2010 vs 2011 vs 2012 oil consumption

2010 started using oil at 50k - 60k miles, now 86k, burning about 1qt every 3k miles. The harder I drive it, the more it burns. Actually all my Pri burn oil, except my 2015s

SM-N900P ?

 

Why do keep buying from people who don't change oil?

 

I don't know....4 out of 4 is pretty high percentage for human error

 

Oil "discussions" will never end...period...but as one of the few real mechanics on this site I offer this.

I) The Prius 1.5l and 1.8l engines are sleeved cylinder aluminum alloy. That alone means you give it more care than any cast iron sister. 2) Change your oil and filter first time around 200-500 miles. 3) Use only synthetic oil spec'ed per the manufacturer...not the distributor. 4) Use the viscosity that matches the service duty...not just what gives you the best mpg. 5) Check you oil level "every-time" you fuel up...or more as required. 6) Change your oil and filter "before" it breaks down...not what you can get away with...and definitely before the car manufacturer's "minimum required". 7) Understand that preventative maintenance is your best defense against premature wear and repair.

Take better care of your $25,000-$35,000 purchase...and it will take better care of you.

 

One reason these "discussions" about excessive oil consumption go on endlessly is the shortage of relevant facts. At least until we learn more, there is reason to suspect carbon clogging of piston drain holes is indeed the cause, because that syndrome has been proven to affect some earlier Toyota (among other brand) engines, but I haven't yet seen solid confirmation that it's the cause of excessive oil consumption by recent Prii. Similarly, where's the proof that insufficiently frequent oil changes is to blame? ... or using 0W-20, or not using 0W-20? Conscientious maintenance can't always compensate for incompetent design.

 

Agree. On some cars I think the tolerances just add up wrong, you could do frequent oil changes, and still have serious consumption. Not right away, but after some time, due to valve guide rubber hardening up, failing piston rings, or whatever.

Again, all the Honda's we've ever had ate at least a cup between changes, more typically a pint. Never ran up the miles on any of them, but for the time we had them it didn't seem to get progressively worse.

 

Well, this is what i tried to accomplish by this poll: oil consumption vs length of oil change interval | PriusChat
Unfortunately priuschat members are too lazy to vote (in large numbers). The results are inconclusive but suggest higher risk with 10,000 mile OCI.

 

I would be more than willing to accept "excessive" carbon fouling of the piston's "oil" ring if tear downs revealed this problem, but no such published documentation of such a design flaw to the Prius 1.5L and 1.8L engines exists after what...13 years. In fact I would be squealing big time if there was. Ask them how I feel about VW on their forums after owning one. In our sue happy culture and the highly competitive Auto mfg climate I guarantee if it existed...it would be out there. No engine design is perfect and neither does a perfect car exist however, you follow the guide I have given and the engines in question will outlive the financial usefulness of the Gen II and GEN III Prius.

 

time to squeal mister, as it has been posted on these forums.

 

Stories on a car forum (even a civil one like this) are not what one would call "published documentation". Neither will the Lawyers, Engineers, Overhaul Technicians, Competitive Car Manufactures or US Government. Also, I would suggest most Gen II/III Prius engines that have failed prematurely (very, very few) were likely due to lack of proper preventative maintenance or catastrophic events including (but not limited to) incorrect repairs/maintenance or impacts resulting in sudden loss of oil or coolant.

Like I said before, oil "discussions" will never end...period...but as one of the few real mechanics on this site I offered the guide which will prevent most of the "problems" reported here. I gain nothing other than hoping I might have helped a few in this turn-key gas-and-go generation.

Take it or leave it...it's your choice, your car, your money.

 

sure, if you are in denial, you will never find any evidence.

 

I wish you and your machines the best Sir.

 

I call bs on it being due to oil changes. I did religious oil changes every 4-5k and at around 140k miles, it ate about a quart ever 2k miles. So no.. it has nothing to do with oil changes (mine is a 2007)

 

Look, it's never just one thing. It's a combination of low tension rings (in Toyota's hybrids) and piston deposits that gives you oil consumption via ring/liner interface. Piston deposits get worse as you stretch OCI and accumulate more miles. BTW, you're comparing apples to oranges here with your gen 2 and 5000 mile OCI with mineral oils vs 10000 mile with synthetic. Those 2 should be equivalent according to Toyota.

