At what point would you get rid of a car because it burns oil? How much oil consumption would be too much for you guys in deciding whether or not you just continue topping off or trade it in. I know some people with Saturns that kept their vehicles for a couple hundred thousand miles, other however would not want to deal with a vehicle that burns 1qt every 1k miles etc. What is your breaking point?
How long do you keep an oil burner?
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It depends upon your financial situation. I once bought a Corolla that burned a quart a month and drove it for three years. Then I replaced the valve seals and drove it until the transmission literally fell out from the heavily salted Michigan roads. I certainly didn't drive it because I wanted to. Working my way through school and raising a family didn't afford much discretionary spending.
Originally Posted By: RamFan
At what point would you get rid of a car because it burns oil? How much oil consumption would be too much for you guys in deciding whether or not you just continue topping off or trade it in. I know some people with Saturns that kept their vehicles for a couple hundred thousand miles, other however would not want to deal with a vehicle that burns 1qt every 1k miles etc. What is your breaking point?
Mine burns a quart every 1.2k. There's been no deterioration in the year since I bought it, and no reason to conclude there will be so long as I continue following sensible OCIs and using the occasional PEA cleaner to keep the fuel system clean.
Right now there's no added inconvenience as I check my oil every fill up, and the only change to that I've incorporated is keeping a quart sized bottle tucked behind the passenger seat; when I check the oil, I take the quart bottle with me and top it to a quarter quart over the full mark while checking the oil.
The car gets excellent FE, and I don't notice the peanuts the top ups cost compared to filling the car with gas. Except when I happen across a really good sale on quart sized bottles, my top up quarts are about $2 for dino and $4 when I run synthetic based on buying by the jug and pouring from that into the more convenient quart sized bottles I fill up and reuse. One $2-$4 quart gets spread across several fill ups at the pump, where at today's prices it costs me $50-$55 to fill my tank.
Based on present consumption level, or even if it detiorates to a quart every 1k, I'll happily drive it until it either falls apart or needs a repair more expensive than the remaining life expectation of the car makes sense to do versus replacing it.
If there were any further deterioration beyond that, then its not so clear. A quart every 1-1.2k adds no inconvenience where its so incorporated into my existing oil check ethic. I guess the turning point would come at the point where I'm having to check and add between fill ups, as that adds a PITA factor, particularly in the winter.
-Spyder
At what point would you get rid of a car because it burns oil? How much oil consumption would be too much for you guys in deciding whether or not you just continue topping off or trade it in. I know some people with Saturns that kept their vehicles for a couple hundred thousand miles, other however would not want to deal with a vehicle that burns 1qt every 1k miles etc. What is your breaking point?
Mine burns a quart every 1.2k. There's been no deterioration in the year since I bought it, and no reason to conclude there will be so long as I continue following sensible OCIs and using the occasional PEA cleaner to keep the fuel system clean.
Right now there's no added inconvenience as I check my oil every fill up, and the only change to that I've incorporated is keeping a quart sized bottle tucked behind the passenger seat; when I check the oil, I take the quart bottle with me and top it to a quarter quart over the full mark while checking the oil.
The car gets excellent FE, and I don't notice the peanuts the top ups cost compared to filling the car with gas. Except when I happen across a really good sale on quart sized bottles, my top up quarts are about $2 for dino and $4 when I run synthetic based on buying by the jug and pouring from that into the more convenient quart sized bottles I fill up and reuse. One $2-$4 quart gets spread across several fill ups at the pump, where at today's prices it costs me $50-$55 to fill my tank.
Based on present consumption level, or even if it detiorates to a quart every 1k, I'll happily drive it until it either falls apart or needs a repair more expensive than the remaining life expectation of the car makes sense to do versus replacing it.
If there were any further deterioration beyond that, then its not so clear. A quart every 1-1.2k adds no inconvenience where its so incorporated into my existing oil check ethic. I guess the turning point would come at the point where I'm having to check and add between fill ups, as that adds a PITA factor, particularly in the winter.
-Spyder
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Originally Posted By: Spyder7
Originally Posted By: RamFan
At what point would you get rid of a car because it burns oil? How much oil consumption would be too much for you guys in deciding whether or not you just continue topping off or trade it in. I know some people with Saturns that kept their vehicles for a couple hundred thousand miles, other however would not want to deal with a vehicle that burns 1qt every 1k miles etc. What is your breaking point?
Mine burns a quart every 1.2k. There's been no deterioration in the year since I bought it, and no reason to conclude there will be so long as I continue following sensible OCIs and using the occasional PEA cleaner to keep the fuel system clean.
