Oil consumption scares, questions, and experience(so far)

[FrizB]

Long time lurker with a quick question and history.

I have had the infamous excessive oil consumption issues for a long time now. Never really was a major problem or anything outside of "allowable oil consumption parameters" until just recently. Since my last oil change, I have probably put a quart of oil for every 800-1000 miles or so.
For those who are wondering if you have the same problems, here were my symptoms. If you are not religiously checking your dipstick, the first sign was the billowing smoke out of the tailpipe after a cold start. Then came the tick from the engine coinciding with engine speed(Faster you drive, the faster the tick). Neither of these are good signs, but add a little oil and both go away. Obviously best to add oil before either of these symptoms though.
I brought this in to get looked at this morning since it has gotten increasingly bad in the last couple months or so and now definitely over the "worse than it should be" tolerance. The dealer wanted to do a oil-consumption test but I kindly asked them to check the PCV system and valve covers since I read a lot on here about them. They just responded saying the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced since they found "a TON" of oil when removing the covers. They then followed that up saying that the valve cover gasket replacement might not fix anything and an engine replacement or extensive work might be needed. Sweet.
That leads me to my questions. Has anyone had the valve cover gasket replacement? Does it help? Has too much damage already been done to correct? If so, any recommendations on my next vehicle?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[tony2006]

if it runs good still i would just keep adding oil every 1000 miles. You can't hurt it now by using more oil unless you let it get low. Good luck

[jhass13]

I have been having the same problem. My TB has 117,000 on the clock. I was really worried the first time that I noticed it because I had just had my oil changed recently and I was at least a quart low after only 1k miles. What got my attention was when I would accelerate to pass or get up to speed on the highway, I would notice a cloud of smoke from the tailpipe. I have just been keeping an eye on it and filling it when needed, but I am trying something different this time. I bought a quart of the Lucas Oil Oil Stabilizer. Its suppose to condition the seals and reduce oil consumption. Im praying that it at least helps a little.

[tony2006]

tried lucas oil stabilizer 2 times in a row---- no improvement. Lucas oil makes some good products but it didn't help my problem. Just keep adding oil and enjoying the vehicle. Runs great! Thanks to the person who suggested cutting spring to fix console latch problem----worked great!!!!

[WatSaab]

Last oil change I was using about a quart every 2500 miles, now its at 1 qt per 1k. Not good.

I get no smoke on start up and none on throttle.

The problem is the more it uses the more it cakes on the rings and the worse it gets. There is a revised valve cover w/ a raised baffle to help reduce the amount of oil it pulls in but I'm pretty sure thats just a weak bandaid at this point. For $100 I'm going to try it though along w/ a catch can.

Seal conditioners are not what you need, there really isn't anything in a can that is going to fix the issue. As for a valve cover gasket being a fix, unless its 1/2" thicker I don't see it happening.

I really like this saab and if I end up having to pull the motor a 5.3 is not going back in it.

[FrizB]

Well, The valve cover and gasket replacement seem to have helped tremendously. I am now at 4000 miles since my last oil change and no problems yet. I am bringing it in for an oil change this week and see how things are going. I hope this isn't just a bandaid like mentioned. I hope this solved the oil issues for good. Only time will tell.

In case anyone cares, here is what they replaced:

Gasket - Part#: 12637683
Cover - Part#: 12570427

Total with parts and labor came to $270.00

[WatSaab]

thanks for the part number. I actually had that exact valve cover sitting on the shelf from another engine build. Looks like I'll be swapping them out this weekend. I'm tired of having to put more oil in my 60k mile 97x than I do in my 230k mile explorer.

[New Envoy]

If I can find the parts, I'll be doing the cover and gasket replacement this weekend. I'll post back with the results. I may even try to get some pics!

JUst an update: I found the gasket and the cover online at O'Reilly for $104.99 for the set! Looks like its a go for the weekend.....

[stpolo]

Any updates guys? I just installed the new driver side valve cover on my wife's Denali. I'll let you know what I find.

[Farmer]

stpolo - How big of a job was it to swap out your valve cover? Did you have any trouble finding a new cover? About $120? I'm monitoring my oil level closely since my last oil change. Nothing noticeable yet, but it's only been 120 miles. I'll see what happens over the next several months. Assuming oil consumption continues, will probably replace the valve cover. I'm anxious to hear if it fixes the problem for you. I didn't get any responses to my original post. Hope all is well in Oshkosh!