HEELP! "Stuck" in S Texas :(

Does not sound good. Coolant level ok? Where are you at?

 

How many miles on the car?

 

You need to replace the piston rings... It's a known problem.

 

Mission Texas. If you need an engine consider San Antonio, four hours north. You should be getting typical gas mileage as long as you stay around 65 mph. The heat and sea level altitude are not the issue. A solid engine will not burn three quarts in 1200 miles. The start up rattles are serious.

 

Sounds like the beginning of a head gasket failure.

 

replace-pistons-rings-vs-new-short-block-vs-ignore.232783

 

Like others have said Sounds like the begging of a head gasket failure.

Try removing the radiator cap to relieve the pressure when you park it. This may help with the seeping head gasket. This needs to be done with extreme caution and at your own risk. It is a pressurized container with hot coolant and you can get burned.

I have done this before and it helped. When I did it I carefully used a towel and just turned the cap a little. If I was not careful I would get burned with the stem. So be careful and do this at your own risk!

 

Congratulations! What did you do that "got her going," vs. the previous scary situation?

I gather the main connection between oil guzzling and the EGR and gasket issues is that burning oil adds to the soot that clogs the EGR path, causing gasket failure---maybe.

I have yet to see a proven clear explanation of the rough starts associated with running the engine very briefly, even back when engines apparently were too young to have head gasket or EGR clogging issues.

 

An engine that is not burning a quart every 400 miles combined with an early head gasket change works for many people. On your engine the cylinders must be scored. A replacement engine would be one solution, however the odds are you would get a 2010-14 engine because Toyota built far more of those years. A rebuild of an engine pre-head gasket failure would be best for long term reliability.

I believe most gen3 head gasket problems are bypasses of the gasket caused by warped surfaces and excessive carbon buildup far beyond an egr clogging up. The smoking gun are the items that were redesigned in gen4 including enhanced cylinder temperature management.

However your problem now is you are far from home.

gen4

 

I don't think you'll be breaking down anytime soon. Just drive it like you stole it. The rattle may be a 1 time occurrence. My 2010 burns a lot of oil at highway speeds, but it's not nearly as bad as 1 quart every 400 miles like yours. Burning oil won't make you break down unless you run it dry. Did it always burn this much oil or do you have a leak somewhere?

I think you should just monitor the oil burning and add as needed, address any issues once you get home.

 

I've put a little over 11,000 miles on mine after having replaced the head gasket last year. It was never burning oil, so I just put the original pistons and rings back in. I do not think replacing the HG is hopeless.

 

Does the coolant and oil look good? No milkshake look? You're burning too much oil your catalytic converter may be damaged.

I know it's not convention here, but having an engine swap or head gasket job during a trip isn't something I'd want to deal with, especially if I'm having trouble AND not in the near vicinity of a good highly reliable shop.

Add a stop leak to oil and coolant following instructions carefully. Then monitor levels. Hopefully you can get home without significant more drama....

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

I believe it's the failed head gasket that leads to liquid (coolant) getting into the combustion chamber. And long unaddressed clogging of EGR system that leads to failing head gasket.

Also appreciate that's all semantics in your current situation. With failures of both the block and the head gasket, engine swap is the simplest course.

 

As a reference, check out this video from "The Car Care Nut."

 

The best cylinder to cylinder shots are of the pistons. With coolant steam cleaning, one is typically much cleaner than the rest.

These problems don't fix themselves or just go away. It is very common that the coolant does not drop quickly and the severe broken rod like rattling is occasional. Too many put it off which leads to a replacement engine. In your situation, you know the excessive oil consumption and occasional rattling has been going on for some period of time based on your earlier posts. The occasional part seems to blow people's minds, especially those who have not seen it before.

Cooling system sealants have worked as temporary remedies but have the potential to clog the radiator and heater core down the road. Both literally and figuratively. I think the old school drain and multi flush versions are better than the newer direct add sealers but in your situation the direct add may be more expedient. I think I would get one and carry a couple gallons of distilled water. If you can get home without using it, do so. Consider signing up for AAA with a long distance towing option if you don't have something similar now. Most tow programs will only take you to the nearest decent shop.