Corollla Engine Oil Level

Hi,
I have a 2001 Corolla LE which has 68K miles on it. I change the engine
oil regularly every 3K miles as recommended. Recently I have noticed
that within 2K miles my engine oil mark comes to the low level on the
dip stick.
Is this normal?
Should I just top it of with Penzoil 10W30 (I do my oil changes at
Walmart and thats what they use there)?
I do not see any oil puddle when I pull out of my garage nor do I see
any oil pool under my car when I park at work. So I do not think oil is
dripping away. Any possible reasons why within 2K miles the oil level
comes down? Is just topping off with a branded oil recommended?
Please advice.
Thanks
Vijay.

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 22:56:16 -0700, Vijay wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I have a 2001 Corolla LE which has 68K miles on it. I change the engine
> oil regularly every 3K miles as recommended. Recently I have noticed
> that within 2K miles my engine oil mark comes to the low level on the
> dip stick.
> Is this normal?
> Should I just top it of with Penzoil 10W30 (I do my oil changes at
> Walmart and thats what they use there)?
> I do not see any oil puddle when I pull out of my garage nor do I see
> any oil pool under my car when I park at work. So I do not think oil is
> dripping away. Any possible reasons why within 2K miles the oil level
> comes down? Is just topping off with a branded oil recommended?
> Please advice.
> Thanks
> Vijay.[/color]


This happaned with a 2 year old Corolla I had back in 1982. While trying
to look around to determine what was happeneing, a coworker said, "Look!"

There was oil in a circle all around the bottom of the engine. As it
turned out, the oil pan was loose; this happened again on an '85 Corolla I
bought 4 years later. It was spraying out at pressure, so there weren't
any stains or puddles.

Go EASY! The bolts are kind of soft, and you're screwing them into
aluminum! If it's not real difficult, you may want to drop the pan and get
some Toyota FIPG, clean the mating surfaces well, put the goop on in a
bead, and reattach the pan.

Good luck!

"Vijay" <vijaynarayanan.blr@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161496576.208017.229910@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I have a 2001 Corolla LE which has 68K miles on it. I change the engine
> oil regularly every 3K miles as recommended. Recently I have noticed
> that within 2K miles my engine oil mark comes to the low level on the
> dip stick.
> Is this normal?
> Should I just top it of with Penzoil 10W30 (I do my oil changes at
> Walmart and thats what they use there)?
> I do not see any oil puddle when I pull out of my garage nor do I see
> any oil pool under my car when I park at work. So I do not think oil is
> dripping away. Any possible reasons why within 2K miles the oil level
> comes down? Is just topping off with a branded oil recommended?
> Please advice.
> Thanks
> Vijay.
>[/color]

Have you confirmed that the oil level actually is at the top of the mark on
the dipstick after the oil is changed? I quart of oil per 2,000 miles is
not really excessive although a car with 68k miles shouldn't even use that
much.

The lack of oil stains in the garage does not necessarily mean that the oil
is not leaking from someplace like the oil pan, valve cover gaskets, front
and rear crankshaft seals, or oil pressure sender. Visual inspection of the
areas will confirm that oil is not seeping out in these areas.

In the meantime, yes, you should top the oil off with the correct grade of
oil. If you check your owner's manual and the top of the oil filler cap, I
believe that the recommended oil viscosity is 5W-30. That oil does not cost
more than 10W-30 so I recommend that you follow the manufacturer's
recommendations. Also, check out the price for oil changes at your local
Toyota dealer. They often have a special price for oil changes, and you may
be pleasantly surprised.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

It appears Toyota is having an unpublished problem with this vintage engine.
The engines with high mileage are beginning to show signs of engine oil
usage. The problem is piston ring blow-by. Your dealer will not
acknowledge the problem. I have a 2000 Corolla that used a quart every 100
miles. My opinion, the sledge problems have come back to haunt Toyota. You
see similar problem in other postings.

"Vijay" <vijaynarayanan.blr@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161496576.208017.229910@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I have a 2001 Corolla LE which has 68K miles on it. I change the engine
> oil regularly every 3K miles as recommended. Recently I have noticed
> that within 2K miles my engine oil mark comes to the low level on the
> dip stick.
> Is this normal?
> Should I just top it of with Penzoil 10W30 (I do my oil changes at
> Walmart and thats what they use there)?
> I do not see any oil puddle when I pull out of my garage nor do I see
> any oil pool under my car when I park at work. So I do not think oil is
> dripping away. Any possible reasons why within 2K miles the oil level
> comes down? Is just topping off with a branded oil recommended?
> Please advice.
> Thanks
> Vijay.
>[/color]