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Survey: Oil consumption vs build dates

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by StephenJ, Aug 21, 2017.

  1. StephenJ

    StephenJ Member

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    With the 3rd gen oil consumption issue being so hit or miss from one car to the next I thought it may be a good idea to see if there is a build date pattern. I figured I'd put together a thread to start gathering information. Who knows maybe this info can be used to prove that Toyota made a error and knew it.

    *if you have NO consumption issues please post you info too*

    What year model is your Prius?
    What is the build date found in drivers door?
    How many miles are currently on the car?
    Does it consume oil?
    If so, how much per thousand miles?
    How many miles were on it when you first noticed consumption issues?
    Describe any other issues you have had or currently have.
     
  2. prev93

    prev93 Member

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    2010 II
    08/09
    57000
    No oil consumption yet
    No other issues
     
  3. sukatoro

    sukatoro Junior Member

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    2010 Prius
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    Two
    2010 II
    07/ 09
    232k
    no oil burning
    hybrid battery replaced once at 111k, failing again, all else runs like a top.
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    2010 Canadian Touring
    Built August, 2009
    (Sat on lot till Nov 2010)
    70,000 kms
    Consuming no oil
    Using Toyota 0W20 so far, changing every 6 months or 8,000 kms.
    No issues apart from recalls so far.
     
  5. harrysprius

    harrysprius Active Member

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    2010 Prius, trim level V
    Build date 08/09
    93,xxx
    No oil burning
    Had no issues yet, but I bought it at 83,000 so.....I didn't see anything in the history or dealer records other than oil changes, filters ect.
    Running Mobil one synthetic hybrid 0-20.
     
  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    2010 Prius II
    Build date: 07/09
    Car consumes 20-25 ounces per 10k mile oil change interval
    First saw consumption around 120 k miles (when I started topping up between oil changes)
    No other issues (knocks on wood)
     
  7. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    I hope owners can also chime in about their oil change intervals. I've read a theory here that changing oil at the Toyota recommended 10k intervals play a part in burning oil.
     
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  8. harrysprius

    harrysprius Active Member

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    I'll have to look at old owners service records for prior history. I did it just a bit after buying it, and I'll be doing it again at 7500 miles. I just can't bring myself to go 10,000 miles. That's with synthetic oil. My normal interval is 5000 for synthetic oil and rotate tires. With the new job and the long commute it's almost exclusively highway miles, with a bit of traffic at the Nashville end, so I extended it to 7500 for the prius. I'll do the tires at the same interval unless I see a wear issue then I'll change that back to 5000. Do you think the highway miles is easier or harder on the oil? I'm doing my best to keep the speed at 70-73 and using the cruise?
     
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  9. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I do the 10 k mile oil change interval.

    The correlation I feel is the case is that now the drain interval is 2x what it used to be, and most owners believe in the "closed hood" philosophy :(.

    So they are 1/2 as likely to catch it before the light on the dash alerts to the problem and consumption is significant.

    Check the oil level often to stay ahead (y).
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Touring
    At a Toyota dealership "new owners" night, the service manager took us through the service bays, and actually advocated "closed hood", saying something like "you'll never need to pop the hood...".

    I seriously find that unconscionable; I should have called him on it. It was getting close to door prize and snack time though. :oops:

    Guess we should get back to answering the survey, maybe updating with oil change interval where needed. I think this was all done before, but maybe not exclusive to 2010.
     
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  11. harrysprius

    harrysprius Active Member

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    Mendel! I am SO disappointed in you. You sold out for a door prize and some Scooby snacks! Well, at least tell us what the door prize was. Maybe that'll make it better.

    and

    Raytheeagle, I agree. I check the oil level most of the time when I fill up. I'm just washing window and waiting on the fuel to stop anyway. On a car that uses oil, I check it more frequently. Waiting until the light comes on is too late. There's a reason people call them "idiot" lights. No disrespect intended to anyone on here.
     
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  12. b100

    b100 Member

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    Model:
    N/A
    2013
    Build 2012
    110k miles
    No consumption
     
  13. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    In a shameless attempt to save some time from reading and searching older posts (there seems to be so many oil related threads here!)..... was there a general consensus on whether the oil change intervals, average highway speed, acceleration habits, etc... were major contributors to oil consumption issues?
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nope, everyone had a different opinion. and opinions are the whole problem. but we do what we think is best.
     