Right now there's no added inconvenience as I check my oil every fill up, and the only change to that I've incorporated is keeping a quart sized bottle tucked behind the passenger seat; when I check the oil, I take the quart bottle with me and top it to a quarter quart over the full mark while checking the oil.
The car gets excellent FE, and I don't notice the peanuts the top ups cost compared to filling the car with gas. Except when I happen across a really good sale on quart sized bottles, my top up quarts are about $2 for dino and $4 when I run synthetic based on buying by the jug and pouring from that into the more convenient quart sized bottles I fill up and reuse. One $2-$4 quart gets spread across several fill ups at the pump, where at today's prices it costs me $50-$55 to fill my tank.
Based on present consumption level, or even if it detiorates to a quart every 1k, I'll happily drive it until it either falls apart or needs a repair more expensive than the remaining life expectation of the car makes sense to do versus replacing it.
If there were any further deterioration beyond that, then its not so clear. A quart every 1-1.2k adds no inconvenience where its so incorporated into my existing oil check ethic. I guess the turning point would come at the point where I'm having to check and add between fill ups, as that adds a PITA factor, particularly in the winter.
-Spyder
Aren't you concerned about that much oil consumption causing a problem down the road that may leave you with a dead car that would cost more to repair then it is worth? Couldn't trading it in and getting more money out of it be a better option?
Originally Posted By: RamFan
At what point would you get rid of a car because it burns oil? How much oil consumption would be too much for you guys in deciding whether or not you just continue topping off or trade it in. I know some people with Saturns that kept their vehicles for a couple hundred thousand miles, other however would not want to deal with a vehicle that burns 1qt every 1k miles etc. What is your breaking point?
Mine burns a quart every 1.2k. There's been no deterioration in the year since I bought it, and no reason to conclude there will be so long as I continue following sensible OCIs and using the occasional PEA cleaner to keep the fuel system clean.
Right now there's no added inconvenience as I check my oil every fill up, and the only change to that I've incorporated is keeping a quart sized bottle tucked behind the passenger seat; when I check the oil, I take the quart bottle with me and top it to a quarter quart over the full mark while checking the oil.
The car gets excellent FE, and I don't notice the peanuts the top ups cost compared to filling the car with gas. Except when I happen across a really good sale on quart sized bottles, my top up quarts are about $2 for dino and $4 when I run synthetic based on buying by the jug and pouring from that into the more convenient quart sized bottles I fill up and reuse. One $2-$4 quart gets spread across several fill ups at the pump, where at today's prices it costs me $50-$55 to fill my tank.
Based on present consumption level, or even if it detiorates to a quart every 1k, I'll happily drive it until it either falls apart or needs a repair more expensive than the remaining life expectation of the car makes sense to do versus replacing it.
If there were any further deterioration beyond that, then its not so clear. A quart every 1-1.2k adds no inconvenience where its so incorporated into my existing oil check ethic. I guess the turning point would come at the point where I'm having to check and add between fill ups, as that adds a PITA factor, particularly in the winter.
-Spyder
Aren't you concerned about that much oil consumption causing a problem down the road that may leave you with a dead car that would cost more to repair then it is worth? Couldn't trading it in and getting more money out of it be a better option?
One would hope that the car would be fixed,be it a seal problem or a gummed up ring pack(chemical solvent).Valve seal replacement, if thats the problem, is cheaper than buying another car even if used.If even this is not an option and no remedy exists,a replacement low mileage engine, provided it's a better value based on the condition of the rest of the car would be next.Not feasible? THEN get another car.Most people(not BITOGERS)make car buying/replacing a very emotional,adrenal event.It's that new car feeling ,but that 'feeling' gets very expensive.
It depends on the value of the car, I would not keep a late model car 5 minutes if I had to add oil between OCI's. Such things on a New car are unacceptable (to me).
For a car that is basic transportation, and owes me nothing, one liter per 1k miles (or constant visible smoke), before I feel I would do something about it.
For a car that is basic transportation, and owes me nothing, one liter per 1k miles (or constant visible smoke), before I feel I would do something about it.
Vehicles are a waste of money so milk all the life out of the vehicle that you can.
Originally Posted By: RamFan
Aren't you concerned about that much oil consumption causing a problem down the road that may leave you with a dead car that would cost more to repair then it is worth?
Not in the slightest bit concerned, no. This is because, going back to when I first researched the problem, and its likely cause (which has since been supported by a number of observations made over the past year), I researched it to death on different Corolla forums where other 8th gen owners were dealing with the same problem as mine.
