My car has started consuming too much motor Oil. First I ignored it in the sense that I just added same motor oil… My last Oil change was done at about 171,000 Miles. I got Low Oil warning at 173,000. I added 2 quarts, then at exactly at 174,000, today, I got another low oil warning. This bothers me a lot. I had told the dealership about the problem. I do not think they have done anything about it, except to put a marker in the dipstick. There is no smoke, no oil leak.
Your engine is using a quart every 1000 miles. More than it did when new, but not excessive by many companies, especially with 173K on the clock. Toyota doesn’t think this is an issue because it is your issue for using the low oil minder instead of actually checking the oil regularly.
You have 2 choices here.
-
Check your oil FAR more often than you do now (and add as needed) because 2 quarts low is BAD. If you keep doing that you will destroy the engine.
-
Install a rebuilt engine because yours is worn enough to use a quart every 1000 miles.
Harry, the dealer is not going to do anything. You are out of warranty by at least 7 years. Why are you not checking the oil level at least every 2 weeks since you know it uses oil. 1 quart every 1000 miles on this 171000 mile vehicle is not a major problem. You did more damage by letting the oil get low than the oil usage.
I had cars that used a quart every 500 or 600 miles
They ran great and always passed tailpipe smog inspections
But I checked and topped off oil weekly
You need to get into the same habit
1 Like
I agree OP should be checking oil regularly, but I suggest dong it by mileage, not time.
The distance someone drives in a given time can vary greatly.
I’ve been lucky that none of the 7 cars I’ve owned used a substantial amount of oil,
so I check the oil every 1000 miles, which is easy to follow on the odometer.
Since I don’t drive to work, 1000 miles can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 days (road trip).
If I had an oil burner like the OP I’d start by checking the morning after each gas fill up, then maybe go to every other fill up.
Expect it to use more oil on a highway trip than stop-and-go.
At any rate get in a routine where it never gets more than a quart low.
Running the motor oil level chronically low just exacerbates the consumption problem as the oil breaks down, overheats, and in most cases will cause the oil control rings to seize in the pistons.
Waiting for the low oil light is waiting too long. Make a habit of checking the oil on a regular basis. Some folks do it every time they gas up, some do it on a mileage basis, I do it every Saturday morning regardless of mileage. If you had to add 2 quarts you were way too low. As others have said the dealer owes you nothing, way past any mileage warranty and it is over 10 years old.