaced them for free. The engines just ran out of oil. There were no leaks and she had the oil changed at the dealer every 3k.

Anyone have information on what seems to be a common problem on the 08-10 5.3 liter?

My 2004 tahoe has a 5.3 and doesn't burn/use/leak more than a half quart of oil over the course of the 6000 miles between my oil changes(Amsoil Synthetic).

 

[destro77]

The vehicle tells you when oil is low. My 07 burns synthetic and i have to add once in betwwen oil changes. There are no leaks but its not that big of a deal. There should be no way it can have no oil without you knowing.

 

[kntrydr]

I have run in to the samething 07 ppv Tahoe I talked to a couple of service techs at the dealership and they tell me it's normal in the newer engines because of how gm has changed thing internally to make the engines work with the flex fuel systems supposedly it doesn't hurt emissions but destro77 is right it should tell you when it gets about a quart low

 

[R_Zachs]

ive noticed on the wifes 07 it will tell us around 20% oil life left it will chime and let us know need to add oil

 

[Ont240]

101 on the use of a dip stick

It's not far from the windshield washer filler neck.
How often do you add WW fluid? eace:

 

[Coyotejunki]

interesting

I was in Sierra Vista, AZ, at one of those jiffy lubes and decided to get my oil changes because I have driven cross country and at about 4000+ on the oil, (Mobile one). One of the guys calls me back out to my Tahoe and tells me the oil was empty. Now I just drove over 2000 miles, and it never was low in all the previous oil changes. Shows me a clean oil stick. No Warning lights or anything. He was pushing (trying to sell) the engine flush and some other junk.

Kind of scared me at first, because out in the desert and all, but then it just started to piss me off, because I am pretty sure he was trying to rip me off.

Monitoring my oil more often now, and am at the 3000 mark and still at full oil on the stick.

 

[Jeffaustin]

Revised valve cover. Redesign baffles PVC intake. Works well. Check with your dealer.

 

[samotahoe]

I was in Sierra Vista, AZ, at one of those jiffy lubes and decided to get my oil changes because I have driven cross country and at about 4000+ on the oil, (Mobile one). One of the guys calls me back out to my Tahoe and tells me the oil was empty. Now I just drove over 2000 miles, and it never was low in all the previous oil changes. Shows me a clean oil stick. No Warning lights or anything. He was pushing (trying to sell) the engine flush and some other junk.

Kind of scared me at first, because out in the desert and all, but then it just started to piss me off, because I am pretty sure he was trying to rip me off.

Monitoring my oil more often now, and am at the 3000 mark and still at full oil on the stick.

hate to say but i used to work at a place like that and some instances the guys downstairs would start draining the oil while i was doing my inspection and they could have drained the oil then showed you. if your sure there was oil there 1000 miles ago, its not going to burn a whole quart and a half that fast unless your smelling the burning oil and see spots all over the driveway. they were trying to hustle. it sucks but they make commission off that crap.