 

I agree, a lot of factors in concert can be leading to oil consumption. I don't agree though: that the shift to 10,000 mile oil change interval was due to going to 0W20 (presumably synth) oil specification.

3rd gen in Canada is 0W20 spec, but they stayed with 5000 mile (8000 km) or 6 month. Fourth gen in Canada yeah, they apparently now match the US 10,000 mile spec, though I've yet to find the Canadian Warranty and Maintenance pdf for 4th gen. But Tideland says it's so.

In Australia, they recommend a gamut of oil weights, including 0W20, and the oil change interval is 10,000 km's or 6 months. PDF here:

http://toyotamanuals.com.au/docs/prius-50-series-warranty-service-booklet-nov-15-current/

 

Good Advice.

I drive a 2010, which is a company car, so I don't have a fanboy perspective.
Quite the opposite in fact, since I tend to loathe Toyota dealers even more than the others for taking advantage of their customer's lingering ignorance about hybrids.

My car has over 120,000 miles and uses no noticeable oil during my company's 5k OCI.
I usually check every other tank which works out to be every 1,000 miles - just like it says in the manual.
Big Bell went through a 'hybrid kick' in the 2010s for employees who don't hook poles or carry long truck mounted ladders.
Now they've gone to these weird little Hello-Kitty vans you see them in today, BUT there are quite a few Priuses in our fleet.
Our maintenance manager reports no oil related problems in our area or in others that he's heard of.

Remember......my beloved company is pretty thrifty.
They have a simple philosophy with cars and vans.
Drive them until they're old enough to drink - or until they're uneconomical to continue using.
BUT they refuse to go to a 10,000 mile OCI.

TIFWIW.


The G3 is a pretty dang good car, and there's no reason to believe that the power plant in this car is substantially different than the 11-15s but I'm open to correction on this.
I'd buy one in a nano-second if I needed a daily beater, even if it burns a quart every 3000 miles or so, because I know that given proper care I can probably still put another 100,000 miles on it...................AND get close to 50 MPG while doing so.

Hmmmmm.
Come to think of it, maybe I do have a fanboy perspective for this car.

 

My 2010 started burning oil at about 100k. I bought it used with Toyota documented oil changes up until I bought it at 66k. My usage was primarily highway at 70-75 mph. I had a 3 day a week commute of 100 mi each way. I wish I had never adhered to the 10k OCI. Should have used 5k intervals with 0w-30 or 5w-30 syn. I will note that most of the consumption occurs at highway speeds. It uses much less around town.

 

I also noticed on my gen3 the oil consumption mainly on the highway. In local street driving, oil consumption is not that bad.

On my gen2 cars, oil consumption is there no matter how fast or slow you go.

SM-N900P ?

 

"My" G3 spends 90-percent of it's life on the interstate going from office to office.
Since the buzz-kills at corporate legal put a tracking device on my car, I'm forced to go more or less at the posted speed limit plus 2-3mph.
I used to work evenings and nights, where the ratio was more like 50/50.

I'll also say that I had a bit of a tussle with the fleet maintenance personnel when my 2010 was brand-new.
They wanted to but the same oil in Goofy that they used in the pole trucks at the time (20w50) and I had to remind them that this would probably not be a good idea and invalidate the warranty.
Since then, they grudgingly use either the cheapest instant-oil change shop that they can find, or do it themselves with what I suspect is the generic 5w30 (in a drum) that they now use for all of the hello kitty vans, since my car now is well out of warranty.

I still get close to 50-mpg.
I used to get close to 60 when I was in my hypermiler phase, but I discovered that getting to use the A/C whenever I want to and getting to use the accelerator like an on/off switch was well worth my company's extra $2 a gallon gas money.

My seven year old car probably STILL gets the highest MPG in three counties, and I don't have people shaking their fists at me and giving me the half-a-peace-sign gesture for being a rolling roadblock.

 

I keep hearing 5W30, and it's starting to sound good.