4.0L consuming 3 qts of oil every 5,000 miles?

i think the word backyard was misplaced in his first statement. it should have read as "I am a backyard mechanic."

 

I almost said that, but didn't want to add more insult to injury.

 

Just got this used of course, had it for 3 months, i drive it 3,000 miles per month.

Looks like its burning somehow, 1-2 quarts of mobile 1 per month / 3,000 miles

 

Or maybe "backward" mechanic.

 

With that many miles on it, I would start looking for why, and that much oil will kill your cat converter...

Howard

 

You would think a mechanic would be smart enough not to let his truck get 3 quarts low?

 

You guys are getting too focused on bashing the guy for making a statement. Who cares if he is a mechanic. You're filling this thread with chatter that makes it difficult for someone with a similar issue to find answers.

We get it, but regardless, someone posted an issue with oil loss and at least one other person has come in stating they have the same problem.

Now, to keep my post someone on topic as well, I think I might have some minor oil loss, but I rarely get to put the oil into an empty container to check the actual amount that comes out. On top of that, I'm not sure I could ever really empty out the container. I think some residual oil is always left in there, so I'm not sure that is an accurate way of measuring. However, after reading this thread, I'm going to keep a closer eye on the dipstick.

 

At 230,000 miles I'd do a compression test. You're most likely losing oil through rings and valves (burning it) if you're not leaking it. You might also consider switching to a high mileage oil.

 

Anybody have more info on this^^^?
I changed my 50k oil today and was a qt low. I bought the truck new in 12, let them do Toyota Care up to 30k(I think it was). Then switched to Mobil 1 with Toyota filters every 5k since. Am going to wait until next oil change to see if it's low again then approach Toyota if so. I've never looked forward to an oil change but right now it can't come fast enough. I can't even fathom having to pay for a fix to this. This truck is driven but well maintained. Makes my blood boil just to think about this. Hopefully its just a fluke.

 

Same here 2009, 55000 miles with no oil missing.

 

quart / 600 miles per manual

 

As per "Most/All" vehicle manufacturers specifications this would be considered normal oil use. Regardless of what any of us think is right. If it continues I would go back to dino oil and see if it improves. Chances are that it will.

 

That is not normal!

 

My 2008 with 116,000 consumes *0* quarts per change. Even my first vehicle, the '77 in my sig pic, leaked more out of the seals than it actually burned. My '87 MR2 didn't leak a drop or consume a drop and it had 212,000. I know what Toyota considers "normal", but that much consumption is a problem.

 

An update on my situation, when I changed my oil at 32,000 miles several months back it was still burning a little but not as bad as it had been (down a quart or so but not 2 - 2.5 quarts like previously). Yesterday at 37,000 I changed it again and it's virtually not happening - I was down maybe a half quart. Someone suggested that as these 4.0L get closer to 30K miles they taper burning oil if you experienced that so maybe there's some merit to that. I dunno. The only other change is the addition of the SC but I don't see how that would make a difference.

 

FWIW: Per the OM from the lower to upper dots on the dipstick is 1.4 qts for the 2.7, 1.6 qts for the 4.0 (see below).

If the 4.0 dip stick drawing is to scale (may not be I have not verified it) then the very end of the stick would be by my guesstimate approximately 2.7 qts "low".

Also the OM states that 1 qt/600 miles is the upper limit of acceptable oil consumption--maybe for them, not me!





This is about as far as I get into engine oil discussions, however 'twas I the OP I'd load that suck'a up with 10W-30 or 10W-40 and see what happens. I am not a big fan of 5W- or 0W- (anything). They help manufacturers better meet CAFE requirements, but do so at the expense of ultimate engine life...

 

I use about 1/2 quart 6-7 k miles Mobil 1 5-30 synthetic with 250k miles.

 

My new-to-me '09 with 137.5k miles has not used a drop in the 2500 miles I've owned it. The dealer changed the fluids before I bought it so I assume the engine is loaded with Toyota's 5W-30. I plan on replacing it with 10W-30 synthetic in another 1500/2000 miles...

 

I would stick with specified 5w-30 in syn

 

"Also the OM states that 1 qt/600 miles is the upper limit of acceptable oil consumption--maybe for them, not me!"

Most OEM's do that, I went through that in the late 90's with Saturn, for them, 1 quart per 1000 miles was acceptable, if you didn't exceed that, they did nothing...I put 300,000 plus on that car, was adding 4 quarts between changes...Saturn knew for years the piston skirt design was poor and contributed to the bottom oil ring getting miserably clogged with carbon build up to the point where is could not keep the oil from bypassing to combustion...

As far as mine goes, never used oil up until just recently, but the oil is a leak from upper rear intake manifold, not combustion....completely happy with Toyota..