indications of oil burner

Well, low oil on inspection would be a giveaway . . .

 

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of a practical way to tell in a pre-purchase inspection.

 

Apart from all that, if they'd allow you loosened one of the spark plugs, you could check the tip of it, if its fouled with oil.

Apart form that, there's no other way, except you do a compression test there. Would they allow you perform that test?

 

If you do a compression test, you get to see the ends of the spark plugs too . . .

 

A compression test would be hard to do on these cars -- it's not as simple as most. Im not sure how you'd hold the throttle open and control when it cranks. A leak down test might be a better approach.

 

That's where the problem is. Would the seller even allow all that removing of the spark plugs to check em out?

In my view, you could hold the idle maybe if the car is in maintenance mode?

 

Look at the odometer. If it shows more than 100,000 miles, then it probably burns oil, or soon will.

 

Maintenance records....find an owner that can document a 5K OCI.
They're rare....but they're out there.

Or?
Pay a few thou more for a lower mileage unit and take care of it.
Or?
Buy a high mileage unit and save for a new motor.

YMMV

 

It's not unusual for most higher mileage cars to burn some oil. Doesn't answer your question, just food for thought: if your purchase ends up going through a quart or less between oil changes, it's not the end of the world.

 

One other thing to consider is the VET.
No.....not the pet vet.

If you live on relatively freer soil and don't have a vehicle emissions test, then all you have to do is keep your oil topped off and you're practically guaranteed to see 250,000 miles or more. If/when you foul out the catalytic converter....simply replace it.
Just make sure that you read up/keep up on EGR cleaning, which seems to contribute to head gasket failure in extreme cases of neglect.

If you're not capable of doing this type of maintenance yourself, or if your idea of vehicle repair is to throw your wallet or purse onto a Toyota dealership's service counter and beg for them to be gentle with you, then I think I'd pass on high mileage Priuses.

Same kinda things go for the traction battery.
People make a big deal out of this, but thanks to the wonders of YouTube, and Amazon inspired delivery expectations......people playing playing along with the home game can repair or replace traction batteries relatively inexpensively.

Just remember.....the key to happiness with this type of car, as with many things in life is low expectations.
The station wagon Prius is a niche car.
It gets much worse mileage than a G3, unless you're not hauling a lot of junk, in which case if just gets worse mileage than a G3.
Adult driven....it will still knock down over 40 mpg, and station wagons tend to be adult driven for obvious reasons.
Just remember that you're PAYING for that cargo bay every time you hit the start button, and you can get a 30MPG sedan downmarket for a lot less money.
This site is filled with MANY arguments for and against this, and I'll let you go down that wabbit hole without my flashlight.....the better to find your own way through.

Just don't talk yourself into buying a V because you think that you will need a station wagon to haul all of the money you saved to the bank!

Good Luck!

 

Oil usage could be because of leaks also. Look under the car and see if it has marked it's territory. Dirty or low oil on the dipstick would be another clue, my oil never looked dirty at 5,000 miles even when the car had 100,000 miles on it. Start the car up cold and look for blue smoke and after warm up rev the engine up or down several times, there should be no blue smoke. All of this does not mean the car uses no oil. I change my own oil and have no records kept to show that I do so buying from an individual you would have to ask for records of oil changes or take their word. Ask about other maintenance, good chance if the other maintenance item haven't been maintained they haven't changed the oil either.

 

That's my problem too. I'm replacing the oil every six months, low miles, but the operative word is "I'm". I'm keeping a log, keep all receipts, but it's fuzzy, and doesn't hold the same weight as dealership service department invoice. Funny thing is, doing it myself, I let the oil drain completely, baby the engine underpanel, and all that. Oh well.

 

I'm in the same boat. Considering a 2012 Prius v with 127K. The oil burn issue is by far my biggest worry...since we have a 2010 liftback that consumes some.

Talked the dealer down to $8500 ( from $9800 ) so it seems like I'm getting a decent deal. It has decent carfax service records too and the owner is known to them ( owner has bought 4 new Toyota from them ).

For $8500 I'll take the risk.

 

Before my warranty runs out I'm having a complete inspection including a leak down test I am paying for it myself, I'm surprised others haven't done that..i do with all my vehicles...so at least I have a benchmark ...

 

I'd be interested to know the results of your leak down test, and if Toyota has a spec for leak down test results. I doubt they do. I would imagine most techs at a dealership have never performed one.

 

I checked my information on my Gen 4 and they only mention compression and the difference between cylinders no mention of a cylinder leakdown test.

But,Five to 10 percent loss indicates an engine in great to good running order. So this is common knowledge in the industry so at what point do you get your car fixed is the question.

https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-maintenance/car-maintenance-archive/how-to-do-a-leakdown-test

 

The easiest way to benchmark is to check your oil dipstick .

I check ours every Saturday and doesn’t involve a trip to the incompetent dealer.

Give it a shot.