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Oil consumption at 136k miles - too high

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Daddy Dave, Sep 18, 2015.

  1. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    An anti-social act, which enables the Prius engine to produce more toxic emissions than otherwise would be necessary. This is not a VW diesel user website and we cannot encourage such behavior. :cool:
     
  2. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    VW Diesel websites don't encourage it either, but people still do it...on all makes and models.
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    As far as equating oil weights to geography/climate: Alaska gets the same oil recommendation as Texas. I wonder if the main impetus for 0W20 is mpg? I'm ok with it, that's all I've ever used, just speculating.
     
  4. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    it was a joke. I've been there twice in summer and it was painful to see people behave like it was a heat wave because thermometer got up to 72F.
     
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  5. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    I was worried about 0w20 crossing Death Valley, but then it is about engine temperature, right? So as long as engine is not overheated and cooling system is working, the air temperature wouldn't matter that much.
     
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  6. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    interesting, castrol titanium oil has the lowest deposits. it's also good for 15,000 miles.
     
  7. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Huh?? I don't recall recommending 5W-20 for -40° starts. Toyota's oil selection charts only go down to -20-something, for both US and Australia, for both 0W-20 and 5W-X0 oils. Which seems illogical, when 0W-20 would likely fare better than petroleum-based 5W-20 or 5W-30 at such temperatures.
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Synthetic comes in more grades than 0W-20, just saying.
     
  9. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    I wouldn't read too much into results on that test. It was made for 5w30, which is likely be G3 or G3/4 blend for many brands.
     
  10. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    True, but any acceptable alternative viscosity grade Toyota listed in the 2010 Australian chart or mentioned in my owner's manual might be non-synthetic. Nowhere do they say it has to be synthetic---although their 0W-20 recommendation for USA and Canada implies synthetic.
     
  11. HGS

    HGS Member

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    I hope the OP is able to find an inexpensive repair to his oil burning/missing issue. He may feel a little beat up here on PC about his choice of oil and blocking the EGR valve.

    It is a shame to hear of major engine problems at 200,000 miles when we all hear about cars going well past that with no issues. These traveling sales persons that drive 100,000 highway miles per year easily get 400,000 miles plus. But, taxi drivers, that's a whole other thing. Opposite ends of the spectrum.

    I'm driving 20,000 + miles per year, mostly highway. If I get 200,000 with no major problems I will be happy. At 150,000 miles I plan on letting my wife drive it her 5,000 miles per year avg. I plan on buying a newer one for my 50 mile commute to work. Next time it will be one with automatic lane keeping and auto brakes to prevent crashes. That long drive home at night in heavy rain is no fun.
     
    #71 HGS, Sep 28, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2015
  12. Daddy Dave

    Daddy Dave Member

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    It reached 93 this year in June. When I went on my usual bike ride I thought I was going to die! 10 degrees with a little snow is the most comfortable hiking weather.
     
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  13. Daddy Dave

    Daddy Dave Member

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    As the OP (never heard that one) - I'm declaring this thread dead and buried. The Prius in question runs so much better with a 1" square piece of sheet metal the between EGR pipe and the intake manifold that I'm going to leave it that way. It runs like a new car again. I'll keep watching the oil usage to see if it changes. I may try a little snake oil to see if something will de-coke those rings. We like the Prius enough that I'd consider replacing the engine if it starts using more than 1 qt every two tanks. Until then - come visit us in northern Wyoming! We've lived here 5 years. I tell people this all the time - I live in the most beautiful place in the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
     
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  14. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    93F is a cool summer day around here, we had one last week. The humidity was low too, it was nice!

    I've gone via Sheridan Gap twice on the way from Devil's tower to Cody. Meant to hike to medicinal wheel, but there was still snow on the ground in late June and we didn't have waterproof hiking boots.
     
  15. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    LOL, it's not your call.

    thanks, what's your address again?
     
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  16. Umar Ali

    Umar Ali Member

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    I never had any oil burning issue at all. I have this car since 70k miles and have 152k now and i do all the oil changes myself. Never noticed more than 0.2 to 0.3 quart shortage after 10k miles when time to change oil and i only used Mobil1 0W20.
    I had issue of reduced mpg and loud engine with engine shake heavily, i replaced PCV valve, spark plugs replaced with genuine toyota spark plugs, cleaned EGR pipe and manifold of solid carbon deposits with no improvement. There was never a misfire registered. Then i ran a bottle of Chevron Techron in a tank, couple of thousand miles ran another bottle of Techron and now the mpg has improved back to what seems normal after couple of thousand miles past running the Techron so in my opinion, the engine shaking and loud noise was related to gunked cylinders or gunked up fuel injectors.
    Maybe this will help you narrow down some of issues if not all.
     
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  17. Toasty

    Toasty Junior Member

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    bookmarked
     
  18. Northshore_Paul

    Northshore_Paul Junior Member

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    My wife's '99 camry started using about a quart of oil per 1000 miles at about 120,000 miles and kept getting worse. I thought it might be the valve guides because I would see smoke only on start up after sitting up overnight. A mechanic friend suggested that newer vehicles, as opposed to 1970 and earlier, used rings that were not as strong as in the past and did not press up against the cylinder walls as firmly and also deposits would build up in the lands further obstructing free movement of the rings. He removed the plugs, filled the cylinders with a solvent that is used to dissolve deposits, put an adapter on each cylinder screwed into the spark plug threads and put it under air pressure to force the solvent down into the ring lands. After doing this to all four cylinders he let the solution sit in for 2 days. He then removed the solvent, changed the oil and I have had minimal oil usage since doing this treatment. The car has 198,000 miles and runs as good as it has since I've owned it, buying it from a relative at 90,000. Just a suggestion that might improve your oil comsumption.
     
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  19. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Do you mind sharing what the treatment was;)?
     
  20. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    If you search here on Infineum there are some pictures showing Camry pistons with issues. Well 1999 is pre-hybrid Camry.
     
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