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SUVs Toyota RAV4 Toyota RAV4 2007
404 messages, Last post on Jun 28, 2009 at 8:08 AM
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You guys aren't in touch with reality. Pretty much all manufacturers, including some very expensive makes, will say that something like 1 quart per thousand miles is "acceptible" oil consumption. Fact is, modern engines actually burn more oil than older engines. Why? Because in an effort to make engines more fuel efficient and wring more power out of the cubic inches available, engineers have cut back on things like extra piston rings that scrub the cylinder walls to retain oil, because they add to the engine friction load and rob horsepower. So while modern engines are much more powerful for their size than they used to be, one of the tradeoffs is a potential for increased oil consumption. |
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Replying to: sdc2 (Jan 12, 2008 1:26 pm)
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Replying to: verdi942 (Jan 12, 2008 2:46 pm) Also, I suspect a lot of people don't even check their oil, and don't even know they need some added.
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Replying to: sdc2 (Jan 12, 2008 1:26 pm) I have always changed my own oil and filter since purchasing my first car, a used 1956 Ford bought at Seattle's Westside Ford in 1961. In those days a loss of one quart in 3000-5000 miles was common. By the time I purchased a new '84 T-bird my concerns of oil use between changes were gone. Today I typically drain about 1/4 to 1/3 of a quart less than what I last put into the engine. That's across a 93 Ford Ranger, a 92 LS400, a 94 Ford AWD Aerostar, an '01 AWD RX300, an '01 E50 based MH, and a '01 911/996 C4. I suspect that these days you must have something seriously wrong in order to "burn" through a quart of oil in 3000-5000 miles. And yes, Porsche is one of the marques that will tell you that one quart in 1000 miles is not out of line. But on the other hand my exeriences with four Porsches, a 78 Targa, and 88 Carrera, a '99 C2, and now my current '01 C4, all put the lie to that.
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Replying to: sdc2 (Jan 12, 2008 1:26 pm) If the Toyota is burning oil then IMHO it is one of 2 things: 1. The engine is defective. Manufacturers cover their butts by saying its normal, but I'd say its definitely not the experience the vast majority of Toyota owners have and therefore is why I say it is not normal. 2. The vehicle was ran hard right off the lot and not broken in properly. The only engine in which oil consumption is normal right off the bat is a 2-stroke.
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Replying to: sdc2 (Jan 12, 2008 3:13 pm) a manufacturer may say it's acceptable to add a quart of oil every 3000 miles, but it's not normal. the reason they say it is acceptable is because performance will be the same and the chances are the car will run fine past the 60,000 mile warranty most drive trains now have. i'm curious if this is something you just made up, or do you have documentation from a reputable source? |
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Replying to: bytor42 (Jan 13, 2008 7:27 am) |
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Replying to: wwest (Jan 12, 2008 5:49 pm) As far as documentation, no, I have not made a practice of storing such info, but I have read of at least a half-dozen manufacturers that say 1 quart per thousand is "acceptable". Not saying I agree with them, and there can be no doubt that there is a strong element of CYA in those statements, but the fact is an engine can function perfectly in terms of power and fuel efficiency, even while burning a little oil. So where is the defect? If you are too lazy to check the oil once a month I have no sympathy for you. And to say the engine is "defective" if you have the crushing burden of having to add a $3 quart of oil in 5,000 miles is ridiculous.
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Replying to: sdc2 (Jan 13, 2008 10:08 am) fwiw, I never have to add oil to my '99 Quest with 121,000 on it, but my '97 Outback with 65k uses a bit of oil now and then. It was a half quart low last week but I may not have topped it off when I changed the oil last (the dipstick in the Outback is difficult to make heads or tails of). Some other oil consumption posts (found with the Advanced Search tool) involve the Audi A3, Caddy CTS, Nissan Altima and Chevy Impalas (GM's 5.3L). Doesn't seem to be a very big issue except with Troopers though. |
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Replying to: kst1 (Jan 11, 2008 6:29 pm) The service shop did not find anything to pinpoint this- just some computer glitch according to them. Cleared out the codes and said that chance of this happening again is 1 in a million. Well guess what, the check engine/VSC/skid lights have come back on. Will be taking it back to the dealer tomorrow. Anybody have ideas/experience with this?? |
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