vettebk

So I checked my oil using the COMMAND option and it read 1.5 qts low. The oil was changed last April and it has never used oil between changes for five years. Valve cover gaskets last changed two years ago. No obvious signs of leaks, drips, or burning. I added a full quart and a Molly Disulfide 300 ml bottle.

It has been unseasonably hot and swampy humid here for almost a month with A/C running at peak for hours. Car has not read hot just slightly higher than middle of the gauge. Running really well.

Do any of you V12 owners report oil usage between changes? And especially you guys in tropical climates..... Does the higher temps cause more oil usage?

Thanks for helping. I will monitor this closely; maybe I have a leak.

BOTUS

last April means 18 months ago - changed in April means 4 months ago

my v8 tends to use oil if its getting towards the two year limit otherwise newer oil tends to behave
gentle driving doesn't help, and can cause the rings not to seat - full operating temps and ragging them to death is the healthy choice to keep things tip top
higher temps can cause an increase in oil consumption - but its more the combination of high revs and high temps - aka high speed highway work on long journeys

chassis

Does this engine have an oil cooler buried in the engine block valley (“vee”)?

Check under the oil fill cap for light brown sludge. Check coolant reservoir(s) for signs of oil.

JohnLane

It is a 275 in 5.5 liter form. Don’t all the turbocharged V-12 engines use the same air-oil cooler that is mounted at the bottom of the stack of heat exchangers in the nose of the car? I have only had opportunity to poke at the six liter AMG version of them.

There is some manner of diaphragm to do with crankcase vapors that fails. Again.... I have not had to deal with one of them in my cars.

OP.... if your V-12 has never burned oil.... your engine is very much in the minority! Keep in mind that many-most of the V-12 powered cars are purchased by octogenarians who never ask for more then 10-15% of power it is capable of. As such rings don’t get seated. My first 275 powered car burned over a quart/1000 miles when I bought it. I DRIVE my cars. Yes; that means wide-open throttle on a regular basis and not just for ten seconds. It took 15-20,000 miles and it stopped burning oil. Really. But then it spat a main shell into the chains. A story for another time.

mcypert

Vettebk, specific answer, "No."

Mark... South Padre Island

vettebk

Thanks, Mark. I value your opinion and appreciate the reply. I checked it this morning and no obvious leaks, drips, and it ran really well. I wonder if maybe my indie who changed the oil in April shorted it a tad. They normally do great work, but they were very busy. After the next oil change, I will actually check it this time.

The only time in the 50K miles I have driven when it used a quart was on a long trip to FL and I was hot ******* a little around 85-90 mph. She used a quart at that fill-up. Otherwise, no use of oil at all until yesterday.

I am watching it. I will also check for sludge or goop in the coolant recovery tank later today after she cools down.

I don't think the W221 had an oil cooler in the vee. I think it is in front of my radiator and it wasn't weeping. And regarding my driving habits, I am 72 years old and I drive my S600 like I stole it. I like it fast and smooth.

WHPH28

Well, considering we're only a few miles apart and yes, we've had some crazy humid weather recently...I just got the message to add a quart the other day. I don't drive my car a lot but when I am really out on the highway hitting it, I'll get that message once in a blue moon. Absolutely 0 leaks, it's always been that way, only when I am really, really running it hard.

I drive from here to FL and back and here to SC and back and never see that message, but I can drive 10 miles like a wild bandit, and I'll get it at some point. The harder it's driven, the more likely you will see that message from oil consumption...at least from my experience. Also, it won't show the message right away but at some point after when I drive it again in a week or 2 weeks later, I'll get it that message.
...and no, I don't drive it hard often...just when some of these people around here want to try to show off, I'll give it a litte extra tap on the gas.

WRC-LVR

Maybe the oil isnt draining back the way it should when ragged.....

vettebk

Just to close out the thread, I have been checking the oil every day and no recurrence of oil usage. It is very strange but right now I am thinking it was under filled at the last oil change. I will continue to monitor but I think this was a one off situation. Thanks for the comments and replies. My baby is running really good.