Gen II Burning Oil?

[redhorses]

I have a 2005 with 93,000. About 1,000 miles before my previous 5,000 oil change the warning light starting flashing. Brought the car into the mechanic who said I was down 2 qts. Very strange. Decided to go one more service period and see what happens. Now at 3,000 miles, I'm down 2 qts. He called a technician at a local Toyota dealer who said it's a freak engine and there is no fix. Has anyone else experienced this? Thank you.

[brick]

What kind of oil have you been using? Have you checked thoroughly for leaks? Any large blue smoke clouds following you under heavy acceleration? Any driveability issues? If you look at the coolant reservoir do you see any oil at the top or is the coolant clean?

The other question is, what did the mechanic define as "two quarts low"? Checking the oil is not a black art, but that's sort of a vague description considering that there is a one quart range that is considered acceptable. I should also mention that one quart burned over 5k miles really isn't a big deal. It's not common but it's not necessarily a sign of impending doom as long as you stay on top of it. The severity of the problem really depends on the cause.

[Patrick Wong]

A few questions:

1. How long have you owned the car?
2. Is this oil consumption issue a sudden change?
3. Do you see any oil leaks where you park the car?
4. Do you always observe the 5K oil change schedule?

If you are a long-term owner, this oil consumption is a sudden change and there are no visible leaks, then it sounds like you've got engine wear.

A cylinder leakdown test would show whether you've got a leaky valve or worn piston rings. If the leakdown test does not reveal any problems then maybe you have worn valve stem seals.

The cost of repair in either case is going to be much more than your buying two extra quarts of oil every 5K miles, so if your car doesn't have visible exhaust, you might leave well enough alone. Good luck.

[V8Cobrakid]

mine burns oil... if you look in your manual, it says to expect that.

i was worried so i switched to a 5w 50. mpg hasn't really changed. i can feel the gearing more as if there's a tiny bit more drag... but i noticed my oil level hasn't dropped.. that was about 2k miles ago.

[redhorses]

Thanks, Patrick. The mechanic I use is very good and consults regularly with a friend of his who is a technician at one of the local dealers. He found no leaks at all, or worn cylinder rings. No visible exhaust. I've owned the car 5.5 years, have been religious about my 5,000 oil change and services, have seen no leaks where it's parked, and this is relatively new - first showed up 7,000 miles ago (last few years I'm putting on at least 2,000 mile a month, so my mechanic and I are good friends). He, too said I should be lucky that all I need to do is put in two quarts every 2,000 miles and hopefully nothing else will wear down. Guess I should not complain because at 93,000 miles all I've put into the car are new tires and regular maintenance and not a dime more. If I can get another 30,000 miles on the price of oil sure won't matter. THank you

[BAllanJ]

My 1976 VW Rabbit went through almost half a quart of 20w50 between fillups and that was considered normal.... for a Rabbit.

When I think about it now, I wonder why I did oil changes... should have just changed the filter since most of the oil was always fresh.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by V8Cobrakid

mine burns oil... if you look in your manual, it says to expect that.

i was worried so i switched to a 5w 50. mpg hasn't really changed. i can feel the gearing more as if there's a tiny bit more drag... but i noticed my oil level hasn't dropped.. that was about 2k miles ago.

Yes, however I think of the manual advice as a "CYA" type of thing - so that the occasional owner with this problem won't expect to get a new engine under warranty.

5W50 - OMG - this is like molasses. Wait until winter and see if your car even starts...

Originally Posted by redhorses

...He, too said I should be lucky that all I need to do is put in two quarts every 2,000 miles and hopefully nothing else will wear down. Guess I should not complain because at 93,000 miles all I've put into the car are new tires and regular maintenance and not a dime more...

OK. I suggest that you keep an eye on the oil consumption to make sure the rate doesn't get worse as time passes.

Originally Posted by BAllanJ

My 1976 VW Rabbit went through almost half a quart of 20w50 between fillups and that was considered normal.... for a Rabbit.

When I think about it now, I wonder why I did oil changes... should have just changed the filter since most of the oil was always fresh.

A 1976 VW Dasher was the first new car that I bought, after becoming a freshly-minted MBA and getting my first corporate job. That car was far from world-class in so many ways... How about the dealer-installed air conditioning, that was very noisy and the AC compressor drive belt liked to slip.

Good point regarding why change the oil so frequently, maybe the OP should move to 10K mile oil changes since he's replacing 50% of the oil every 3-4K miles anyway... (just kidding...)

[yardman 49]

I bought a brand new 2001 VW Beetle. Much to my shock, I afterwards found out that it was "normal" for that engine to burn 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles!!!!

I felt pretty bad about having to carry around a few quarts of oil with me for a new car, so that I could keep it topped off!!

Thankfully, I no longer own that POJ.

[MJFrog]

Originally Posted by yardman 49

I bought a brand new 2001 VW Beetle. Much to my shock, I afterwards found out that it was "normal" for that engine to burn 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles!!!!

I felt pretty bad about having to carry around a few quarts of oil with me for a new car, so that I could keep it topped off!!

Thankfully, I no longer own that POJ.

Ah yes, one of those vehicles where you pull into the service station and tell the attendant to check the gas and fill up the oil...

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by yardman 49

I bought a brand new 2001 VW Beetle. ...Thankfully, I no longer own that POJ.

My wife had a 1999 New Beetle GLS. It didn't burn appreciable oil. However, the most notable failure happened when she was driving at freeway speed and then heard an explosion. However the car kept going so she proceeded on her business.

When I got home, I looked at the car, which seemed fine. Then I looked closer and saw that the RR plastic fender liner was missing. Apparently the liner came loose and the RR tire grabbed the liner and ejected it from the fender at speed. Amazing that didn't cause an accident... The fender liner was replaced under warranty, one of many warranty repairs to that car - which we sold after 4 years.