bigdaddy25403 Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 What can any of you tell me about the 2004 oil consumption issue. Any quick fixes. I’m using 1 qt every 5-6 thousand miles. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 All I can say is that sounds very normal. Cadillac's spec is 1 quart for every 1000 miles. You're not using but a quart every 5000-6000 miles. Very much within spec. Just know that, like with the Northstar engine, any oil that the engine uses is likely helping to keep the cylinder walls lubricated and wearing well. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dasher Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 My 2008 CTS has not used a quart of oil in nearly 10,000 miles. Kind of a relief after my last Northstar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 What can any of you tell me about the 2004 oil consumption issue. Any quick fixes. I’m using 1 qt every 5-6 thousand miles. Thank you You consider this an issue? Most every engine uses some oil. That is what lubricates the cylinder walls. Your "consumption" is almost nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calif phil Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 All I can say is that sounds very normal. Cadillac's spec is 1 quart for every 1000 miles. You're not using but a quart every 5000-6000 miles. Very much within spec. Just know that, like with the Northstar engine, any oil that the engine uses is likely helping to keep the cylinder walls lubricated and wearing well. That is what my 04 CTS uses. I would consider that very normal and not to worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthstarAJ Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 My 2008 CTS has not used a quart of oil in nearly 10,000 miles. Kind of a relief after my last Northstar. How many oil changes in that 10K? 12.58 second Northstar with a GM/Cadillac PCM Cadillac Technician @ Crest Cadillac Brookfield WI Hometown Washougal WA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthstarAJ Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 What can any of you tell me about the 2004 oil consumption issue. Any quick fixes. I’m using 1 qt every 5-6 thousand miles. Thank you This is my story with the 3.6L I have seen a very high failure rate on this engine. It is so high that I have nicknamed it the new 4100. The problem is not every engine fails. Going back into the history of each failure I have found not one customer that had the oil change at the required interval. On top of that I have found the first oil change to be very high. The lowest at 7000, but most have been 9000 to 15,000 on the first oil change. When the cars get in the area of 20,000-30,000K they consume about 4 to 6 quarts every 4000 to 5000 miles. The customers that had the first oil change at 3000 to 6000 miles do not have this problem. I pull dip sticks and check the service history to back up my theory every chance I get. A new engine has fine metal debris (break in debris) that used to be flushed out between 500 and a 1000 miles. This debris is possibly doing damage after 7000 miles. I have found that without oil in the system the valve guide burn up. one note, if you are out of oil and you have a 3.6L you will not get a low oil level message unless the key is on and the engine is off. In 06 GM dropped the oil level sensor all together. To run the VVT the engine is built to make a lot of oil pressure. This engine will make about 10 psi of air pressure in the oil system. Yes this mean that it will shut the oil pressure light off. Change your oil at 1000 to 3000 and you will never have a problem. If you go over 7K on the very first oil change and I will guaranty you have done some damage! Just stop and think. Another note. some customers come in at 3K for the first oil change and find out the price and run. Some have the oil changed done anyway. Those motors have gone 7k with less than 1/4 quart of oil used when they get 40,000 miles on them. Like I said I pull every dip stick I can and check the oil change history. I put an engine in a CTS last September. The guy came in yesterday with 6974 miles since I installed the engine. Guess what he was not in for an oil change and we had to talk him into it!!!!!!!! WTF 12.58 second Northstar with a GM/Cadillac PCM Cadillac Technician @ Crest Cadillac Brookfield WI Hometown Washougal WA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdaddy25403 Posted February 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 I find no where in the owner’s manual the recommended oil change (in mileage) for the 04 cts. The dealer recommends every 3500-4000 miles. GM recommends using the Oil life monitor. A $100 synthetic oil change every month at 3500 miles is a little excessive. I drive 4500 miles in a month’s time. Some people have suggested using conventional oil (yes even the dealer) to see if the oil consumption stops. I have only used oil that meets the GM standard 4718m as stated in the owner’s manual. So far that’s been Mobil 1, I may try Vavoline synthetic, this meets the GM standard as well. I’m reluctant to use conventional oil as I do have an extended warranty till 1000.000 miles. So you suggest not following GM’s recommendation and don’t use the oil life monitor? Why is it there? Any one else tried the conventional oil in these motors? If so what was the result. The vehicle has 89567 miles on it as of today, no issues other than the oil consumption. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 If the owners manual say to use synthetic, then I would use synthetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Change it yourself for $50.... save $50 a month right there..... If I can do it, anyone can.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdlaws Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Hi there, I'm new to this forum and am strongly considering purchasing my first Cadillac, an '08 CTS, within the next couple of months. One question I've been dying to ask is, do these cars have to go to the dealer for oil changes? I currently drive a Toyota Highlander which I just bring to the nearest Meineke or Jiffy Lube - very convenient. Is that not acceptable with the Cadillac? Any insight would be appreciated, as this will help me better understand my cost of ownership with the CTS. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickN Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 We have an 08 CTS that has had every oil change done by the monitor at the dealership. It now has around 100,000 on it. My wife drives it 100 miles a day to and from work, 5 days a week. We stopped getting the oil changed at the dealership recently, because I think they shorted us on oil at the last oil change. We were preparing for a trip out of town, and while I was gassing up, a friend at the station checked the oil. I told him it had just been changed 3 weeks before. Guess what? It was over 2 quarts low. He told me that the CTS holds more than the typical 5 quarts with a filter change that we grew up with. Now the car is using oil. Not leaking, and I don't see dirty tail pipes. Still has 50% left on next oil change, but last night I had to put 2 quarts in it again. This car has been babied since new. My wife rarely even kicks it into passing gear on the highway. Can not figure why the sudden oil consumption. We use Mobil 1, 5w30 like the oil cap says to. By the way, there are 4 different types of Mobil 1 with that same weight. That is news also. Any ideas? RickN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 The key We have an 08 CTS that has had every oil change done by the monitor at the dealership. It now has around 100,000 on it. My wife drives it 100 miles a day to and from work, 5 days a week. We stopped getting the oil changed at the dealership recently, because I think they shorted us on oil at the last oil change. We were preparing for a trip out of town, and while I was gassing up, a friend at the station checked the oil. I told him it had just been changed 3 weeks before. Guess what? It was over 2 quarts low. He told me that the CTS holds more than the typical 5 quarts with a filter change that we grew up with. Now the car is using oil. Not leaking, and I don't see dirty tail pipes. Still has 50% left on next oil change, but last night I had to put 2 quarts in it again. This car has been babied since new. My wife rarely even kicks it into passing gear on the highway. Can not figure why the sudden oil consumption. We use Mobil 1, 5w30 like the oil cap says to. By the way, there are 4 different types of Mobil 1 with that same weight. That is news also. Any ideas? RickN The key word here is babied and never kicking it into passing gear. Try driving it a little harder, wind it out a few times, take it on a long high speed highway drive and see if that helps it. Check you are using the proper viscosity for the outside temps. In response to the above conversation, the GURU used to say that the MOST important oil change is the FIRST oil change as the filter traps the manufacturing debris. I am SHOCKED that GM does not have the owner bringing in the car at 500 to 1000 miles for a required oil change even making it free if possible. It should be required for the warranty Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I ALWAYS change the oil before it gets 1000 miles on it... and any other time if I have drove it real hard. An extra oil change is a lot cheaper than a new engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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