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  15. harrysprius

    harrysprius Active Member

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    The Truth About Engine Oil Consumption in a Modern Car | Auto Expert John Cadogan | Australia
    [​IMG]
    AutoExpertTV

    Published on Jun 16, 2017

    Oil Consumption in Modern Cars: The Truth
    Does your car have a drinking problem? A destructive relationship with engine oil? Is the manufacturer brushing you off as it churns and burns oil between services? Plenty of people complain to me about this.
    Here are the facts.
    Now look - there’s nothing I like more than the repetitive application of lubricant. Maintenance is very important.
    Frankly I get several hundred complaints by e-mail about alleged excessive oil consumption. Often in relation to Audi, Holden Colorado, and Subaru.
    Luke’s question on this is typical - I’m just picking his because it’s the most recent. And he’s literate - he uses sentences and everything, which is not always the case.
    “I have a 2014 Holden Colorado with 67,000km on the clock. I’ve owned it since new and it is using two litres of oil between 15,000km services. Car has been fully serviced. Holden has replaced the dipstick and continued to monitor it for a year and have now put 5W40 in it at the last service but it hasn’t helped. I have recently been told in writing by my local Holden dealer that “Anything below 2.5l per 10,000km is considered acceptable, and additional top ups between services are not uncommon. Is this reasonable?”
    To do this question justice we need to do a crash course in engine design basics - past versus present:
    In the past, engines were built tight, and they consumed, essentially, no oil for years (if you maintained them). Then, inevitably, wear would overcome them, and the piston rings and/or valve guides would give up the ghost.
    After 150,000 kilometres, or whatever, mechanical wear would take over, blow out the clearances, and as a consequence, a great deal of engine oil would burn, and every takeoff at the lights would make you look like the Batmobile in ‘smokescreen’ mode.
    Wear would then accelerate and your engine would be a dead man walking.
    Then, about a decade ago, maybe 15 years, manufacturers started to get real serious about fuel consumption, and there are three ways to tackle that.
    The easiest way is just to make cars lighter - but since that also makes them, typically, smaller, and less brimming with the cool toys you expect, manufacturers are disinclined to do that. Cars keep getting bigger and heavier.
    The second way is to improve combustion efficiency - which is what variable valve timing, direct injection, variable geometry turbos, etc. - all the cool engine engineering toys - are about. Burning the same amount of fuel and extracting more useful work from it.
    And the last way - in many ways the most accessible way to make real efficiency gains - is to tackle resistance. Things like aerodynamics, rolling resistance, and internal friction. Losses. These are the things you can’t feel, but which your engine needs to battle every rev, just to get your car out of the blocks and moving.
    Internal friction in your engine is one of those big-ticket ‘losses’ items. So, in an effort to reduce fuel consumption, manufacturers have for several years now waged war on internal friction in engines, and they’ve wound back the tension in the piston rings and valve guides, in particular.
    This saves fuel (and it saves you money - let’s not forget that while you’re bitching about oil consumption - you’re saving money on fuel here) but it also opens the door to oil consumption. And this understandably sets off warning bells in some owners’ minds at least.
    This oil consumption is a feedback effect - looser piston rings and valve guides slide easier but allow some oil to be burnt. Classic example of an overall positive change also generating negative feedback.
     
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  16. harrysprius

    harrysprius Active Member

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    I'm not sure if this has any validity, but I started looking around and found this recent video. Summary above.
     
  17. StephenJ

    StephenJ Member

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    I agree, I tried to edit it and add oil change interval but it has been too long and it won't let me. Is it possible for a moderator edit the original post and add typical oil change interval to it?

    Thanks!
    Stephen
     
  18. Colm01

    Colm01 Member

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    2010 Prius V w/ ATP.
    Build date:06/09
    106,XXX miles.
    10K oil change intervals, except for one it went 17K around 70K miles from a previous owner unless the dealer didn't enter it in the history.
    No oil loss or burning.
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the only problem with this opinion is, it doesn't explain all the 2010's that don't burn any oil.
     
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  20. harrysprius

    harrysprius Active Member

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    I'm interested in the data, and the interval.