Oil Consumption in My '13 V/Considering an Experimental Treatment

I caught out oil consumption at the quart every 4500 miles rate.

Since then I have done BG Products EPR flushes before each oil change and the oil comes out jet black (darker than a normal oil change).

I’ve also clubbed up to 5w-30 full synthetic oil and that has helped.

I make sure to go only 0-5 mph above the posted speed limit where it was 5-10 mph before with the higher consumption.

I’m sure Mrs. TV is “reasonable” or logical. I know when my wife drives our 2010 on trips of distance, I explain the issue and show her how to check the oil level and how to add oil.

Let’s just say the oil level was a little lower after 1k miles and she didn’t have to add any oil.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

As far as experiments, some here have had luck with heavy Techron doses.
I can't find the thread at the moment as the author @chogan2 has apparently deleted his account.

 

I'm trying that now on our 2010. Purchased a case (six 20 ouncers) of techron and am using it on every tank. Nothing to report yet. Probably will really start monitoring after the spring oil change. Right now we are in 'winter survival/hibernation' mode.

 

Here is a list of every time Techron was used on Prius chat, the archives.

Techron siteriuschat.com - Google Search

 

What would be good stuff to put in there? Maybe even a non-aerosol, something poured in with a funnel with extension? What would be best carbon buster, that would also not put the kibosh on subsequent startup attempts.

 

Would it be worthwhile to remove the passenger front wheel and turn the engine the engine manually a few times, then maybe suck the stuff back out with an extension tube? Just floating ideas.

I've got a hunch it's pretty hard to de-carbon and free-up rings without disassemble though, if that was the issue.

 

I have never tried this stuff but if you want to remove carbon from an engine check this out.

There are other videos showing it sprayed into the intake when running but you can't deny that it removes carbon.

 

Yeah in the video the fluid percolates down, past the rings, in a matter of minutes.

If you've ever done a valve clearance adjustment you'll be familiar with manually turning the engine. With spark plugs out it's even easier; you're not fighting compression (which is not that hard to overcome).

I've just got this odd back-of-head thought: is this impossible with the Prius transaxle and the parking pawl? I don't think so but not 100% sure.

 

I've been considering doing something like this, a piston soak, with Marvel mystery oil. Pull the plugs, use a funnel to pour it in, let it soak through and repeat. If it's going to get into the ring channels (not sure of tech term) then I imagine it's going to need a bit of time to soak in and move around the perimeter. One of the advantages I saw is that nasty harsh chemicals aren't being introduced into the oil system. To go even further, you could drain a quart of oil and replace with Marvel mystery oil until it's time for the oil change. Apparently you can run it that way for a whole oil interval as it's not harsh on the engine. That way, you're addressing the rings from above and below.
Lots of youtube videos out there to watch, from what I've seen is it seems to work, slowly.

 

The stuff does seem to make it through, when poured from the top, in a minute or two. With the MMO, do it in conjunction with an oil change? When refilling, reduce fill by one quart, pour in one quart of MMO via the spark plug holes, let car sit this as long as possible, at least overnight. Confirm MMO has seeped through, down to crankcase, by checking dipstick.

I'd be inclined to be real cautious afterward, run it thus just a week or two, listening carefully, avoid high speeds and hard acceleration, hill climbs, then do another oil change per usual. For sure check/drain Oil Catch Can if you have one.

Addendum: MMO site says to use 20% of oil capacity when adding to crankcase, so 4.5 (quarts) times .2 or 0.9 quarts. More-or-less one quart.

Of interest:

Excessive Oil Consuption Significantly Worse in 2010 Model? | Page 3 | PriusChat

Same thread, further down the page:

Excessive Oil Consuption Significantly Worse in 2010 Model? | Page 3 | PriusChat

 

I have used Marvel Mystery Oil with success in the past. My wife inherited her dads 1960 Buick Electra and it had been years since it ran.
On start up one of the lifters was really noisy at idle. I put a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in it and ran it in the garage then let it sit for a couple of days. When I started the car up it clattered a few time and the noise went away and never came back. My wife said that car made that noise for years. Marvel Mystery Oil has detergents in it similar to automatic transmission fluid. If you have grease on your hands you can wash it off with Marvel Mystery Oil. A good product and been around for years. I use it for air tool oil.

 

This Liquimoly stuff was my plan B, if the less aggressive Marvel mystery oil didn't work.I hadn't thought of using it as a soak though. Maybe you could do a piston soak with this too? I read a lot of good about it, but couldn't figure out why it was better than any others.
http://amzn.to/2FxOx3L

 

From videos, no personal experience, it appears it's thin solvent.

 

Hmm I wonder if this is similar to the BG EPR many of us have tried :