Did you RTFM? Our Generac QS (2.4L) came from the factory filled with
5w20 synthetic blend. You're supposed to change filter and oil to 5w30
syn blend after the first 30 hours. And then regular filter/oil changes
w/ 5w30 every 100 hours. I believe the 2.4L Mitsubitchy is an iron block
though. I hope we don't have any oil consumption issues after we get it
going finally.
And I'm all too familiar with oil burning. My Silverado has the aluminum
block 5.3L Vortec with cylinder deactivation (AFM). They put the
aluminum in 4WD due to weight. It has been burning a quart every
2500-3000 miles since I've owned it. There really isn't anything
different between it and the iron blocks besides a slightly different
oiling system. The aluminum has iron cylinder liners. The thing with the
LS engines is that they need to be driven like you stole it once in a
while to keep carbon fouling from making the control rings stick.
And then recently I discovered that GM put out a bulletin for my build
date range about the driver side valve cover causing oil consumption.
That cover has the PCV integrated (really!?). When oil shoots up from
the pushrods, it can get suspended on the baffle plate and then sucked
out through the PCV orifice and right into the intake. There's supposed
to be crankcase vapors exiting, not fricken oil! So they came out with a
new design with a larger baffle drain and in a different position. I was
out of warranty, but I made GM replace it anyway since the last dealer I
took it to didn't even check for that issue. Most dealer techs and
service managers are idiots.
As Chuck said, yes, it will burn a bit of oil until the rings are
seated. A quart is a lot though. One concern is ring gap alignment which
can happen at any time. Compression testing can reveal it.
Keep an eye on it and then call Generac if needed.
On 6/23/2016 11:58 AM, Bill Prince wrote:
Aluminum block, but iron sleeves? Almost no one that I'm aware does a
pure aluminum block since the Vega fiasco back in the 1970s.
Aluminum is great for heat disipation, and lightness. However, you
wouldn't typically see it used as an economy measure.
bp
<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com>
On 6/23/2016 9:48 AM, Adam Moffett wrote:
I had a Generac Guardian running continuously for two weeks. At the
end of the two weeks I checked the oil and it was so low the dipstick
came out dry. We added almost a quart.
It's 990cc engine with an aluminum block. I've heard aluminum blocks
can drink oil because they expand more with heat as compared to cast
iron.....but as contrary evidence my Hyundai Elantra has an aluminum
block and doesn't lose oil over time.
The manual says to check the oil daily if you're running
continuously, but I thought they were just being overly cautious.
The genny's brand new so I'm kind of stunned.
Could this really be normal?
