Using oil at 15K miles

So I got a brand new 2014 Taco 4wd 4.0 auto in July 2014. I've been doing the free dealer service so far, because $$

Service (oil+filter, etc) has happened

10/31/2014 3,233
01/30/2015 6,848 (3615)
06/26/2015 11,241 (4393)
11/04/2015 16,001 (4760)

Last time, in June the service rep was going over results and mentioned "oil slightly low" which surprised me. This time (yesterday) I asked and he said it was almost down to the fill mark (hole). Then I saw where on the vehicle inspection report that was. All of my other oil changes showed slightly below the full mark.

All the other japanese vehicles I've ever bought new ('91 civic, '93 2wd pickup, '97 T100, 2010 Matrix) never burned a drop of oil the whole time I had them. Didn't put a ton of miles on the civic or matrix, but ~150 on each of the pickup trucks. I started using synthetic in the T100 around 100K. I would go 10-12 K between oil changes, not a drop of oil went missing and it didn't even get much discoloration. And I was hauling a 2 ton travel trailer with that T100 regularly during those years!

Is this normal now, or at least with the 4 liter V6? Is it the crappy bulk oil the dealer's using?

One fundamental difference, this is my first automatic. With my other trucks I became very aware of where the power bands were and carefully used them (on the T100 it was ~2650 rpm and then a better but thirstier one at ~3100). I rarely ran those motors up to 4,000 rpm. If I have cruise set and hit a hill, obviously the auto will decide to downshift, sometimes throwing the motor a high-throttle flogging. I usually try to pay attention and manage my own throttle once I start climbing a hill.

I know that gas engines tend to use oil. But a japanese engine, brand-new that has never had oil get older than 4800 miles?

On this oil change I did a fair amount of light 4-wheeling, but that's all low rpm stuff the way I do it. Highest revs are engine breaking. I live in the CO mountains, so engine breaking is a normal thing for me. I also did a 2400 mile road trip for Thanksgiving. Fair number of that was cruise set at 75-80 with the occasional unintended downshift.

What do you think, should I be concerned? Intending to go to full synthetic as soon as the freebie service expires. Hoping it won't use that stuff faster! Or should I just let this truck go on this oil until the next change and then go synthetic?

 

That does seem kinda odd, especially with you doing earlier than recommended 5,000 mile changes, maybe it is the bulk oil, maybe its not the right grade, or maybe even the tech did not put enough in, have you checked the level periodically between changes?

 

If you're within your 3yr/36k, I would ask the dealer to investigate because this may lead to larger issues down the road. Did they provide how many quarts of oil came out so you can get an exact measure of how much oil was burned? Easy to calculate (5.5qts-oil drained).

 

I wouldn't trust the dealer, change it your self next time.

 

That was my thinking also, did you check the oil level after the last oil change? When I get mine changed I check the oil level, make sure nothing's there that shouldn't be and make sure that everything's there that should. I also put the little rubber cap back on the drain, something I take off before I give them the keys.

 

Is there a leak anywhere present or is it being burned?

 

I think it's 5.5 qts with the towing package. 5 qts without it.

 

First off how do you really know if your loosing any oil unless you verify after a oil change where the oil is at to start.
Simply top the oil off now or change it with a good oil that you prefer and note your oil level at the start. Run the truck and check the level every 1000 miles to see if you level is dropping.
But if I was betting the oil change guy at the dealer didn't top it to the full mark.

 

I would agree with others who say to change it yourself. It's super easy and worth the piece of mind you get knowing it was done right. You can get good quality full synthetic oil (from Walmart) and OEM filter for around $30 and that'll get you at least 7,500 miles before you have to do it again.

 

Mine is burning oil too. Sounds like a jack hammer after a cold start, and oil temp is 230 degrees +.

Not really what I expected from a $30K truck... I am finished dealing with Roswell Toyota and I hope I can find another dealership that isn't going to tell me this is normal... But, I won't hold my breath.

 

Yep, you're right. And all of the people suggesting checking where it is on the stick after leaving the dealer. Gonna go out to the garage and do that now. No leaks, it sits in a garage so leaks would be obvious. It does have the tow package, so it'll be a 5.5 capacity.

