03 camry and oil consumption

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T6 is worth a try. Also, check out the valve cover gasket and the PCV valve. T6 stopped the AM start puff on a Camry with almost 300K on it.
 
Not sure about the t6, but going to a High Mileage oil can I ever go back to a regular oil or not? I bought the defy thinking about making the chane in the next day or two.
 
1500 miles? That's it? I was around the 140k marker on the Toyota, and it was gulping down a quart a month. The fix? replace the PCV valve. Trust me, it has nothing to do with what kind of oil you're running.
 
Did you replace or just clean the pcv? I cleaned mine around 100k with break cleaner and gasoline. It worked like a charm but I wasn't sure. I tend to drive at 70 to 80 mph for on a 40 mile round trip each day. I wasn't sure if it is from the this or something else. I also recorded my cold start up a little smoke for two seconds and all clean after that. It seems to be running smooth but I should be use to the consumption.
 
Originally Posted By: bfrey64
Ok, I have been using Pennzoil conventional for the last 50,000 miles with oil changes around 4000 miles. I have been using an oem oil filter from Toyota. I also change the air filter every 15000 miles. I have no oil leaks. Never noticed any smoke or anything that would indicate a leak.
It idols fine. Not rough at all, oil seems to drip around 3000 miles. Sometimes half quart to a full quart. My wife told me it was a full quart this last time at 3400 miles on this last change. I just want to make sure it last another 100,000 miles.
Any thoughts?

What do you mean does it begin with "c"?


"C" is Castrol...

You might try a High Mileage 5w30 oil to see if it fixes minor leaks to seals that you don't see..if you still burn oil and not "dripping" any, you have to consider that there are other problems needing attention, or just more oil down the road...a drop of a quart between OCIs is not so serious to cause daily worry...

A stable idle speed and MPG in the mid-20s around town indicates a clean and working PCV valve but if THAT'S a concern, the dealer will let you have one for $5-6 so why worry about that...
 
Originally Posted By: bfrey64
It has been awhile since my last posting. I have an 03 Toyota Camry. It currently has 130,000 miles on it. It seems to consuming a quart per 1500 miles. At this point I am not sure if I should continue using Pennzoil Conventional 5w30 or move on to a high mileage oil. Just looking for some ideas. I have an old stash of Pennzoil Conventional and did know if moving to a sn product would make a difference or move on to a High Mileage oil. No collant issues at all.


Drifting slightly off topic, but if you have car or truck with a lot of miles that starts to burn oil then there are three things to do that might help without spending big bucks. Firstly get a used oil analysis done because many old engines get killed off because of coolant or fuel contamination of the oil and the results will give a good idea of the main blocks condition. Secondly think about moving up a grade from 20 to 30, or 30 to 40 etc. Thirdly if you have leaks that can't be fixed or valve seal problems then think about switching to a major brand High Mileage oil.
 
Sorry, have tried to post several times using my iphone and the auto correction is killing me at this point. I meant the oil level dips around 3k, I really haven't noticed any major issues. MPG is around 27 mpg which is consistent for me. I noticed an issue with my ac over the summer, I added a can of freon. Bad idea, dealer fixed my mistake, but the car has treated me well other wise. I am going to see what I can do with the High Mileage oil or i might just continue to use the Pennzoil conventional since I already have an 18 bottle stash.
 
Originally Posted By: bfrey64
Sorry, have tried to post several times using my iphone and the auto correction is killing me at this point. I meant the oil level dips around 3k, I really haven't noticed any major issues. MPG is around 27 mpg which is consistent for me. I noticed an issue with my ac over the summer, I added a can of freon. Bad idea, dealer fixed my mistake, but the car has treated me well other wise. I am going to see what I can do with the High Mileage oil or i might just continue to use the Pennzoil conventional since I already have an 18 bottle stash.


Why horde oil, is it in short supply or something? I presume this is a case of SOS (Special offer syndrome), which only exists on Fleabay in the EU, as they put everything else on special offer except good engine oils. My supermarket 10/40 is on offer, but I have no idea what is in it, so I will give it a miss.
 
Had two cars with the same specs and traded on of them in. Since then I had plenty of oil. Not hoarding just got a good deal on some Pennzoil conventional. Treated me well in the past, but have only driven it about 4k in six months. Was driving 14-18k a year before our new car. A case of oil two years ago only cost me about 20 dollars or so. Just have extra supply but no demand.
 
If you're lucky the High Mileage oil will seal any leak and if you're not burning any, all that Pennzoil conventional can then be used without waste/loss...
 
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Sounds good. I have had a good run with the Pennzoil conventional. Engine has always ran smooth with no issues. I did run pp before that, a little more noise then the Pennzoil conventional, but both treated me well.
 
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Kitacam ('05, 2.4 LE stick) ran 98k miles on 5w30 conventional with no loss/burn off...

I'm going to switch to 5w30 PP at the next OC (@ 4k mi with Pennzoil conventional) to clean off any varninshing and gunk...

I'm setting up a rotation of PP for 8mos/7-8k and then back to BYP for 4mos/4k...
 
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Was that your pcv valve on toyota nation? If so, that looks meaty!!! Good luck with your next run!!!
 
Oh yeah...that's mine...I cleaned it and it's running fine...I'm keepin it in for 3k miles since cleaning it...until the next OC to see if any gunk builds back up in that time...

Then I'll be removing the valve cover for inspection, and replacing the valve, and the hose (the ends have gotten hard and brittle and are splitting) and running Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 for the next 7-8k miles...

I tend to be conservative when changing anything on a machine...hence running 5w PP rather than 0w...
 
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Ok took a few pics of the intake. I am a little concerned, seems a little moist back there. I am
Going to try and post some pics.
 
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Here are some pics, yes I know there not that good, but I did what I could. All of these are where the intake manifold is. Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks
 
I don't think missing the oil filler would cause that, the filler hole is close to the front of the valve cover on a slope. But its possible. Take the plastic cosmetic cover off the valve cover for a better look. Removal is the 2 nuts in front, sits on 2 studs in the back that are not fastened. Just pull, it will pop off the studs. I don't see any pink crystals which would be present with Toyota LLC Red coolant loss, so I think its just a weeping valve cover, or perhaps the OCV gasket. I clean my engine every couple of years at a car wash spray booth. Allows me so see anything dramatic beyond weeps.
 
Originally Posted By: bfrey64
Did you replace or just clean the pcv? I cleaned mine around 100k with break cleaner and gasoline. It worked like a charm but I wasn't sure. I tend to drive at 70 to 80 mph for on a 40 mile round trip each day. I wasn't sure if it is from the this or something else. I also recorded my cold start up a little smoke for two seconds and all clean after that. It seems to be running smooth but I should be use to the consumption.


Replaced the PCV valve. It's not too expensive, unless you're really tight on money. I bet a shot of carb/brake cleaner would go a long way though.

If it's blowing smoke on a cold start, yeah, it's the PCV. The oil vapor has nowhere to go other than past the rings.
 
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