# Oil usage **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [December 30, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520 "2009-12-30T17:14:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CRAIGR1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@CRAIGR1953](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CRAIGR1953)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/1 "2009-12-30T17:14:47Z")
USE A QUART OF OIL EVERY 300 MILES-NO LEAKS IS THER SOMETHING I CAN ADD TO THE OIL TO HELP? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/2 "2009-12-30T17:21:40Z")
Determine what the cause is first. If the car is actually burning that much due to bad rings…then it’s time to get a new vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/3 "2009-12-30T17:33:41Z")
Year Mileage Maintenance history Blue/gray cloud from the tailpipe on acceleration? To troubleshoot, start with a compression test. As Mike said, once you know the root cause you can better make a decisiion. Without that information we’d all be just wildly guessing. Post back. We do care. ---
**Author:** ![CRAIGR1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@CRAIGR1953](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CRAIGR1953)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/4 "2009-12-30T17:36:05Z")
1999 COROLLA 160,000 MILES WILL HAVE TO LOOK FOR SMOKE, BOUGHT USED, HOW ABOUT A HEAVIER OIL? ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/5 "2009-12-30T18:39:36Z")
Heavier oil won’t fix a worn engine. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/6 "2009-12-30T18:44:29Z")
Heavier oil is only going to mask the symptoms. 1 qt every 300 miles is a LOT… Did it all of a sudden happen?? How long has it been happening?? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/7 "2009-12-30T18:50:01Z")
You need to run a compression test; both a dry one and a wet one. If the rings are at fault then you know why the previous owner dumped the car. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/8 "2009-12-30T18:54:22Z")
Maybe holy water. There is nothing you can add for that consumption rate. Compression test is in order however dependent on how much spent for car itself, you may want to look at used motor or keeping buying cheap motor oil. Are you positive it does not leak? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/9 "2009-12-30T18:54:36Z")
It sounds to me like this used car was beaten on by its former owner(s) and/or it went far too many miles between oil changes. As was already said, if it is burning 1 qt every 300 miles, a higher viscosity oil is not really going to help. I think that it is time to cut your losses and buy a replacement vehicle. Next time, be sure that you have your mechanic inspect the car prior to purchase, including a compression test. Otherwise, you may wind up repeating this experience of buying someone else’s worn-out clunker. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/10 "2009-12-30T19:09:46Z")
Add a can of this to the engine oil [http://www.restoreusa.com/Engine\_Restorer.html?gclid=CNfnnc\_t\_p4CFRJinAodZjFUJA](http://www.restoreusa.com/Engine_Restorer.html?gclid=CNfnnc_t_p4CFRJinAodZjFUJA). if it doesn’t completely stop the oil burning it will at least slow it down. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/11 "2009-12-30T22:28:32Z")
Check the entire PCV system from end to end, not just the valve, and make sure it’s functioning properly with good flow…There should be no oil in the air-filter box or plumbing… ---
**Author:** ![geeaea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@geeaea](https://community.cartalk.com/u/geeaea)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/12 "2009-12-31T05:31:10Z")
I don’t necessarily agree with everyone here. At that rate of consumption, in a truly worn engine, you would be reporting lousy power output and fouled plugs and all kinds of other stuff …and you are not. Get a longer hose for the PCV system. If you’re handy (it’s not rocket science) adapt it bigger right off of the PCV valve …run it as long as you please, and adapt back down to regular size hose where it attaches to the manifold. Try and orient it so that it will drain back to the valve cover. This will remove most of the ability of the oil to migrate via the PCV valve from velocity. Change the PCV valve. Consider an Auto-Rx treatment (google it) ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 7:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-usage/41520/13 "2009-12-31T07:13:19Z")
An engine can run fine with no noticeable power loss and still have a severe piston ring problem. If the oil rings are seized in their lands (more common than the compression rings) due to an engine overheating episode or sludging problem it’s entirely likely that compression will be fine, the engine will run great, and yet oil will be dumped like the Exxon Valdez due to the cylinder walls not being wiped on the piston downstrokes. In the meantime, that oil consumption is killing the O2 sensors, clogging the cats, and eventually there will be a power loss problem when the converters are clogged.