Old technician trick!!! We use to do this all the time. Cleans the top end to near spotless.
HPL EC treatment started. 2007 Camry 2AZ-FE 153k consumption.
- Thread starter skaughtz
- Start date
Thought I would mention a problem with oil consumption on a Chevrolet equinox 2.4 that I was mostly able to resolve recently. The 2010–2017 GM Ecotec 2.4 has a serious problem with oil consumption. In some cases worse than what you’re experiencing. Many claim it’s the piston rings GM used. They don’t have enough tension so they allow oil past them and need to be replaced with high tension piston rings. Oil consumption diminishes. I have found that’s a Band-Aid for the real problem. The real problem is a blocked PCV orifice located inside the intake manifold. Relieve the blowby pressure, let the engine breath, the oil consumption is dramatically reduced. I modded the PCV system, bypassing the orifice adding a conventional PCV valve. I’m mentioning it as something to consider for your problem. Maybe it’s not functioning correctly.
That certainly sounds like a plausible cause, but I have never come across that in any discussion of the 2AZ-FE consumption issues. It is always 100% the return holes being too small and the rings being low tension.
The PCV valve was replaced last year, so it should still be good. I only have 100 miles on her right now since the soak because of the radiator leak. That is being replaced tomorrow after I vote. In the meantime, I know that the soak did at least something because the early morning start struggle is completely gone. She starts up better than she has in a looooooong time.
Thanks for the updates. Subscribed
Quick Update:
November 12, 2024. 161,034 miles. 195.1 miles into OCI4.
I don't want to get my hopes up, but things are looking fantastic. 200 miles since the soak and if the oil level has dropped at all, it has just barely done so. I couldn't get a good picture of the dipstick with the morning light, but I marked where the level is. I underfilled the oil slightly when I did the change, so it may not have moved at all.
350 will be the next check, as there it would have been down a quart prior to the soak.
November 12, 2024. 161,034 miles. 195.1 miles into OCI4.
I don't want to get my hopes up, but things are looking fantastic. 200 miles since the soak and if the oil level has dropped at all, it has just barely done so. I couldn't get a good picture of the dipstick with the morning light, but I marked where the level is. I underfilled the oil slightly when I did the change, so it may not have moved at all.
350 will be the next check, as there it would have been down a quart prior to the soak.
If that is where you filled it to originally that is about 3/4 qt low to start. My OCD would make my eye twitch and toss at night thinking about it. I know they say "between the dots is fine" but for me that's almost 25% of my capacity.
As long as you know where and can monitor it. Between 6 vehicles for me I go full top dot/mark. If it drops any, I'm burning or leaking. If it gains any probably fuel dilution.
I am typically the same way, but the oil was so clean after the soak that I could barely tell where it was on the dipstick. I didn't want to add any after I started driving and it actually became dark enough to read. It might be slightly down from when I initially filled it, but not by much at all if it is.
I am also using an oversized filter, which probably caused me to underfill when looking at the 5-quart jug.
Update #2
November 21, 2024. 161,148 miles. 309.0 miles into OCI4.
Looking good. Looking real good. The level may have decreased a tad (it is difficult to say with the underfill), but the consumption is down big time. By this point before the soak the level would have been approaching the bottom dot. I am just going to keep checking at 400 miles, 500 miles, etc. to get an eventual rate of consumption. And while I know the underlying problem isn't fixed, I don't really care. I am chalking this one up as a win.
November 21, 2024. 161,148 miles. 309.0 miles into OCI4.
Looking good. Looking real good. The level may have decreased a tad (it is difficult to say with the underfill), but the consumption is down big time. By this point before the soak the level would have been approaching the bottom dot. I am just going to keep checking at 400 miles, 500 miles, etc. to get an eventual rate of consumption. And while I know the underlying problem isn't fixed, I don't really care. I am chalking this one up as a win.
Update #3
December 4, 2024. 161,240 miles. 400.5 miles into OCI4.
No movement.
December 4, 2024. 161,240 miles. 400.5 miles into OCI4.
No movement.
I did it on my $125 ‘90 Civic wagon years ago-.001 undersize rod bearings, standard size rings (crosshatch visible, honed, oil control rings jammed with carbon) had the oil pan hot tanked (it was really nasty), had a machinist friend resurface the head & replace a couple exhaust valves. Wasn’t hard at all.
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Update #4
December 9, 2024. 161,374 miles. 535.7 miles into OCI4.
It doesn't look like any movement to me.
Having now driven her for 500+ miles I can conclusively say that the engine both feels smoother and sounds quieter, and she definitely has more hitch in her giddyup. It might be confirmation bias, but I feel like she has not accelerated this well since when I bought her at 60k miles.
December 9, 2024. 161,374 miles. 535.7 miles into OCI4.
It doesn't look like any movement to me.
Having now driven her for 500+ miles I can conclusively say that the engine both feels smoother and sounds quieter, and she definitely has more hitch in her giddyup. It might be confirmation bias, but I feel like she has not accelerated this well since when I bought her at 60k miles.
And the motor is nice clean since the oil is still nice and clean. I've seen many vehicles at a 1/4 of that mileage that the oil turns dark from junk the moment it is circulated after a change.
I should have taken a picture when I changed the valve cover gasket. I'm no expert but it certainly looked clean to me compared to what I have seen online. I did run three quarts of HPL EC and two cans of BG EPR through her before doing the B12 soak, so all things combined I would be disappointed if she wasn't sparkling inside.
Hope it keeps up! Your hard work is paying off, nice job 
Update #5
December 18, 2024. 161,502 miles. 664.3 miles into OCI4.
Maybe it is finally down a tick? At this rate I am hoping she is at around 1 quart/1500 miles. Time will tell.
December 18, 2024. 161,502 miles. 664.3 miles into OCI4.
Maybe it is finally down a tick? At this rate I am hoping she is at around 1 quart/1500 miles. Time will tell.
TL;DR: The HPL EC experiment ended a while ago and could not resolve my oil burning issue, which was too advanced. Since then I have run BG EPR through her and then soaked the pistons with Berryman's B12. Now I am just updating with the ongoing monitoring of results from the B12 soak, which so far appears to have been pretty effective.
Appreciate the response. Yes, EC is just not for this purpose so no surprises there - while I understand/"believe" that products like this, HPL's regular oils, the new Valvoline R&P can have some impact on deposits (and if used from day 1 should prevent many in the first place) a more targeted treatment like the BG product and the Berryman's is where you need to be at the point where you have significant loss. Good to see it worked...many report the same results.
I'll give the HPL plug for 2 OCI's with EC30 over 8737 miles and then 1 quart of HPL 5W-30 PCMO added to PP Euro-L for about 5k and also on latest OCI with about 3k on it so far in daughters CRV. So about 18 months and just shy of 17k. I know full HPL or maybe VRP might get more, faster. I'm OK with this since it also gets a lot of short trips. It doesn't burn any so not worried. It had BG EPR done a year before I started the EC30.
I can say that I have so much here at BITOG and would have no issues doing a Piston soak if I was having real issues. Maybe in my Accord some day.
Low flow area Baffle plate on '08 CRV now with 240k on it.
I can say that I have so much here at BITOG and would have no issues doing a Piston soak if I was having real issues. Maybe in my Accord some day.
Low flow area Baffle plate on '08 CRV now with 240k on it.
That HPL is working