I changed my own oil for the most part since my first car (a '75 Chevy Monza with 262 smallblock. What a POS that thing was.) After I got out of college and got busy I started letting more work be done on my vehicles. But had an oil change where they they overfilled it. So I bagged letting anybody do it and went back to crawling under myself. I have all the stuff (oil pan, filter wrenches, etc)

The new vehicle free service for two years is nice. And beyond oil changes; you get tire rotation, filters, etc. And free is quite cost-effective. So I've been taking the luxury of just letting then deal with it and figured this coming summer I'd take over and start putting good synthetic in it.

I'll probably just wind up putting a few thousand miles on this oil+filter, checking level periodically then drain out the crappy bulk oil and put in some Mobil1. If it keeps using I'll make a stink with Toyota before I hit 3yr/36K.

Thanks everybody for the input.

 

If it's burning oil I would say it's not normal. Mine doesn't use any oil between the 5k mile oil changes. I use Mobil 1. Truck has 31,000 miles.

 

If you didn't check the oil in them any more than you apparently haven't in the truck, how do you know?

While you may want someone else to do your changes for you, it doesn't mean you can't/shouldn't be doing regular checks, immediately after the service (always!) every couple of weeks, before, during, after road trips, and immediately prior to change time.

 

Well, because I did check the oil in those trucks more than I have with this truck. They didn't have the two years free service for new vehicle program back then. I just assumed that it was a Toyota, it was new, I could just let the dealer worry about it for a couple years.

Which, you know. Assuming, and asses and what-all.

I'll be watching it for myself on this truck from here on out. Checked it a while ago after a little jaunt into the mountains. Level is right at the full hole.

 

Watch the oil filter be loose which causes some oil to escape...

 

Perfect. My guess is the consumption will be little to none.

I have an '04 3.3 Highlander at 107k. Uses about 1/2 qt. between it's 10k changes. Mobil 1 since new.

 

Update to this thread.

I drove the truck about 500 miles of short-haul, in CO winter mountains. Then a couple weeks ago there was a death in the family and I needed to drive to the midwest to help out. It's a little over 1000 miles each way, plus I drove a couple hundred while I was there. The upshot is that I've now put ~3000 miles on that oil change, some of it short drives less than 20 miles, and four days of all-damn-day making time crossing the prairie states. Cold starts, some of them less than 0° F. Hours at a time at 85 mph, often into a strong headwind. Flogged it pretty hard.

I didn't do the level checks per 1000 miles because I had too much going on, but checked it just now. Perfect, didn't use a drop. So that's awesome.

But while I was checking it I saw something unusual on the oil filter:



It's a drop of something that got splattered onto the filter and hardened on. I'm sure I could chip it away with zero effort, but I'm wondering, could that be the original filter? There's no way the filter could be removed without this little dingleberry getting knocked off. Could it be that the dealer has been telling me it changed oil + filter but... didn't?

I can't really imagine how it would have gotten on there since the dealer had it in December. Perhaps they splattered something on it last thing just before they closed it up, but the hood was only open since then 1) when I checked it after starting this thread in December and 2) just now. I can't imagine a scenario where it got splattered on there in winter with the hood closed.

Anybody recognize it or can guess how it got on there? Kind of a robin's egg blue. Totally circumstantial evidence, not exactly something I could use to sue anybody. But I'm curious.

And the dealer won't be touching it again. My confidence has been reduced.

 

Sorry for your family issues and other distractions, but sometimes life just happens doesn't it?

Glad you can take the oil consumption idea off your plate..........

I can't answer what the goober is on the filter. But at this point I wouldn't worry over it. It will be gone with the next oil/filter change.

 

Life will do what it will do. In this case, makes no fuggin' sense at all. Healthy 60-year-old man, active, working a small piece of property for fun. Worked hard to be able to retire at 60. Gets some kind of weird systemic infection and dies less than 100 hours from reporting to the emergency room. Daughters 17 and 18. Happy wife (my sister). Not an enemy in the world. WTF.

Thinking about that, yeah. Who cares about the little goober. Who cares when that filter was last changed. Nothing I can do about it now, so why spend a moment contemplating? I'll get me an OEM filter and put Mobil1 in there this weekend.