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High oil consumption. But WHERE is it going?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Prius92, Apr 18, 2023.

  1. ColoradoCrow

    ColoradoCrow Active Member

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    Search by your VIN number on Toyota's parts website..
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    It's a V6 engine that doesn't have anything to do with a hybrid car engine... As the caption says: "Stock photo - for reference only."
     
  3. Kaptainkid1

    Kaptainkid1 Active Member

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    Why do you think you need a new engine? Oil burning at 1qt for 1000 miles isn't mean it's dead yet. Honestly you can still save the engine if it has never run dry.

    SM-A536U ?
     
  4. Prius92

    Prius92 Member

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    Because I am self employed and drive 40k-50k miles a year.
    Which means I'd use at least 40 quarts of oil per year, or $300 a year in oil and filters.

    It's quite dumb to me to buy a used engine and throw it in. Especially with a hybrid, because a car that's been driven mainly in the city will have less engine usage than one that has mainly been driven on the highway. So an engine primarily driven in the city for 150k miles would actually have less use than one driven on the highway 80k miles.

    I just recently redid the hybrid battery, and the car has little rust. Why put in a 125k mile engine when one may have to do it again in a few more years?

    It's not hard to rebuild an engine.

    Also used cars are still ridiculously over priced, so I'm going to drive this until the wheels fall off.
     
    #24 Prius92, Apr 25, 2023
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2023
  5. Kaptainkid1

    Kaptainkid1 Active Member

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    My 2009 Prius ran up until 150k with little to no oil burning. Around 170k it started to burn oil at 1/2 quart to 1 quart if I did mostly highway driving oil burning hit the higher mark. Now I knew other 2nd Gen Prius owners were burning around the same mileage and even got more oil burning if they used poorer non synthetic oil and less oil change intervals. My Prius had oil changes all it life at 5-7k and synthetic all the time. Never ran dry but maybe down to two quarts.
    So I decided to do a Piston soak on my Prius at the end of oil change life. I used everything from seafoam, Marvel mystery oil and Berryman's B-12.
    The one with best results is Berryman's B12. I got the oil burning down to 1/4 qt burning for next oil change 7k oil interval. The last 1k from 7k miles went to 1/2 qt.
    My thoughts we're the Pistons started to gum again. The next oil change I did another Piston Soak. This time I used more Berryman's b12 6oz in each Piston and rotated the engine Pistons with the cleaning fluid in each Piston for 20 plus rotation each time. 3x in 24 hour soak. This second rounds I haven noticed any oil burning and the Prius is running fine now with 205k. I've decided I will do another Piston soak for my next oil change as well.
    I think you'll see good results if you try a Piston soak. I have write up and how too..
    Try it and report back.

    SM-A536U ?
     
  6. Prius92

    Prius92 Member

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    From reading online as well as here, 160-190k is when the rings start gunking up with carbon.
    So it don't really make much sense to find another used 100k mile engine, which due to the nature of hybrids (really wish they put a "engine hours" like a tractor on the ECU, but anyway)..to have it start gunking up in as little as 60k miles.

    It also seems silly to soak the pistons in all kinds of fluid, which may clean the pistons, but not the valves. I had my entire engine out in 5 hours.

    It's just as easy to re-ring the motor and have clean rings that should last 160k miles.
     
    ColoradoCrow and bisco like this.
  7. Mark Urban

    Mark Urban Junior Member

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    Newbie oil check question: Is it true that when checking the oil level with the dipstick, that when the level goes down to the lower dimple, you need to add 1 quart? I have started tracking oil consumption after getting the Red Triangle when stopping on downslopes and discovering I had almost no oil (added 4 qts to get between the dimples). Since my last oil change, I was 1 mm below the top dimple after 700 miles, then 12 mm after another 800 miles.

    Previously, when I check the oil between changes, it was always still at the top dimple. This recent issue started around 180,000 miles. I am at 209k now.
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    It's 1.5 quarts between the dimples. It's also about 1.5 inches, which is handy. 2nd Gen Owner's Manual excerpt:

    upload_2023-7-29_11-55-55.png

    A piston soak may help. Never done it myself, but someone may have more info. Rolls Royce would be a new short block, get the head cleaned up and checked by a machine shop, and reassemble everything with new gasket kit and head bolts.
     
    Mark Urban likes this.
  9. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    It is actually 1.5 L between the dimples, which is 1.6 qts. It's right there in the excerpt you posted.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah you’re right. I recalled thus, but then read the (stilted) Toyota text again, got misled lol.
     
  11. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    If you get a sudden change in oil consumption; check the weight of oil the shop is putting into your car. I'm not sure, but doesn't the 2006 call for 5w30 oil? The shop may have dumped in 0w20.
    When my 2012 started burning a quart every 10K; I simply moved over to 5w20. Oil burn was cut in half between oil changes. Also move to the high mileage oil, they're slightly thicker with more additives..

    Hope this helps..