Gumout for Camry oil burning?

[skaughtz]

2007 Camry 4-cylinder at 150k miles. Like every other Camry from that generation, she burns oil because of the darn oil return holes in the pistons. Over the past couple of years she has been used mostly for trips around town, so now she is burning oil seemingly more and more.

I know there are a lot of posts regarding how to offset the impacts over the years, but has anyone tried adding Gumout Multi-System Tune-Up to clean up the pistons a bit? I'm not looking for miracles, but if someone has tried it with success, I would be willing to throw a bottle in for a number of refuels and an oil change or two. I am typically hesitant about additives because most seem to turn out to be snake oil, but reading decent reviews on the Gumout and learning more about polyetheramine (PEA) I am willing to give it a shot.

Appreciate any advice or anecdotes.

 

[Elkins45]

What you need is solvent down the spark plug holes, not in the gas tank. Next to replacing the bad pistons and rings, the best solution is a piston soak with Berryman’s B12 fuel system cleaner. It saved my 2009 Scion with the same engine.

 

[skyactiv]

I don't see how cleaning the tops of the pistons will do anything.

What you want is this Subaru part number:​

SOA868V9161​

At the same time, use a 5 minute motor flush in the oil like Gunk sells.

 

[LenZee]

I don't see how cleaning the tops of the pistons will do anything.

What you want is this Subaru part number:​

SOA868V9161​

At the same time, use a 5 minute motor flush in the oil like Gunk sells.

The solvent soaks past the top of the piston obviously. And maybe use HPL oil flush. https://www.advlubrication.com/products/engine-cleaner

 

[The Critic]

Nothing other than new pistons will solve the issue.

 

[wlk]

I have used Gumout Multi-System Tune Up in my Element oil, 5oz - 5qt cap. and it has helped. For the past few years I did a piston soak with Berryman's B12- helped a lot, Rislone several times - helped, Gumout Multi-System Tune Up several times -helped and HPL EC30 which also seems to have finally gotten consumption under control. I would do the piston soak first then run Rislone w a 0/5w40 for some short 5k oci and add the Gumout Multi-System Tune Up the last 500 miles but it will take several oil changes. On the bottle of original Rislone, says you can double the 32oz bottle and run it for 100 miles. Not sure about that but says can be done, to me I can wait and run it consistently

 

[Elkins45]

Nothing other than new pistons will solve the issue.

That depends on how you define “solve.” No longer having to add oil at every gas stop was a significant enough improvement that I decided not to get rid of my car.

I count that as a win, and (at least to a degree) it solved my problem.

 

[GeekOnTheHill]

I don't know about Camrys, but Gumout Regane High-Mileage plus Castrol Edge High-Mileage oil dramatically reduced oil burning in my 2016 Kia over the course of 2 OCI's. It went from about a quart between oil changes to about 12 ounces this last time. I don't know which product did the lion's share of the heavy lifting, but the combination worked pretty well.

 

[Greasymechtech]

Have you done anything over your ownership to try to reduce the issue? shorter oil change intervals? thicker oils? regular PEA based fuel system cleaners and toptier fuel?

The product you listed is a fuel additive. You should have been running toptier fuel, or regular quality fuel additives, or both, with your vehicle, to help keep carbon, from the fuel side, under control.

150k miles? Just keep driving and topping off as needed. I'd switch or rotate among all the 0w40 and 5w40 at the local autopart stores and waltmar. Fuel cleaners are a once/twice a year normalcy along with toptier fuel. You shouldn't need to think that there was anything out there any special/better/worse than whatever else.

Besides common fuel additives, there are plenty of oil additives that could've been used, over the last decade, to see if you could reduce or control the issue.

If you're not proactive over the entire ownership of any/all vehicles/machines, a solution in a bottle is not going be a sudden fix.

 

[skaughtz]

Have you done anything over your ownership to try to reduce the issue? shorter oil change intervals? thicker oils? regular PEA based fuel system cleaners and toptier fuel?

The product you listed is a fuel additive. You should have been running toptier fuel, or regular quality fuel additives, or both, with your vehicle, to help keep carbon, from the fuel side, under control.

150k miles? Just keep driving and topping off as needed. I'd switch or rotate among all the 0w40 and 5w40 at the local autopart stores and waltmar. Fuel cleaners are a once/twice a year normalcy along with toptier fuel. You shouldn't need to think that there was anything out there any special/better/worse than whatever else.

Besides common fuel additives, there are plenty of oil additives that could've been used, over the last decade, to see if you could reduce or control the issue.

If you're not proactive over the entire ownership of any/all vehicles/machines, a solution in a bottle is not going be a sudden fix.

She has received routine oil changes around every 5k miles from 60k to 150k with either Mobil 1 High Mileage Full Synthetic 0W-20 or Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage Full Synthetic 0W-20, along with every other DIY maintenance that she has needed (spark plugs, coolant, PCV, etc). The increased frequency of shorter trips over the past 3 years exacerbated the oil consumption, and she is well out of Toyotas warranty periods. It isn't worth paying to replace the pistons in a 16 year old car, so at this point I'm just looking for anything I might be able to add to the fuel or oil that could dial back the consumption a bit.

 

[Greasymechtech]

Your last thread you started hinted at moving up to a 30 grade. I now see you didn't.

So, my recommendation is to lower your oil change interval to 4000 miles, use an oversized filter, and rotate among the locally available 5w40 and 0w40 oils. After 3-4 oil changes, post back if anything changed. Castrol, Valvoline, Shell, Mobil, Pennzoil.... all have 0w40 and 5w40. Various are available at the numerous competitor autopart stores and walmart.

For the 1st ~pint of oil consumption, and only for the 1st pint, add any of the 'snake oil' type additives.... rislone, marvel, lubegard, stp, MOA, 132, EC.... are some to get you going over the next multiple oil intervals.

For the fuel side, switch to toptier fuel. If none is available, rotate among the better FI cleaners 2-3x a year. Start with techron now. Shop around for ANY mentioning PEA on the bottle label or website, or equivalent competitor product.

Don't wait or wonder if one will work better than another or if you should do something. Just do it.

Check oil very often and top off always. Keep that dipstick to the full line.

2AZ-FE. Does viscosity matter for oil consumption?

So my 2007 Camry 2.4L with 90k miles burns about a quart of oil every 3k miles, which isn't that bad for the 2AZ-FE Toyota engine (and well shy of the 1.2 quart per 1,100 - 1,300 mile consumption test for the rebuild). I got the car at 60k and ran 0W-20 Pennzoil Platinum in it for about 25k...

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