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Valvoline Premium Blue Restore for Oil Consumption Repair or Prevention

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by The Critic, Nov 26, 2019.

  1. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Finished a 9800 mile run with the oil, no consumption. Will send in for an oil analysis.
     
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  2. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    I think the tough thing here is because you didn't have oil consumption prior to using VPBR, you won't be able to evaluate if it solves the issues of those us with excessive oil use.

    I'm hoping someone will chime in who's burning a ton of oil (like mine burning a quart every 1000 miles) who's tried it.

    Although personally I have no issues paying $75 for the stuff, I can't easily get it. Nearest Cummins dealer is 175 miles away.
     
  3. Peter123

    Peter123 Active Member

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    Whatever products you use, I think you need to attack the crud in the rings and guides from both the oil feed and the combustion side. I have read about people using a number of products to clean out the oil, even putting in ATF and running that through the oil passages for several minutes. But the single best thing I ever did for oil consumption was to put in a double dose of Cataclean in the fuel tank.
     
  4. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    [​IMG]
    - Oil was in use for 8 months under a mix of city and highway driving.
    - Head gasket was replaced at 185K miles due to failure. The valve stem seals were also replaced at this time.
    - No oil was consumed during the 9,861 miles. The oil level remained at full. This engine has never burned oil.
    - Fram Ultra oil filter was used.

    Also posted on bobistheoilguy.
     
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  5. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    Such a bummer that this wasn't a hardcore oil burner before the oil, or that it was utilized prior to the valve seals being replaced.

    I'm half tempted to throw a gallon in mine (which burns an absurd amount of oil) just to see what it does (and doesn't) do.

    I'd really like to know if the valve seals are culprit of high oil usage or not. Haven't seen definitive proof of that yet.
     
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  6. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Back valve guide seals will allow a lot of oil to get sucked into engine, and then burn.
    My "personal" belief is, this is where most of the oil is going. The rings are a small portion of it.
     
  7. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    The question is, why? Why these specific years of Prius?

    My 2006 Tundra has 210k on it and it does not burn, nor leak, hardly any oil.
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    EGR clogging is handy/likely cause.
     
  9. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    So the EGR clog is pushing up the temps, roasting the valve seals, coking the piston rings, and creating head gasket issues?

    At some points we gotta wonder if figuring out how to remove the EGR system completely might not save us a lot of trouble.
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Just my uninformed 2 cents:

    Maintaining adequate EGR flow is much more beneficial. Adequate EGR flow is mandatory to keep engine temps within design parameter.
     
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  11. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    What about removing the cooler with a straight tube? Hell, put fins or a cooiling jacket on the outside of such a pipe.
     
  12. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Physically impossible because you’ll need to remove nuts holding it in place. A straight tube has no way of turn the screws.
     
  13. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    What?

    I'm talking about a tube, with flanges welded on, to gap the space where the EGR cooler currently resides. You'd still recirculated exhaust, but not at the cooler temps of those passed through the heat exchange fins of the EGR cooler.

    This is pretty common in diesels with problematic EGR systems.

    While I've cleaned my EGR and I'm probably good for at least 50k, the fact that the EGR could be clogged by oil burning via the valve seals isn't a great prospect. The question would be - do we cap off the EGR and potentially mess with ECU's expected temps, or do we replace teh valve seals ...but maybe have to the EGR clean again away?

    Another question would be - is the EGR clogging issue a result of faulty valve seals? It sounds like no, because people with no oil consumption issues still have very clogged EGRs.

    I sometimes wonder what kinda MPG I could pull down if I removed the EGR and all the other stupid coolant lines flowing around the engine and just really simplified the engine bay. The engine bay is such a mess of coolant lines and recirc lines. No EGR, no coolant through throttle body, none of it. Just clean air, all the time, going into a little 4 cylinder with a battery assisted transmission.
     
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  14. ilovegirls

    ilovegirls Member

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    Does anyone know where I can get this online? I can't find any place or online site to get this. I burn about 1.5 qt every 5k.
     
  15. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    No way of getting it online, no.
     
  16. Pollymath

    Pollymath Member

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    I'm back to wanting to try this stuff to rectify the sludge building up on the rings and other spots that might contribute to oil burning.
     
  17. ilovegirls

    ilovegirls Member

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    I just did a piston soak the other day. I'll give an update to see if it helped the oil consumption.
     
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  18. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    Curious what oil you have been using and at what OCI that you haven't had any consumption issues at such high mileage.

    Thanks.
     
  19. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    Any update on this. Thanks.
     
  20. ilovegirls

    ilovegirls Member

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    In my case, the piston soak did not work. I actually did it twice and it did not help one bit. I ended up rebuilding the motor since I'm going to keep the car for another 3 years.