89900 miles and useing/losing oil. I do not
see any leaks and I do not see any smoke.
The catalytic converter on your CAMRY will make the smoke from “oil burning” very difficult or impossible to see. The CC will continue to conceal the smoke from oil burning until it ceases to function as a result of having been damaged from the smoke residue.
I don’t recall the length of the Powertrain Warranty on this car, but if it is a 90k warranty, I suggest that you get the car to a Toyota dealership TODAY before the coverage runs out. If it is not covered by warranty any longer, then I suggest that you take the car to a well-reputed independent mechanic (NOT a chain like Midas, Meineke, Monro, Sears, AAMCO, Pep Boys, etc) for a compression test.
From a distance nobody can tell you why a CAMRY with less than 90k miles would be consuming oil already, but some possibilities include:
A PCV system that is "gummed up"
Piston rings that are clogged with “coked up” oil residue
Both of the preceding possibilities can result from extended oil change intervals.
Please share with us the maintenance history of this car–in detail. Please don’t simply give us a meaningless statement such as “it has been well-maintained”.
This CAMRY has accumulated an incredible number of miles in only 2-3 years. Has it ever been run with a low level of oil in the crankcase? How often do you lift the hood and check the dipstick? And, most important of all–how often have you changed the oil–in terms of both elapsed time and odometer mileage?
Edited to add:
I began with the assumption that the car is actually consuming a significant amount of oil, but as CSA and orangevega have correctly asked–How much oil is the engine actually consuming?
The OP’s update, posted at 9:42 AM indicates that the engine is consuming ~1 qt per 1,000 miles. Since this is not truly excessive, I would suggest that he just keep a close eye on the dipstick. Nothing will be done under warranty for this rate of oil consumption, and I don’t recommend that he pay for a compression test on his own dime for this fairly normal rate of oil consumption.
Please Try And Describe The Amount Of Oil Loss. How Many Quarts Or 1/2 Quarts Per How Many Miles ?
Did this start quite recently or has it been ongoing ?
Anything in the car’s history prior to this that may or may not have instigated this ?
CSA
4 or 6 cylinder? What is your oil consumption rate? Miles per quart?
It is a 2.4 4 cylinder engine. The oil is changed every 5000 miles. The changes are free
from the dealer. I bought the car new and the engine is checked every week.(oil,water,windshield washer fluid,brake fluid)It is using/losing about a quart every 1000 miles.
One Source Of Oil Consumption / Oil Leak Complaints For Many Six Cylinder 2008 (and 2007) Camry Models Are The Camshaft Housings. I’d Have These Areas Ispected.
Is this a 6 cylinder engine ?
I’m not sure if this is the source of your specific problem, or if the oil would leak onto hot parts and burn off or if you’re just not seeing it.
The repair is quite involved, taking up to 14 or 15 hours of labor and the purchase of a couple of housings and a laundry list of seals and gaskets.
Toyota was covering this under warranty to 5 years / 60,000 miles for complaining owners.
Anyhow, check or have this checked for your vehicle. If you’ve got to pay to fix it yourself, you may decide to live with it until you purchase a different vehicle.
When operating a vehicle that uses oil, make sure not to let it get more than 1/2 quart low at any time. Keep monitoring it.
CSA
Oops, I See That You’ve Got A 4 Cylinder. The Information Above Is For 6 Cylinder 08 Camry Models.
The first Camry forum I went to, after a quick search, has a number of complaints on 4 cylinder 07 or 08 Camry vehicles that consume oil, many maintained by a dealer. I don’t see a solution given and in at least one case, the Toyota dealer is puzzled.
Have you tried a more extensive search on the web for additional information ?
CSA
Specifically, How Much Oil Does This Vehicle Consume ?
How Much Is Added And In How Many Miles Of Driving To Bring It To “Full” ?
Many cars consume oil, whether they are used cars or brand new cars. I see that many Camry models are no exception to this. Although each manufacturer views the amount of “normal” consumption differently, most consider using a quart in 2,000 or even 1,000 miles of driving, to be “normal” and don’t call for repairs to be imminent.
A quick look in most automobile Owner’s Manuals will discover that the car’s manufacturer admonishes checking oil frequently, usually at every gas fill-up. Failure to do so could result in severe engine damage (in the period of time between recommended oil changes) in a car with “normal” oil consumption as detailed by manufacturers’ standards.
CSA
This CAMRY has accumulated an incredible number of miles in only 2-3 years.
That’s not that many miles…And remember the car could actually be very close to 4 years old. Even if it’s only 3 years old that’s only averaging 30k a year. My 05 has 170k miles…wife’s 07 has 95k miles.
Compression and leak down tests are going to be required to find out where the oil is sneaking away from.
If you can posts the results of these tests, we can help more.
BC.