Burning Oil... What's your opinion?

[joshuaboston]

Hi,

I have a 2008 Camry SE with 51K on it.

I checked my oil when I last got it changed and it was at the full line. I use synthetic oil from Toyota.

I never beat on my car, it's a manual and I try to drive it at low RPM's (I will but it in 4th gear when once I hit 30mph.

I checked my oil today, there has been 4k miles since my last oil change (I change my oil every 5k). So... I checked my oil and I am just below half way full. This kind of bothers me.

Not the last time I changed it but the time before the dealership but way too much oil in my car, I noticed it after driving my car for 400 miles...
went back to the dealership and they told me they thought I had a 2.5L engine and added oil as if my engine was a 2.5L engine, they switch out my oil then. I wonder if that has anything to do with my car burning oil now?

Should I be concerned? I have a 75K mile warranty.

What's your opinion?

[Luna2]

Originally Posted by joshuaboston

Hi,

I have a 2008 Camry SE with 51K on it.

I checked my oil when I last got it changed and it was at the full line. I use synthetic oil from Toyota.

I never beat on my car, it's a manual and I try to drive it at low RPM's (I will but it in 4th gear when once I hit 30mph.

I checked my oil today, there has been 4k miles since my last oil change (I change my oil every 5k). So... I checked my oil and I am just below half way full. This kind of bothers me.

Not the last time I changed it but the time before the dealership but way too much oil in my car, I noticed it after driving my car for 400 miles...
went back to the dealership and they told me they thought I had a 2.5L engine and added oil as if my engine was a 2.5L engine, they switch out my oil then. I wonder if that has anything to do with my car burning oil now?

Should I be concerned? I have a 75K mile warranty.

What's your opinion?

That means he didn't look at the oil filler cap????? (Wrong viscosity?)

[joshuaboston]

Originally Posted by Luna2

That means the didn't look at the oil filler cap????? (Wrong viscosity?)

Not sure what you mean?

I use 0w20 fully synthetic... they have always put that in.

What do you mean by wrong vicosity? or oil filler cap?

I am assuming the dealership has always put in 0w20 synthetic and the oil filler cap was always but on correctly.

[molson.david]

new toyota engines use oil- many times proven fact.
up to 1qt per 1000 miles considered normal use -by toyota and many other brands.
use higher viscosity and/or watch your oil level.

I use 5-30 full synthetic.

[Kycamrymaker]

I had the same problem with one of my previous Camry's (2002) 4cyl. It burned oil at an alarming rate. The last oil change I did it had only a quart and a half left in it (I failed at checking regularly) no dummy lights came on but at 70k it smoked at every cold start. The dealer acknowleged that it was burning oil and had issues, BUT since it was a leased vehicle that I planned on turning in, they were not going to worry with it. I complained and complained about that being just bad business to no avail. I felt your pains and hope the for the best outcome for you, I just wouldn't go for it, considering some have the same issue and others don't. Toyota has had a history of oil sludge build up engine failures and I think that's where mine was heading, not saying yours is though, but I'm just saying.

[CamrySExxx]

Maybe I should start checking the camry's ... I do notice extra unnecessary smoke when I punch the gas, but with a dimming rear view + dark tints I couldnt make the colour of it to tell if its oil.
I know my honda burns a bit of oil ... only because I hit vtec other than that its fine. Try keeping away from vvti but again you did say you stay at low rpms.

[Kycamrymaker]

Yeah mine was on every "cold start", it would plume up a lot of blue smoke for the first minute or so, if I got into it, it would haze up the road like an old clunker. Not a real crop duster, but smoker none the less. I'll never forget my neighbors reaction one morning when I had started it up, he run over thinking that I had a fire in my garage, then he noticed it was my car, how embarrassing. All he could say was, "I guess we built that one the Friday before shutdown." All I could do was shake my head with affirmation.

[arabianobsession]

1 qt. every 1000 miles???
Just did my 5k service.....oil was at the full mark.....
Damn.

[11LE]

5k service didn't include an oil change for you, did it?

I'm nearing 7k miles without an oil change on my 2011 i4.. dunno if another 3k on the same synthetic is good for the engine, but Toyota says it's fine..

[Luna2]

Originally Posted by joshuaboston

Not sure what you mean?

I use 0w20 fully synthetic... they have always put that in.

What do you mean by wrong vicosity? or oil filler cap?

I am assuming the dealership has always put in 0w20 synthetic and the oil filler cap was always but on correctly.

The Oil Cap has the correct weight printed on it. An 08 should be using 5W20, unless it is in an extremely cold area.

[molson.david]

Yeah mine was on every "cold start", it would plume up a lot of blue smoke for the first minute

mine doesn't smoke on start up. at least for now. but if I start engine and would go to the back of the car I can smell something funny. it uses oil, way less than some other guys camrys, but still, my opinion- it should not burn any oil at least till 70-80K.

my old one 2.2 had 120K, used twice less oil than my 2.4 2007 camry.
my brother's 2002 gs300 150K no usage at all...

[Donald E. George]

I use 0W-30 Mobil I and change it twice a year. In six + years I have never had to add oil to this car. Perhaps I don't rack up all the miles other members put on their cars.

[Mainuh]

I've got an 08 LE with <24K on it. Was serviced the day I bought it with 21,808 and I've checked the oil several times including today and the dipstick reading hasn't changed at all. Still right on the full mark.

When you say "just below half way full" do you mean between the full and add marks on the stick? That should be equivalent to 1 quart from add to fill mark. Guess if you're concerned you could ask the dealer to check the compression since it's under warranty to 75K. Are you seeing any smoke at startup or any other time? Have you owned it since new?

[DOHCammer]

Originally Posted by Mainuh

When you say "just below half way full" do you mean between the full and add marks on the stick? That should be equivalent to 1 quart from add to fill mark. Guess if you're concerned you could ask the dealer to check the compression since it's under warranty to 75K. Are you seeing any smoke at startup or any other time? Have you owned it since new?

If only a half quart was used in 4K miles then there is nothing to check. The engine is well within the normal oil usage range. Using the lighter 0-20 oil may cause a small amount of oil usage consistant with what this engine is experiencing. As a matter of fact, a Toyota rep confided in me that this is a very real concern of the manufacturer going to a 10k oil change interval. It is normal for some consumers (present company excluded) to NEVER check their oil level between oil changes and its common for a little usage with the new lighter weight oil. Thats why Toyota left the "need servicing" light at 5K in hopes that customers will bring their car back to the dealer for a tire rotation and to top off fluid levels.

[89molavi]

I would just add that you are supposed to check the oil level ~ at each gas fill up. Otherwise you might run too low. Your consumption is in the normal range. You should check the PCV valve though, if it gets stuck, you burn oil much faster.

Blue smoke on start up is from the valve seals leaking overnight. Common problem, expensive fix.