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Losing Oil... Whats happening?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Bamapse, Feb 11, 2016.

  1. Bamapse

    Bamapse Junior Member

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    Well we have had our 2006 prius for over a year now and 2 oil changes ago I noticed that the oil level was a little over a quart low about 5000 miles after the Mobile 1 full synthetic change I did. I topped it off and finished my 7500 miles before doing another oil change. I am now 4500 miles into my my next full synthetic oil change and I had to add a full quart yesterday. It doesn't smell like its burning any oil at all and it is not leaking anywhere so I am wondering what the heck it going on. I am pretty worried about it so just trying to work through problems that it could be. The Prius now has 140k miles on it. Thanks for any/all help!
     
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    It's not unusual for higher mileage prius to start burning some oil. Just check the oil level more often and add oil as needed. Make sure it doesn't run low.
     
    jeff652 likes this.
  3. Bamapse

    Bamapse Junior Member

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    Is there anything specific to the Prius that I can do to help it not burn so much oil? a quart every 3-4k miles seems like a good bit of burning to not notice it at all by smoke/smell or anything else.
     
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Not much you can do. As a maintenance item, you can replace the pcv valve and see if that improves anything. Most people just keep an eye out on the oil burning and top off as needed
     
  5. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

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    You could try switching to a High Mileage synthetic. Those are supposed to have additives that swell seals and gaskets to stop leaks.
     
  6. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    Congratulations on catching the drop in oil level before it became a real problem. So many car owners these days never even open the hood between oil changes, and at over 100K miles, it's time to start doing that! Start checking every two fill-ups at least, and carry a quart with you on long trips. My '07 started consuming oil about the same mileage and it still runs fine and reliably years later, not noticeable anywhere but the dipstick. It's a well-documented issue here, little if any cause for concern.
     
    Patrick Wong likes this.
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    OP has 140K miles logged. 20 years ago a car with that odometer reading would be towed to the junkyard. Now if the OP just keeps an eye on the oil level and replenishes it as needed, there is no reason for concern.

    The engine, with moving parts, is naturally going to incur some wear of those parts over time. This translates to increased oil consumption. For example the piston rings may wear or the cylinders may get larger, which allows more oil consumption. Or the valve guide seals may start to leak. In any event, moderate usage, no more than 1 quart per 1K miles, is acceptable. As the oil consumption increases beyond that there is some concern that the catalytic converter will foul and need to be replaced.

    My 2004 has 214K miles and uses a little oil, perhaps 1 quart per 3-4K miles. There is no need for taking any action other than keeping the oil level up. I found Mobil 1 0W-30 seemed to help the consumption rate.
     
  8. Bamapse

    Bamapse Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the help! I will just start checking every 2 gas fill ups or so and will try a high milage synth on my next change.