Missing almost 1 Quart of Oil in less than 1 Year.

In May 2022 I changed my Tacomas Oil at 56,000 miles using Mobil1 Advance Full Synth 5W-30 oil. Its a 2014 TRD OR BAJA with the V6. Noticed it was missing oil then too.

Today February 2023 at 64,400 miles, I changed the oil again and Im missing about 3/4 of a quart of oil (approx 750 mL). The oil was dark but not black. Ive been towing a boat within towing capacity lately if that matters.

Is this normal amount of oil loss or should I trade this Tacoma in ASAP?

 

Less than a quart of oil would fall well within the normal range for about any car / truck.

https://www.cars.com/articles/how-much-oil-consumption-is-normal-1420682864535/

 

When was the last time you changed your PCV valve?

 

Check your PCV valve and check if you have the notorious timing cover leak.

 

You drove 8,000 miles and lost 3/4 qt of oil.
That’s not bad…..

3/4 of a quart is more than I’d expect for a Toyota.
But not unreasonable….

I check mine @ 3,000 and change it at 5,000
So far, I’ve never had to add any.

 

Very normal
And I would say one quart for 8,000 miles is pretty good.

 

I couldn’t do my Baby like that…….

 

It's fine. Toyota considers 1 liter in 2000km to be excessive. So roughly 1 qt in 1200 miles. Anything less is acceptable. You are way in that parameter.

I agree with others, check for leaks, check the PCV. Tacoma's 4.0 aren't known for using oil, but again, its acceptable.

 

You can check/top it off as needed or shorten the oil change interval, both of which are cheaper than a new truck

 

Now you’ve done it……

 

3/4 quart in almost 8K? Hah, that's actually fairly good. Oil needs to be changed sooner IMO, but it's your truck.

I had a car that required a quart every 500 miles. Probably why the previous owner gutted the cat. That car went to someone else who sent it to the great car crusher in the sky...

 

8K miles between oil changes may be what a lot of people tell you you can get away with, but it ain't very nice to the engine.

5K max. 4K if you want to be extra nice to Trucky.

There are a lot of variables that affect how much oil any given engine does or doesn't consume, first & foremost among which is probably good regular maintenance & prompt attention to anything out of spec, such as low coolant levels, oil levels, clogged PCV valve, etc.

My 2014 4.0L V6 Taco at 69K miles doesn't seem to burn a drop between ~4K interval oil changes.

 

5k oil changes on the 4.0L especially if towing.

Do that oil change interval and ill bet you see far less oil consumption as the oil doesnt break down nearly as bad as the 5k+ miles.

 

233,000 miles on my 2007. I did 10,000 mile OCI up to 180,000 miles in 2016 when it was my daily driver. I was averaging 20,000/year so I was changing oil about every 6 months.

Since 2016 I don't put as many miles on it but stick with 6-month OCI. I have no idea how many miles that is.

In the nearly 16 years I've owned the truck I've never added oil between oil changes. It has always been in the safe area on my dipstick when it came time to change oil.

 

It's my understanding that dwell time of oil in the pan matters probably just as much as actual mileage.

10K OCI with mostly highway miles at 6 month intervals is probably fine. Most of the miles are steady-state, fully-warmed engine cruising for hours on end. That's ideal.

What's hard on ICEs is many short start-stop cycles without ever getting to full engine temp to evaporate condensation & exhaust-blow-by water out of the engine oil. All other things being equal, a 5K-mile / 2-year OCI is probably harder on an engine than a 10K/6-month OCI.

 

Troll alert.

 

I use an extractor pump to change oil and have use measured container for the old oil to ensure that I get out as much as possible. It is my experience that of the 5.5 quarts I put in that I measure just over 5.25 in the used oil container. That does not account for what may be left in the filter, but as I change every 5k with synthetic I am fairly happy with a loss of just .25 quart.

 

Never! I’m not sure about 3rd gens, but on the 4.0L it’s a dumb little check ball valve. If it rattles when shaken, it’s good. If not, soak in carb cleaner until it does, then put it back.

 

Word on the street is that the spring inside the valve may lose sproinginess* after 40-50K miles & no longer meter crankcase vapors as well as when it was new. Don't know if that's true or not, it's just an extra thought that I came across which someone put into a much-longer PCV valve thread elsewhere on TW.



*Toyota-approved technical term