I have a 2017 Corolla that uses 10,000 mile motor oil. I recently noticed a slight drop of the oil level on the dipstick. Is it normal for a car’s engine with 10,000 mile motor oil to use a little bit of oil between changes?
yes. just about every vehicle will burn oil between oil changes. my daughters new VW tiguan burned a half a quart in 2500 miles. manufactures consider this normal
also I would not wait the 10,000 miles to do a oil change. follow the procedure in your owners manual on when to change oil.
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I vote no. I have owned dozens of vehicles from many brands and none of them ever had the oil on the stick drop between oil changes. Also, what is 10,000-mile oil?
It’s not unusual for a car to use some oil. Many don’t but many do.
Using quart of oil… basically the amount from the top mark to the bottom in half that, 5000 miles, would be very low oil use. Add as needed. All of this is in your owners manual.
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Toyota has gone to a 10k mile oil change interval. They’re using 0w20 (synthetic). I still change it at 5k in my wife’s Highlander that recommends a 10k mile interval in the manual. You can decide if you want to stick with the recommendation of 10k or not.
But, yes, I’d say a “slight drop” in the oil level on the dipstick on a 10k mile change interval is very normal.
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The procedure in the manual is 10k miles. I don’t follow it, myself, but that’s what the manual specifies.
My 92 Corolla loses about 3/4 quart in 5,000 miles, which is the oil change interval I use. In any event I don’t think your oil usage is a problem, but to keep it that way I concur w the above advice to discontinue the 10K interval b/t oil and filter changes and use something shorter, e g 5k. .
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Try changing the PCV valve to see if that stops the oil consumption.
Tester
What do you mean by a “slight drop on the dipstick”? If the oil is still near the top of the crosshatched safe zone, you are fine. I commend you for checking the oil level.
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I hope you’re not waiting 10,000 or even 5,000 miles to check the oil.
That’s Russian roulette.
Even with a car that does not burn a noticeable amount of oil I recommend an oil level check at least every 1,000 miles.
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The others have given you good advice. I own a 2009 and change my oil every 5,000 mi. In that interval it burns about 3 quarts but it also has 124k on the odometer. “A tiny amount” is probably negligible depending on what that represents. I will give you one word of advice: AFAIK your car has the same engine as mine. If there haven’t been any changes the “Add” mark on the dipstick means 1 1/2 quarts low instead of the usual 1 quart. Don’t let the oil get down that low, it’s an invitation for problems.
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Yes, my 2012 Toyota Camry, 2.5 four cylinder has the low mark on the dipstick at 1 1/2 quarts low. I drive 7000 miles a year or les so I change it every August 8 ith 0W20 full synthetic and a Toyota filter, costs me less than $30 and takes less time than going to the dealer and fighting off all the upsells. It also gives me a chance to check out the underside of the car, the brake pads and hosesm CV boots and look for other leaks. Also, I have never messed up a drain plug or oil pan.
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My wife’s 2012 highlander limited has the 3.5. The dealer changed the oil every 10k for free so that’s what it got up until 100k. Every other time the oil monitor light came on they changed the oil.
Now it has 200k and I change it every 5k. It burns no oil. The only maintenance its needed were 2 wheel bearings and a water pump (I changed the plugs while I had it apart) and several exhaust flange gaskets. All after 150k.
I’ve had many vehicles. Several approached 250k miles. One broke 400k. The only two that burned oil were a 3.5 liter Mopar and a 3.8 liter Jeep. Both burned oil from day one. And neither made it to 100k miles before engine failure.
Some people are ok with oil consumption. Personally I won’t own a vehicle that burns any noticeable amount of oil.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an engine burning oil “later in its life.” As long as the owner pays attention to it and manages the situation, it’s not a big deal.
I have a 2009 Dodge with the 5.7L V8, around 155K miles. It might burn a quart of oil in between oil changes, every 6 months or so. I just keep it topped off regularly. Otherwise, the engine and the car run just fine.