There was a unanimous consensus, based on the many accounts of these cars with this same problem, routinely going to the 250k mark without any issues occurring in that span that could - in any way - be linked back to the oil consumption issue. Owners instead using decided to dump them at between the 200-250k mark, typically (though some opted to take them well beyond) because of the kinds of nickel and dime - but unrelated - repairs that tend to set in at that mileage.
So there's therefore, based on considerable research undertaken on the issue, to conclude there's the slightest hint of any likelihood of the potential related problems surfacing down the road. Early on that was one concern that motivated the research, and out of that research produced the conclusion that I was better off keeping a fundamentally sound and reliable car than trading it for a wild card used car (I don't buy new).
I love the car and have since the day I bought it and began nursing it out of its "too little" use syndrome into the well tuned machine it is. I also wound up looking at the oil consumption issue as a challenge and project within itself, which meant in turn that it never bothered me as it might others.
A year later, and over that course I've experimented with a few of the recommended remedies that sometimes work. None of them have worked, but I haven't tried them all, and I take consolation that there's been no deterioration, on the flip side. I have two more inexpensive things I plan to try aimed at curing, or reducing, the problem at the source. If those don't work I'll chalk it up as to experience gained and first hand knowledge of different products I haven't used. And by then I should have reduced my oil stash to the point that I can go the more time tested route of using a thicker, High Mileage oil.
Its also worth taking into account that I not only live in the rust belt, but what could be readily argued is the capital of it. Even though I plan on putting the bulk of my summer car work (a hassle to some, but I enjoy it) at hardening the car against corrosion, I still realize that as a year round DD, I can expect at best - even with the current factory undercoating and my best efforts (that are more elbow grease than cost) - the car will last about 3-5 years before it begins to lose the battle and I'm forced to concede it. And its rust that'll be its end, which owing to the low mileage on it when I bought it, combined with my own 20-24k km typical annual usage, it'll still be pretty low mileage at the point the cancer sets in beyond recovery.
Then I'll move up to the newest 9th gen I can afford (introduced in 2002 with the consumption corrected but mostly identical otherwise) which was outside my means when I bought this car, but will be easily attainable by then.
And that in and of itself says a lot about a car when you like everything about it so much that you want to stay with that model. My seller did exactly that too when she sold me this one to buy a brand new '10 Corolla after 10 years of inexpensive and dependable service from this one (I have the car's entire service history as proof of that).
-Spyder
Aren't you concerned about that much oil consumption causing a problem down the road that may leave you with a dead car that would cost more to repair then it is worth?
Not in the slightest bit concerned, no. This is because, going back to when I first researched the problem, and its likely cause (which has since been supported by a number of observations made over the past year), I researched it to death on different Corolla forums where other 8th gen owners were dealing with the same problem as mine.
There was a unanimous consensus, based on the many accounts of these cars with this same problem, routinely going to the 250k mark without any issues occurring in that span that could - in any way - be linked back to the oil consumption issue. Owners instead using decided to dump them at between the 200-250k mark, typically (though some opted to take them well beyond) because of the kinds of nickel and dime - but unrelated - repairs that tend to set in at that mileage.
So there's therefore, based on considerable research undertaken on the issue, to conclude there's the slightest hint of any likelihood of the potential related problems surfacing down the road. Early on that was one concern that motivated the research, and out of that research produced the conclusion that I was better off keeping a fundamentally sound and reliable car than trading it for a wild card used car (I don't buy new).
I love the car and have since the day I bought it and began nursing it out of its "too little" use syndrome into the well tuned machine it is. I also wound up looking at the oil consumption issue as a challenge and project within itself, which meant in turn that it never bothered me as it might others.
A year later, and over that course I've experimented with a few of the recommended remedies that sometimes work. None of them have worked, but I haven't tried them all, and I take consolation that there's been no deterioration, on the flip side. I have two more inexpensive things I plan to try aimed at curing, or reducing, the problem at the source. If those don't work I'll chalk it up as to experience gained and first hand knowledge of different products I haven't used. And by then I should have reduced my oil stash to the point that I can go the more time tested route of using a thicker, High Mileage oil.
Its also worth taking into account that I not only live in the rust belt, but what could be readily argued is the capital of it. Even though I plan on putting the bulk of my summer car work (a hassle to some, but I enjoy it) at hardening the car against corrosion, I still realize that as a year round DD, I can expect at best - even with the current factory undercoating and my best efforts (that are more elbow grease than cost) - the car will last about 3-5 years before it begins to lose the battle and I'm forced to concede it. And its rust that'll be its end, which owing to the low mileage on it when I bought it, combined with my own 20-24k km typical annual usage, it'll still be pretty low mileage at the point the cancer sets in beyond recovery.
