What is the normal oil consumption for Xichai 460?
4 Answers
Consuming 1L of oil every 5,000 kilometers is considered normal. Here is the relevant introduction about engine oil: 1. Reduce wear: There is rapid relative sliding between the piston and cylinder, as well as between the main shaft and bearing bush. To prevent excessive wear of parts, an oil film of sufficient thickness needs to be established between the two sliding surfaces to separate them, reducing wear and extending mechanical life. 2. Cooling: Engine oil helps the radiator cool the engine by expelling heat from the engine. 3. Sealing and leak prevention: Engine oil can form a sealing ring between the piston ring and piston, reducing gas leakage and the entry of pollutants. 4. Shock absorption: When the pressure at the engine cylinder port rises sharply, suddenly increasing the load on the piston, piston chips, connecting rod, and crankshaft bearings, this load is transmitted and lubricated through the bearings, cushioning the impact load.
As a veteran long-haul trucker driving semi-trailers, I'm very familiar with this CA6DM2 460-horsepower engine from FAWDE. In the first tens of thousands of kilometers with a new truck, it barely burns any oil - when doing maintenance at 7,000-8,000 km intervals, the dipstick level doesn't even drop to the minimum mark. After 200,000 km, it typically consumes about 1.2 liters per 10,000 km, which our fleet's senior mechanics say is normal aging. But you must pay special attention to the exhaust pipe - if you see blue smoke during cold morning starts, or if oil consumption suddenly increases to over 1.5 liters per 5,000 km, you absolutely need to check the piston rings. Last year when my truck had cylinder liner scoring, it was burning up to 2 liters at its worst, costing over 9,000 yuan for a major overhaul.
I've been in truck maintenance for 15 years. According to the technical manual of the FAWDE engine factory, the upper limit of oil consumption rate for the CA6DM2 engine is 0.3% of fuel consumption. Based on a standard load fuel consumption of 35 liters per 100 kilometers at 460 horsepower, oil consumption exceeding 1.05 liters per 10,000 kilometers is abnormal. From actual maintenance experience: healthy machines within 100,000 kilometers typically consume between 0.6 to 0.9 liters; turbocharger oil seal leakage can suddenly increase consumption by 0.3 liters; if piston rings are misaligned, oil consumption directly doubles. It's recommended to check the dipstick scale monthly—normal wear should not exceed a 3 mm drop on the dipstick per 1,000 kilometers.
Truckers who have driven the FAW J6 know that the Xichai 460 engine is indeed durable, but it all depends on maintenance. There are three key points to watch for oil consumption: if the top-up amount exceeds four 1-liter bottles within an oil change interval (e.g., 40,000 km), be alert; blue smoke from the exhaust pipe during cold starts indicates aging valve stem seals; and a panting sound at the oil filler cap may suggest a clogged PCV valve. My truck has run 400,000 km, and now it consumes 3 liters every 20,000 km—the service station says this condition is good. Once at a rest area, I met a fellow trucker whose vehicle burned 4 liters every 5,000 km; upon disassembly, they found carbon buildup on the piston crown had seized the rings.
