Options for an oil burner

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 22, 2017
Messages
492
Location
Western usa
A friend of mine has a 2011Toyota Prius 3 : 2ZR-FXE : 1.8L 4 cyl. with 95k on it. He’s having to add about 1 quart every 900-1000 miles, it holds 4.4Qts of Ow-20. Second owner at 50k. He says there are no leaks he can see on the driveway or elsewhere. From what he’s told me it sounds like the engine has always been driven very easy, all low rev’s. I’m no mechanic but it sounds like carbon / gunk formed on the piston rings or ring lands. The way they get driven it seems like destiny. Any options for him ? I’ve heard the Kroil application mentioned in the past. Thanks
 
Get a leakdown test and find out exactly what is worn. Next best option is a compression test. Perhaps consider using a 0w30 like Amsoil or even a 5w30 to slow the oil consumption rate.
 
If there are no drips on the ground then he needs to look at rings, stem seals, guides and PCV.
They're the only places the leak can happen.

Mechanical repairs > bottled snake oil.
 
Edited this after reading (below) that there was a recall. Get that done first IMO!
 
Toyota has updated piston rings for this issue. Not sure if they extended the warranty like they did on the 2.4l engine
 
There is a TSB on this.

Long story short - defective pistons and rings need to be replaced.

A friend of mine picked one up last year for very cheap to find out later why it was so cheap.
 
Oh man, he’s not going to like that. Sounds like people past the warranty are on their own. Maybe I’ll have him start with the PCV valve and see what happens from there. It’s probably never been changed. There are also people posting about using 0W-40 with some success. I didn’t realize so many Toyota’s were oil burners.
 
my neighbour's toyota yaris has the same problem, she is out of warranty and simply can't afford to fix the engine. it drank oil like a freshman at a keg party

I changed the oil and put in a HDEO CJ 15w40 and the oil consumption stopped entirely

and yes I realize that this is not the approved viscosity, but with a an oil burner who really cares?
 
Originally Posted By: Ammofirst
Oh man, he’s not going to like that. Sounds like people past the warranty are on their own. Maybe I’ll have him start with the PCV valve and see what happens from there.

Then definitely have the problem diagnosed before doing anything else.

A PCV valve change is a good call. Can't hurt.

If it really does look like the rings are stuck due to carbon, one option is to find a Cummins distributor and try to get Valvoline Premium Blue Restore. It's a fully formulated engine oil designed to fix oil consumption due to carbon buildup in the rings of Cummins ISX engines. TONS of ester, on the order of 30 to 50 percent. It's marketed by Cummins as a service event, not as a regular oil, but distributors should carry the oil. Insanely expensive for an engine oil, but probably a lot cheaper than a rebuild.
 
Thanks, never heard of that oil. I think I’ll have him do an engine flush (amsoil or similar product) Change the PCV valve and fill the crank case with some 40wt oil. I think Mobil 0W-40 is only 3.6 HTHS is wcastrol or pennzoil 0w-40 any thicker ? Would a gas additive with a high dose of PEA help any ?
 
Originally Posted By: Ammofirst
I think I’ll have him fill the crank case with some 40wt oil. I think Mobil 0W-40...


I think using what is essentially a high end synthetic oil in an engine that burns a quart every 1k miles is silly. Not only will the initial fill up be more expensive then necessary, all the oil top off during say a 5k OCI will be more expensive then pouring in something cheap.

The engine is clearly defective, as per Toyota admitting it themselves. Either fix it properly (out of pocket or try pressuring Toyota to cover the bill) or just dump some 10w40 conventional in there and hope it helps to slow down the consumption.
 
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
There is a TSB on this.

Long story short - defective pistons and rings need to be replaced.

A friend of mine picked one up last year for very cheap to find out later why it was so cheap.



Yes and for those cars out of warranty well sounds like an absolutely great time and place for a class action lawsuit.
 
There are a number of people having real success with higher viscosity synthetic oils in the oil consuming Prius engines. I'd suggest Mobil 1, 10W-40 High Mileage as a first step. People have even moved to 20W-50 in the Prius engine with good results.

Keep in mind that the synthetic higher viscosity oils are thinner in extreme cold, vs a conventional oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Olas
If there are no drips on the ground then he needs to look at rings, stem seals, guides and PCV.
They're the only places the leak can happen.


This.

If you want to try something before getting into mechanical repairs, try RESTORE. No its not a miracle cure but it does line cylinder walls with tiny metallic particles that boosts compression, all for less than $10.

After that, try a "high mileage" oil like MaxLife, one viscosity grade up.

Give this strategy a chance first.
 
Don't waste your money trying to solve the issue. It is a well known issue with no resolve yet (besides dealer replacement). If you want to sell me the car cheap due to the oil burning i'll take it
wink.gif
My last prius was an 08 gen 2 and those are also known to burn oil, added 1 quart per 1500. Drove it to 250k issue free (except oil burning of course) and sold it to someone who was doing uber after my wife got in a accident.

Like others have said, Id run a quality HDEO.
 
Yup
Try that followed by a diet of the heaviest single low eight you can get. Prob 30 wt. if not then 20/50 wt. you can nurse something like that along for years like that. The thing is they have to develop a weekly regime off checking adding oil as needed. It’s not hard st all but many just wont do it reliably.
Then there’s passing emissions tests if that apples to your state. It can be a non issue or disaster depending on wheee you are Th trouble with a car like this is just like the Hyundai sonata problem. You can get good used engines for under a grand. Trouble is you likely will get another potential dog😫
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Delvac 1 5W40 unstuck the rings on my old 300D-, granted it was a diesel, but it did work.


That is another excellent choice of oils for a Prius that consumes! Delvac 1 5W-40, or it's sister oil, Mobil 1, Turbo Diesel Truck 5W-40. They are different oils, with the Delvac 1 having lower ZDDP.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top