Then I'll move up to the newest 9th gen I can afford (introduced in 2002 with the consumption corrected but mostly identical otherwise) which was outside my means when I bought this car, but will be easily attainable by then.
And that in and of itself says a lot about a car when you like everything about it so much that you want to stay with that model. My seller did exactly that too when she sold me this one to buy a brand new '10 Corolla after 10 years of inexpensive and dependable service from this one (I have the car's entire service history as proof of that).
-Spyder
Originally Posted By: rjundi
1 qt of oil in 1000 miles really is not that bad.
You just drive around with a cheapo case of motor oil. The case is a standard trunk accessory with SL owners I have known but they did get into the 200k-300k+ range.
At this level of consumption, a quart bottle suffices and goes a long way. Our Walmart consistently has SOPUS products on rollback that tend to cost the same as their in house brand generic, and SOPUS products like QS and Pennzoil are also my preference.
I'll run syn this summer simply because I bought as much of it as I could afford (all 10w30 as my car specs that as well and its the better summer choice on an oil burner owing to its typically higher HTHS) when it was on its last days of a killer rollback I haven't seen since.
Beyond that, once its gone, it'll be conventional in the summer and inexpensive 5w30 syn (bought and stashed on only the best rollbacks) for winter. Even in a burner, my level of consumption keeps the added cost - when bought on only the best rollbacks - low enough that the benefits are still worthwhile. The big one for me is synthetic's ability to lubricate faster in cold weather, combined with its typically superior add pack you get as a bonus, that makes it well suited to combat the beating that winter puts oil through.
Except to use up my existing stash of summer syn, conventional is otherwise the no brainer there. And knowing more about oil now that I used to, and owing to the improvements that the GF-5 and API SN brought in, I'd use dino all summer on any car I bought. Syn might still be the better bet year round on non-oil burners for those doing extended OCIs, but as I'm not part of that camp (even with no oil consumption) and don't subscribe to their ethos that preference the extended OCI and oils rated to do it, today's dino for summer use is the better value in my POV, oil consumption or not.
-Spyder
1 qt of oil in 1000 miles really is not that bad.
You just drive around with a cheapo case of motor oil. The case is a standard trunk accessory with SL owners I have known but they did get into the 200k-300k+ range.
At this level of consumption, a quart bottle suffices and goes a long way. Our Walmart consistently has SOPUS products on rollback that tend to cost the same as their in house brand generic, and SOPUS products like QS and Pennzoil are also my preference.
I'll run syn this summer simply because I bought as much of it as I could afford (all 10w30 as my car specs that as well and its the better summer choice on an oil burner owing to its typically higher HTHS) when it was on its last days of a killer rollback I haven't seen since.
Beyond that, once its gone, it'll be conventional in the summer and inexpensive 5w30 syn (bought and stashed on only the best rollbacks) for winter. Even in a burner, my level of consumption keeps the added cost - when bought on only the best rollbacks - low enough that the benefits are still worthwhile. The big one for me is synthetic's ability to lubricate faster in cold weather, combined with its typically superior add pack you get as a bonus, that makes it well suited to combat the beating that winter puts oil through.
Except to use up my existing stash of summer syn, conventional is otherwise the no brainer there. And knowing more about oil now that I used to, and owing to the improvements that the GF-5 and API SN brought in, I'd use dino all summer on any car I bought. Syn might still be the better bet year round on non-oil burners for those doing extended OCIs, but as I'm not part of that camp (even with no oil consumption) and don't subscribe to their ethos that preference the extended OCI and oils rated to do it, today's dino for summer use is the better value in my POV, oil consumption or not.
-Spyder
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When she can't go no more.
I'd get rid of a car because it burns gas, not oil.
I got rid of my Maxima for that rason. Premium fuel, 70L tank.. Not when gas is almost a buck fifty per litre. Oil consumption should be the least of your worries unless its sickeningly bad like 1qt/100m
I got rid of my Maxima for that rason. Premium fuel, 70L tank.. Not when gas is almost a buck fifty per litre. Oil consumption should be the least of your worries unless its sickeningly bad like 1qt/100m
Keep it till you aren't comfortable with the consumption yourself, emissions components are failing, or it begins to visibly smoke.
My '99 F150 regularly consumed about a quart every 3-4000 miles. It started when new and continued with a slight increase to about a quart every 2500-3000 miles when I sold it. At 193,000 miles on it when I sold it, it had never had an emissions issue (on the original (O2 sensors and cats no less). Had I dumped it because it consumed oil I would have missed on out on what was otherwise the most reliable vehicle I had ever owned.
