I have a 2010 Prius with 107k miles. I have my oil changed every 4-7 thousand miles. I have had to start adding about 4 quarts at about 3-4 k miles. I don't see any oil leaking on the ground and nothing out the exhaust. I do see grease/grime when i look around the engine but that's about it. Also the engine when running and under acceleration load I hear pre-ignition or detonation. This might be a different issue, but any thoughts to the oil consumption? I took the car yesterday to Toyota and they did say they cant do a oil consumption test without fixing a leak around the timing chain and the cost will be about 1300.00 I am hoping the timing chain leak fixes the problem. Do you think that it is possible that it could be the source of the leak?
Could you clarify? Are you saying you add one quart very 1000 miles? Or are you saying that you wait until 3 or 4,0000 miles and by that time you are down four quarts?
The timing chain cover is on the passenger side of the engine. Do you see any oil around this area, as in wet spots, or just dried seepage? Did I read you post correctly that you are consuming 4 quarts every 4-7 k miles? Did your Prius ever run low on oil? Have you checked the intake side to see if there is any carbon deposits restricting air flow?
4 quarts is ALOT! I add 1 quart of Mobile 1 every 4000-4500 miles. I delivery food and packages with it for a living, so it spends alot of time in idle(30-40 minutes a day). Lately, with the 95+ Texas heat, I have to add every 3500 miles.
There's a difference between a leak and a flood. Trust me......subject matter expert speaking here. You also can, and almost certainly are burning oil as well. So.... The first thing we need to do is to quantify the burn rate and leak rate. If you have the infamous timing chain cover leak, then I would defer having the stealership fix this problem for a few reasons: 1. It might not be the source of your oil use. 2. It's the automotive equivalent of open heart surgery, and there's a non-zero-percent chance that your car won't suffer from complications arising from this procedure. If you're following the manual, then you're checking your oil every 30 days or 1,000 miles, and thus you should be able to determine what your oil burn rate is. If you haven't been doing this, now is a good time to start.....and get a second opinion about any timing chain cover "leak" weep, dribble or flood. If I were a betting person, I'd bet that it's not an active leak, but rather a place where oil is weeping past a deformation in the gasket. In a fair and just world, this would be addressed by a TSB, but the real world is neither fair nor just. After you determine what your burn rate is then you can make a more informed decision about what to do with your car, and people in this forum can help! Have the timing chain cover investigated by somebody whose job performance isn't measured by how many customers they talk into 4-figure repairs....as well as the presence of oil in the engine compartment. It could be many things...... Good Luck!
If it's a minor leak, and I'd suspect it is, it sounds like Toyota (assuming the dealership is communicating with them) is starting to use that as an excuse, or a cash cow. I too would be cautious about agreeing to a (pricey) repair, one that requires careful patient work in VERY tight quarters, and may have an outcome worse than at the outset, if not done right. If you can angle the front wheels and have a look in through the passenger side wheel well, you can get an idea of oil leaking from the timing cover. Raise and support the car and pull off that wheel, pull back the plastic panels in the wheel well, and you'll see better what's going on. Take pictures with good light. Also check the engine underpanel: if there's no oil build-up on it, the dealership is COMPLETELY blowing smoke. I'm not sure what to say... make notes about what's happened so far, and talk to Toyota directly first, before going any further?
I have a 2010 with 108K and the exact same problem. It is a very widespread issue but Toyota looks the other way. I love my car and it still looks new but I'm looking to trade. After 3000 miles, mine will consume 4 quarts.
has anyone gotten an update regarding this issue? my 2010 burns 4 quarts in ~3000 miles. I've looked at the TSB from november 2016 which acknowledges the 2010 prius has excessive oil consumption but after calling the dealerships it looks like itll be at least $5,000 out of my pocket since my VIN isn't covered by that TSB...
You guys that are burning 3-4qts in 3000 miles, has it always burned more than you liked or did it just start up with higher miles? What kind of oil have you always used and did you ever go a long time between changes that could have caused wear? I'm asking because I'm looking to purchase my daughter a Prius and based on budget the 2010 keeps coming up, but stories like this scare me. I'm thinking if I go with a 2010 (as oppose to 2009) I probably need to buy it from a individual as opposed to dealer because when people have issues like this they trade them in. Anyway, would just like to hear more in order to help me better understand and shop. Thanks! Stephen
