Castrol Edge 5w-30 1,791 miles 99 Corolla

[synthetic_crazy]

I have a 99 corolla and just ran a blackstone report on the castrol edge 5w-30 that I ran for 1,791 miles (yes, I know this is a short interval!). I had to add around a quart and a half as my corolla tends to burn this thin 5w-30 quickly. I was a little disappointed in the report as far as the TBN; since castrol says it is a 15k oil...let me know what you think. I am currently running Pennzoil Ultra 5w-30 and have been impressed with it so far. Plan on doing an analysis on it after 2 oil changes.

Blackstone said: except for a little fuel diluting, nothing unusual showed up in this sample. You noted the oil looked dark for only having been run 1,791 miles. We agree and there was quite a bit of insolubles present, though these weren't excessive, so we can't really complain about them. It could be the oil is cleaning the engine, or the engine itself may just be showing its age at almost 120,000 miles. Fuel at this level isn't a problem, though it could contribute to the darkness as well. The TBN was strong at 5.3, so active additive held up nicely. Try 4,000 miles next oil.

Aluminum 2
chromium 0
iron 3
copper 1
lead 2
tin 0
molybdenium 109
nickel 0
manganese 0
silver 0
titanium 0
potassium 1
boron 43
silicon 8
sodium 51
calcium 3296
magnesium 14
phosphorus 777
zinc 982
barium 0
SUS viscosity @210 53.5
cST viscosity @100 8.32
flashpoint 345
fuel % 1.0
antifreeze % 0
water % 0
insolubles % 0.3
TBN 5.3

(Note: I've moved this from another thread to the UOA section as it would be better servered here.)

 

[c3po]

 

[garlicbreadman]

thats excessive oil consumption
how many miles on the car?

 

[Bill in Utah]

As we have seen I've taken this out of one thread and moved it here as it would be better served here.

Welcome to the new member.

Wow the fuel killed the flash point.

Tell us about how the Corolla is operated, how many miles on it and its history. Also how did you get the sample and cold or hot?

TBN took a hit (still up there, remember that Blackstone is still good at 1.0) because of the fuel.

Bill

 

[demarpaint]

Welcome to Bitog. You used quite a bit of oil. If the car is burning oil I would consider switching to a less expensive oil, a HM dino oil comes to mind. JMO

 

[Rob_Roy]

Do you know the history on this engine? As Blackstone commented, there could be some cleaning going on...hopefully the consumption will level off.

Do you drive a lot of short trips? How does the car run? Any misfires or error codes?

 

[addyguy]

A quart and a half in 1700 miles!!! Yowza!

I'd switch to a cheaper oil, and see if a engine flush/piston soak/de-carboning procedure would 'free up' the rings a bit to reduce that.

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Wow, thanks for all the quick replies! Here is a little history on my corolla: I bought the car 5 years ago with 58,000 miles (it has the three speed auto transmission)and placed it on a steady diet of dino castrol 5w-30 every 2,000 (I like to change the oil!!) I believe the car was a lease vehicle prior to my purchase; not sure if that is a good thing or not in terms of oil changes. I drive about 5-6 miles per day at highway speeds with the majority of driving in city traffic. At 110,000 I switched to Castrol Syntec blend and only ran it for about 1,000 miles. I didn't like the way it made it 'chatter' at startup. I then switched to Castrol Edge 5w-30 and ran 3,000 on the first change. When I changed it, it WAS BLACK! I ran the next interval about 2,500, afterwhich I changed it again at around 1,791 miles and caught a sample for blackstone (see my original post). The engine was hot when I caught the sample. The car is in great shape and has not displayed any check engine lights during the almost 60,000 miles I have driven her. I did notice that the Castrol Edge starts out as a thin 5w-30 and attributed by oil burn to this. The car does not smoke on startup or leave a cloud on acceleration. When I caught the above sample, I switched the car to Pennzoil Ultra thinking that its touted cleaning abilities would clean my engine well. I have noticed that it is not burning nearly as much with the PU. I plan to run the PU for two intervals and catch a sample then. The car seems to run very well on the PU. It seems to make the engine run smoother than what the Edge did.

 

[addyguy]

Ever thought of trying a thicker oil, just to see if it would help?

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Might try the 10w-30 next time; think this would help?

 

[JAG]

10W-30 PU might help consumption and is what I'd try in Texas summer. To decrease the oil consumption you should also find out what's causing the severe fuel dilution. Mass airflow sensor, dirty air filter, bad O2 sensor, worn spark plugs or improper gap, bad coils to spark plugs,...?

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions on my corolla!
I am meticulous in the maintenance of this car; I change the fluids and filters every 12 months; spark plugs about every 24 months...so I don't think that any of those items could be causing my oil consumption. I am keeping a close eye on the dipstick with the Pennzoil Ultra and so far it seems to be slowing a little.
I had even thought of trying some German Castrol 0w-30 in it. However, is it bad to run 0w-30 in an engine that says 5w-30?

 

[CaspianM]

You can use 0W-30. GC is very thick oil. I personally like to use the thinest oil that works. Thick oil tends to hurt the MPG and slows the car down a bit. Throttle response also gets affected. But with burning oil it is a different story. If you like M1 HM 5W-30 make a good choice. And whatever you use let it run for a while before switching again.

 

[moto94536]

I don't think you need castrol edge on ur corolla... try regular castrol gtx.. it should be fine... save money.

 

[pcfxer]

Check the PCV and oiling/induction systems for anything out of ordinary. Your induction tube and throttle body should be MINT. Let's see here..dark oil and oil consumption...

http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Toyota-Corolla-PCV-Valve-Replacement-Guide/index.html

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Originally Posted By: pcfxer
Check the PCV and oiling/induction systems for anything out of ordinary. Your induction tube and throttle body should be MINT. Let's see here..dark oil and oil consumption...

http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Toyota-Corolla-PCV-Valve-Replacement-Guide/index.html


Thanks for the info!

 

[synthetic_crazy]

I checked the oil level tonight and noticed that all the varnish stains that have been on the dipstick are gone...the dipstick looks nice and clean. Maybe the Pennzoil Ultra is really cleaning things up!