My '99 F150 regularly consumed about a quart every 3-4000 miles. It started when new and continued with a slight increase to about a quart every 2500-3000 miles when I sold it. At 193,000 miles on it when I sold it, it had never had an emissions issue (on the original (O2 sensors and cats no less). Had I dumped it because it consumed oil I would have missed on out on what was otherwise the most reliable vehicle I had ever owned.
+! to Spyder. Adding between fillups would get bad.
I drive 270 miles a day and add a quart a week. After I have to add oil more than once a day is the day I won't be enjoying the car enough to keep it. But thats only if you have the funds to get a newer car to avoid all of this hassle.
To a normal 12k a year driver. I don't see how adding a quart every weekend could be too much of a hassle to 'need' to trade it in.
I drive 270 miles a day and add a quart a week. After I have to add oil more than once a day is the day I won't be enjoying the car enough to keep it. But thats only if you have the funds to get a newer car to avoid all of this hassle.
To a normal 12k a year driver. I don't see how adding a quart every weekend could be too much of a hassle to 'need' to trade it in.
At a quart every 450 miles I took action on my saturn. But I changed the rings and still have the car 40k miles later.
It was not the cost of oil, but the decreased performance. Sitting at a long red light, the oil would pool somewhere, then burn in a big puff when I hit the gas. It caused knock retard and even less power.
It was not the cost of oil, but the decreased performance. Sitting at a long red light, the oil would pool somewhere, then burn in a big puff when I hit the gas. It caused knock retard and even less power.
I've never had a vehicle that burnt an appreciable amount of oil, so I've never really contemplated this question.
It would depend on a few things for me. If the car was buring oil visibly, and leaving large blue could everywhere, then no-matter what the amount, I'd have to deal with it. Even if it were putting out just a puff, i'd eventually get pulled over by our enviro police, and have to have the car fixed.
If there were no oil smoke coming from the car, and it ran well, the car would have to get pretty bad - like some have said, needing oil between gas fill-ups - before I got rid of it just for that.
It would depend on a few things for me. If the car was buring oil visibly, and leaving large blue could everywhere, then no-matter what the amount, I'd have to deal with it. Even if it were putting out just a puff, i'd eventually get pulled over by our enviro police, and have to have the car fixed.
If there were no oil smoke coming from the car, and it ran well, the car would have to get pretty bad - like some have said, needing oil between gas fill-ups - before I got rid of it just for that.
At 1 qt per 300 miles it got old for me. every weekend, pop the hood and dump something in there. OTOH, it was kinda fun seeing if different High Mileage oils worked.
Try adding a can of RESTORE, or maybe it's RISLONE (one of the 2) into the sump. It worked pseudo miracles on an old VW van I had. It was not a thickener, but more of a coagualant that would solidfy under really high temps (cylinder walls). it worked. it WOULD burn off under high load, so if I drove it hard I had to back off for a few days for it to reform. Never clogged any returns. silver cardboard can with a soda-can pop-top IIRC.
Ot just buy rotella 15-40 by the gallon and bunjee cord it into the trunk.
1 qt every 1000 is not bad at all.
I've had GOOD cars do that when pushed hard on the hwy.
My limit was when I'd leave a smoke trail up every hill.... felt horrible for what I was doing to the air....
M
Try adding a can of RESTORE, or maybe it's RISLONE (one of the 2) into the sump. It worked pseudo miracles on an old VW van I had. It was not a thickener, but more of a coagualant that would solidfy under really high temps (cylinder walls). it worked. it WOULD burn off under high load, so if I drove it hard I had to back off for a few days for it to reform. Never clogged any returns. silver cardboard can with a soda-can pop-top IIRC.
Ot just buy rotella 15-40 by the gallon and bunjee cord it into the trunk.
1 qt every 1000 is not bad at all.
I've had GOOD cars do that when pushed hard on the hwy.
My limit was when I'd leave a smoke trail up every hill.... felt horrible for what I was doing to the air....
M
I appreciate everyone's responses. I guess I should have specified that the topping up isn't a hassle for me and that is why I would contemplate trading in. My thought was that large oil burn off could cause some kind of engine problem which would decrease the value of the vehicle down the road which would make it a better investment to get rid of it now. Thanks for everyone's opinions, it has eased my nerves quite a bit.
I do plan on fixing the problem, should be getting some work done on it here in the next couple of weeks and hopefully that'll fix it.
I do plan on fixing the problem, should be getting some work done on it here in the next couple of weeks and hopefully that'll fix it.
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