1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Oil Burning: Options

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by theheapstoe, Apr 28, 2019.

  1. theheapstoe

    theheapstoe Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2019
    26
    6
    0
    Location:
    Coulterville, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I know this has been asked a lot before, but my question is more specific to solutions and not diagnostics.

    On my last road trip, which was 800 miles each way, I burned almost 6 quarts of oil. Yes, you read that correctly. And no, I didn't over fill it. This problem was a very small leak until I cleaned my EGR and now it burns oil like someone drilled holes in it.

    So basically, I know that there's a problem and I know the things I need to look at, but I never see any followup on these forums.

    Can I get some followup to fixes for this issue? Has anyone had luck with head gasket fixes? Has anyone used thicker oil? Has anyone swapped the engine? I have all of these options in front of me, but no data on how it has gone down for other people.

    If you or someone you know has done any of these things in response to an oil consumption issue, please let me know how it went.

    Also, if you have any resources on how to swap a 2010 with a 2014 engine, please let me know.

    Thanks guys!
     
  2. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    5,837
    3,137
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    How much oil were your burning BEFORE the egr cleaning? If it happened afterward, I would say
    you have a leak. Though I can't think of any oil lines that would need to be disconnected for egr cleaning.
    You should look over the engine compartment for leaks and underneath, probably removing the underpan.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  3. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    There’s a lot of thread searching you’ll have to do the if you’re serious about exploring all options. Everything on your list have been fully covered and perhaps been beaten to a bloody pulp :p
     
    scona and Raytheeagle like this.
  4. theheapstoe

    theheapstoe Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2019
    26
    6
    0
    Location:
    Coulterville, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    No oil lines were touched in the EGR cleaning process, just coolant. Although I do have a theory that cleaning it may have changed the pressure in the engine and caused the leak to get worse, but who knows. There is no oil leaking, but my tailpipe is black. Before the EGR cleaning I had maybe burned a quart every 2 thousand miles.
     
  5. theheapstoe

    theheapstoe Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2019
    26
    6
    0
    Location:
    Coulterville, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I agree it has all been discussed like crazy, but I have a hard time finding people who post the questions actually come back and respond with how it went for them. I want to know if the problem was fixed, got better, got worse, how hard it was to do, etc. I don't just want to talk about what's wrong with my car. I'd like info on how it's turned out AFTERWARDS for others.
     
    Prieth and kc5dlo like this.
  6. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    5,837
    3,137
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    mmm I wonder if you clogged something? Leave a rag behind????
    Maybe the egr valve is stuck shut causing excessive back pressure?
    You didn't state how much oil you were burning before...
     
  7. theheapstoe

    theheapstoe Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2019
    26
    6
    0
    Location:
    Coulterville, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    The last sentence. Before the EGR cleaning I was burning about 1 quart per 2 thousand miles.
     
    kc5dlo likes this.
  8. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    5,837
    3,137
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Sorry, my mind missed that. :(
    Been a LONG bad afternoon. What the Prius manual says and what was real were two different things.
    Needed to replace an outer cv boot, according to the manual after pulling the joint out of of the hub, the cv joint
    SHOULD have pulled off, then remove a clip, remove the bearing race, then replace the boot.
    I had to remove the axel. Fought with the vice to hold the axel and couldn't get the cv joint off.
    And that grease is NAAASSSSTY!
    Tomorrow afternoon is another more violent try at it! :)
     
  9. MJKae

    MJKae Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2017
    2
    1
    0
    Location:
    ND
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I was burning quite a bit of oil myself...but not quite the 6 quarts per 800 miles you experienced. I would easily go through a quart per 400-500 miles. I had a new PCV put in and increased my viscosity to 5w20 on my last oil change and it has GREATLY slowed (1/2 qt used in about 1500 miles) the oil consumption thus far. That may change as the weather warms and oil thins out but if things get worse I will just go one step thicker on the viscosity.
     
    Prieth likes this.
  10. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Oil expands and take up more space when temp raises, so it thickens during summer but not a whole lot. If your coordinating weather or season, nows the time to do it before summer kicks in.
     
  11. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    3,193
    2,316
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Was the intake manifold cleaned? The only explanation is that large carbon deposits were left in the intake assembly so when the engine started up, these deposits got sucked into the cylinder walls and caused scoring. The scoring of the cylinder walls is causing the oil consumption to skyrocket.

    I would start looking for a new short block or a low mileage used engine. At this rate of oil consumption the catalytic converter will not last very long.
     
    CR94 and Raytheeagle like this.
  12. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    3,193
    2,316
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Tap the outer joint with a brass hammer and it will come off. Do not clean the outer joint with solvents unless you have a way of fully removing the solvent you use.
     
  13. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    5,837
    3,137
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yep, I've done cv joints before, but realized yesterday it's been over 10 years!!!
    My vice was not bolted to the bench so it kept moving around(it was clamped). Once I decided to bolt it to the bench,
    I was able to hit it and pop it off(violence always works). No brass hammer though, my 2.5# steel snap on hammer worked fine.
    I just filed smooth the little dent it made so it wouldn't possibly cut the new boot.
    I took it completely apart to clean it. Everything looked good. I use Gunk, it does a great job of cleaning that
    nasty nasty NAASTYYY grease off and washes away with water. The sun dries it good and then a wipe down
    with a clean rag.
    Putting the 6 balls back in was tricky though. I had to dig DEEEEEP in my antique mind on how to get them
    all back in. After that it was text book.
    Now it's together again!
    The Hayes manual showed that after removing it from the wheel bearing, removing the boot clamps that it pulls
    off. Then there is a clip to remove and the bearing holder slides off. WRONG! That's the inner bearing.
    I should have read it better though, so it's my fault. WHY they show how to overhaul the INNER joint I don't know.
    Probably because it's easier. I have never seen a torn boot on the inner race from normal wear. And have never
    seen a bad inner joint. The outer takes 90% of the stress.
    But it's DONE!
    If I had been more careful when replacing the wheel bearing hub I wouldn't have pinch the boot. :)
     

    Attached Files:

    #13 ASRDogman, Apr 30, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2019
    CR94, Mendel Leisk and Rebound like this.
  14. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    3,193
    2,316
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    IMG_4212.jpg
    IMG_4264.jpg

    I do far more inner joints than others. Many OEMs use thermoplastic for the outer boot but use normal rubber for the inners. And guess which fails first.

    These pictures are from a Civic that I did several months ago. Rebooting outer joints is slightly more messy than doing inners. Plus you need the threaded clamp tool since the thermoplastic material makes it more difficult to properly engage the clamp. All of this still beats buying a new aftermarket axle...
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  15. Greenteapri

    Greenteapri Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2018
    330
    387
    0
    Location:
    Cypress
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
  16. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    5,837
    3,137
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I guess honda stuff wears out quicker. I have the crimping tool. But that is a nifty tool!