Help me choose oil for 1998 toyota corolla!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
2,082
Location
stamford, CT
Father has a 1998 toyota corolla. 1.8 liter, twin cam. It sems to have oil consupmtion issue.... my understanding is, this model engine is known for it. Would using some kinda additive, or high mileage oil slow it down? I change his oil every 3 months, usually has about 2,000 miles, but before this time, the oil seems to be down a quart and a quarter. Any suggestions? how about a 5w 40?
cheers.gif
 
That sounds awfully 'young' for a Toyota engine to have consumption issues. Are you sure it's consumption
beer.gif
and not a leak? I think I'd (in this order) replace the PCV valve, do an Auto-RX treatment, and try a high mileage 10W-30. I've used both Pennz and Supertech HM oils with no issues. The Pennz 'seemed' thicker when I poured it in, but maybe that's just because I wanted it to be.
grin.gif
 
My first checks would be :
1 PCV clogged
2 rear and front seals leaking
and given the low annual use and presumably short trips
3 rings stuck ( ARX OK for that).

1/2 qt per 1000 miles can be normal but is rare on that corolla motor so I'd be looking for maintenance issues before I just throw 40 weight or thicker 30wHM into it.
 
It also could just be oil.
Or mantenance.
My daughters Camry v6 ate the Castrol Tection/GTX I used last summer.Same with M1.
It liked Schaeffers,But I am using RTS 5/40 this winter.
Will check the level this weekend.
 
I have a Corolla manual, new July 2006. Have broken it in with 2 changes using Havoline 10W-30 mineral, very good oil, and now at 10k kms/6k miles and going to use Castrol Edge synthetic 5W-30 and trust the engine will last as long as I do.
Roger
 
A lot of people think that this little 1.8 gets slugish with 5W40. I do not know I never experinced it myself in small eninges. So with that said I would consider M1 0W40. It is not going to do anything for consumption but you will easily be able to extend the oil change interval out to 6 months easy!!It shears down to a 0W30 after about 1500 miles so it will also start easily and rev easily. You can surley try a 5W40 like Rotella-T for instance and it might help slow consumption.
 
I se:) thanks! I have replced his PCV valve, back in september, Deustch brand, sold at autozone. I dont see any oil dirpping form under his car, nor are thier any oil leaks on garage floor.
Wouldnt a 10w 30 kill some of his gas consumption/mileage?
 
I would run 2 tanks of gas with Gumout fuel system cleaner(Regane) to clean combustion chambers and pistons. And switch to Mobil 1 0w-30 if you can find it.
 
My wife's 95 corolla with 7A-FE engine, 96k miles has been using oil since around 6-7k or so. I recently auto-rxed it and after the rinse phase I switched to Havolin 5w30, it used about 0.2 qt at first 500 miles, but now at 1000 miles the level stays the same, it seems the car has stopped using oil. I have been using supertech 5w30 before the switch. The car used about 1 qt during the rinse phase (2K). I don't know what did the job, auto-rx or Havolin.

My acura also stopped using oil since I switched from supertech to Chaveron supereme. Since I can't get cheveron, it's getting Havolin as well, but since I don't drive that car that much anymore so I don't how it performs at this point.
 
I've been a Toyota tech. since I graduated high school(1985). I have heard alot of theories as to why a particular Toyota has an oil consumption problem and I can't make a blanket about all Toyotas but after rebuilding alot of them I can comment on what I have found.
1.Toyotas don't have problems per say with cylinder wear or distortion. I have rebuilt MANY with over 200K that had absolutely no ridge in the cylinder or out-of-round.
2.Toyotas generally are not pickey about wanting a particular brand of oil. Too many success stories with X brand of oil.
3.The #1 oil consumption problem I have seen with them is gummed-up oil control rings. I've never had a Toyota come back with a consumption problem that I re-ringed using aftermarket rings. The ring design Toyota uses is very sensitive to deposits. I don't claim to know why but I have pulled many pistons out and the oil-control rings would be hopelessly gummed up. Perhaps useing a cleaner like AutoRx can help.
4.We all know about the quote "sludge monster" engines that they built.I don't have a flame-suit on so I won't go there on that subject but I will say I've seen customers that were sticklers about oil maintenance that got many miles out of them.
5.I have never used AutoRx so I can't testify to it's effectiveness. If it works I would say try it in your Toyota and if consumption decreases or stops you know you have oil ring deposits. No amount of detergent would help distorted or worn cylinders.
I paid 100$ for a Corolla that had 165K miles on it. It drank oil like Fred Sanford drank Ripple. I pulled the engine down, honed the cylinders,put a set of aftermarket rings in it and threw it back together for about 250$ in parts. It is the family kick-around car and uses NO oil running 5K intervals on Schaeffer 5W30.
I am sure someone may have a different view on this and perhaps you have insight as to why SOME Toyotas have this problem. I am simply relating my experience with rebuilding many of these engines.
Choose a good brand of oil;be consistant with changing it;and if a detergent additive is proven to work use it and your oil rings will thank you.
thumbsup.gif
 
Quote:


I've been a Toyota tech. since I graduated high school(1985). I have heard alot of theories as to why a particular Toyota has an oil consumption problem and I can't make a blanket about all Toyotas but after rebuilding alot of them I can comment on what I have found.
1.Toyotas don't have problems per say with cylinder wear or distortion. I have rebuilt MANY with over 200K that had absolutely no ridge in the cylinder or out-of-round.
2.Toyotas generally are not pickey about wanting a particular brand of oil. Too many success stories with X brand of oil.
3.The #1 oil consumption problem I have seen with them is gummed-up oil control rings. I've never had a Toyota come back with a consumption problem that I re-ringed using aftermarket rings. The ring design Toyota uses is very sensitive to deposits. I don't claim to know why but I have pulled many pistons out and the oil-control rings would be hopelessly gummed up. Perhaps useing a cleaner like AutoRx can help.
4.We all know about the quote "sludge monster" engines that they built.I don't have a flame-suit on so I won't go there on that subject but I will say I've seen customers that were sticklers about oil maintenance that got many miles out of them.
5.I have never used AutoRx so I can't testify to it's effectiveness. If it works I would say try it in your Toyota and if consumption decreases or stops you know you have oil ring deposits. No amount of detergent would help distorted or worn cylinders.
I paid 100$ for a Corolla that had 165K miles on it. It drank oil like Fred Sanford drank Ripple. I pulled the engine down, honed the cylinders,put a set of aftermarket rings in it and threw it back together for about 250$ in parts. It is the family kick-around car and uses NO oil running 5K intervals on Schaeffer 5W30.
I am sure someone may have a different view on this and perhaps you have insight as to why SOME Toyotas have this problem. I am simply relating my experience with rebuilding many of these engines.
Choose a good brand of oil;be consistant with changing it;and if a detergent additive is proven to work use it and your oil rings will thank you.
thumbsup.gif





Great post. I have been researching the reasons for oil consumption in the newer 1ZZ-FE 1.8 toyota engines. Problems with oil ring are indeed often quoted.

Do you see problems with 2003 or newer models with the altered piston ring treatment?
 
The vast majority of problems I have seen were on 98-01 engines and I think that was becouse of the miles that had been accumalated coupled with very limited service histories.
Wal-Mart sold a product about a year ago called Tech oil treatment. The company that cooks that stuff paid me to replace two 1ZZ-FE engines that thier product destroyed and did so no-questions-asked. It seems that a manufactering mistake caused the stuff to turn into a substance very similar to a plastic worm that fishermen use.(no kidding).
All you had to do for them to cover the repair was to present your proof of purchase to them and they stroked you a check. Wal-Mart quickly pulled remaining bottles from store shelves.
The company that makes MOST of Toyotas rings is called Nippon Piston Ring. They make rings for people like Kubota,Komatsu,Honda,Nissan. You can tell thier rings by two characteristics;1.They use a unique oil ring design that is different from most other brands and 2.They nitride harden the compression rings which is very costly compared to coatings like chrome or plasma-moly.
I don't know why Nippon's oil ring is sensitive in some applications and never gives a problem in others. I suspect it has to do with the specs. Toyota wants them made to.
These engines had the most problems. Corolla 7A-FE,Tercel 3A-FE, Paseo(all of them)and of course the 3.0 Camry engines
These engines had the least problems with oil rings. all 22R engines,all 2.4 and 2.7 and 3.4 Tacoma engines. Lexus and Tundra v-8s as well.
The biggest swell of problems started back in the mid 90s when Toyota as well as some of thier dealers were touting a 7500mile oil change interval using the cheapest bulk oil they could buy. Maybe that interval will work with some cars but I promise you a Toyota car will begin to see consumption problems after it makes it through powertrain warranty running dino out to 7500 miles. Most have since backed off to 5K mile intervals now.
I own a couple of Toyotas(one with 630K miles)and they both get synthetic at reasonable intervals and niether use any oil.
I would like to hear from someone who has a 1ZZ-FE or another Toyota engine that is using some oil and has used Auto-Rx with success. Does this product work to free oil rings of deposits? I don't know becouse I never heard of it till I logged on this site.
 
I love to hear from people with hands on experience with some of the things we obsess about. gummed up oil control rings -- great stuff.
 
I am glad to be a part of this site. I have learned more about oil here in the last 2 months than I learned in the last 15 years of working on Yodas and Hondas.
Differences in base oils,additive packs and advertizing hype discussed on this site has made me much more informed as to what really makes one oil better than another. It is good to see people with different vehicles relate how a product has performed for them.
I was on one truck oil site that made you very unwelcome if you even hinted that their product was not the absolute best for all applications including motorcycles,space shuttles,ect...
nono.gif
 
Great post for info on my 95 Corolla 7A-FE 160,000mi, auto trans. It seems to lose a little bit of oil over time--mostly at speeds over 65mph. I drove it about 85mph on I-80 for two days and lost almost 3 quarts over 900mi of driving. Yeah the oil pressure light came on and I thought it was a gonner, but I filled it up and have been keeping an eye on it--especially on those road trips! It still runs well and start s like a champ.

I did have what I think was carbon buildup from years of running with a bad EGR system. The check engine light was on for about 5 years. I replaced the spark plugs, the EGR actuator, and cleaned out some of the EGR passageways into the manifold. That seems to have done the job. The check engine light went away. Only wish I did that a long time ago! The oil may be a little blacker lately (or perhaps in my mind it is)-- like some of that carbon is working it's way out of the system.

This car may be a candidate for some auto-RX. I have never had a problem with plain old Valvoline 5W-30, but I live in Minnesota now and we may have some days that are like -20F (not too many I hope) Any recommendations? Is a block heater worth it?
 
3 quarts per 900 is extremely excessive.......

is it leaking or burning?

if burning, its best if you just swap engines or buy a new/used car
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top