My car burns oil. Should I replace the spark plugs with cheaper ones?

[cptnsolo77]

Try BG EPR, I frequently sell it to oil burning customers at work and have seen it do amazing things.

Thats a GREAT product. Although my engine is too far gone and it unfortunately didnt help my oil consumption....I did see a jump in MPGs, smoother idle and a bit more power. That alone was worth it. I wish I would have known about that product before and I would have included it with my maintenance.

 

[doublebase]

I wouldn’t try one single product to try to prevent that oil usage, don’t waste your time or your money. If those oil control rings are stuck, and they probably are, then the piston has already moved around too much in that cylinder causing wear (and massive oil consumption). IMO.

Just drive it, add your oil and pull the spark plugs out every 5-7 thousand miles and spray them with brake clean. Reinstall. Those plugs are easy enough to remove on that engine...instead of always having to buy new plugs, why not just clean them off? Wouldn’t that take care of that issue? If not the oil consumption, which doesn’t seem to really bother you...and as most have agreed...the car can be driven that way for a long time anyway.

 

[Spyderman24_7]

Per your previous thread you are burning a quart of oil every 400 miles. No plug is going to last long under those conditions.

Your engine is worn out. You have a decision to make.

To put a positive spin on the situation at least an oil change is never needed, lmao... maybe swap out the filter every 6 months and it's refreshed!

 

[sk_pete]

Part Finder

The NGK SPARK PLUG Part Finder is your one stop shop to find compatible NGK and NTK parts. From ignition products to our complete sensor range.

www.ngkntk.com

Read success stories on site about piston soak or even quality engine flushes.
It will at least minimise problems you have.

 

[PontiacHO]

After reading the provided link about the inherent problems with this engine I’ve learned that Toyota isn’t the “gold standard” for build quality like I’ve always heard. Never owned one. To knowingly manufacture an engine with pistons too small and attempt to compensate with “larger rings” is bazaar. Yes they will always become an oil burner if that is indeed the case. I wouldn’t waste a dime on that engine. Keep a set of cleaned used plugs to swap when the plugs foul out. If they don’t foul and cause a misfire then don’t waste an ounce of effort. Just ride by my house. I have problems with mosquitoes….

 

[jhs914]

I'd use coppers if they truly weren't going to last longer than that. BUT as someone suggested couldn't you just wire brush them and reinstall?

I wouldn't go hotter - I'd be afraid of ping but that's just me and my past experiences with a car or two that liked to ping.

You don't want to wire brush plugs with an iridium tip (that is what the OP said he is currently using), they are too fragile for that. Take the plugs out periodically an spray them with brake cleaner to get the oil contamination off and keep driving.

 

[Shel_B]

After reading the provided link about the inherent problems with this engine I’ve learned that Toyota isn’t the “gold standard” for build quality like I’ve always heard. Never owned one. To knowingly manufacture an engine with pistons too small and attempt to compensate with “larger rings” is bazaar. Yes they will always become an oil burner if that is indeed the case. I wouldn’t waste a dime on that engine. Keep a set of cleaned used plugs to swap when the plugs foul out. If they don’t foul and cause a misfire then don’t waste an ounce of effort. Just ride by my house. I have problems with mosquitoes….

I've never heard that. Please cite your sources and, if possible, provide links. I'd like to learn about this directly, not from an anonymous post on a forum. Thank you.

 

[PontiacHO]

I've never heard that. Please cite your sources and, if possible, provide links. I'd like to learn about this directly, not from an anonymous post on a forum. Thank you.

Just my opinion based on the answers/comments on this thread as well as this:

The 3 Most Common Toyota 1ZZ-FE Engine Problems & Reliability

How reliable is Toyota's 1ZZ-FE engine? Learn about 3 common problems including oil consumption, timing chain oil leaks, and ECM issues.

tuningpro.co

Grain of salt…..

But if there is truth to it then my opinion stands.

Thank you.

 

[doublebase]

Just my opinion based on the answers/comments on this thread as well as this:

The 3 Most Common Toyota 1ZZ-FE Engine Problems & Reliability

How reliable is Toyota's 1ZZ-FE engine? Learn about 3 common problems including oil consumption, timing chain oil leaks, and ECM issues.

tuningpro.co

Grain of salt…..

But if there is truth to it then my opinion stands.

Thank you.

I think it’s a stretch to lump an entire brand around one model made 17 years ago. Every brand has a problem vehicle, and that article itself calls the problem overblown and fixed in later years. It’s a high selling econobox commuter, driven 100’s of thousands of miles successfully by its owners (even the ones with oil consumption).

I have a Toyota with 100,000 miles on it…not a drop of oil consumption, nor a single problem in 100,000 miles. That’s pretty good. And indicative of the brand.

 

[PontiacHO]

10-4. I guess all manufacturers have a stray issue. Some more than others. I lost a 5.3 Chevy at 110,000 miles due to ONE sorry lifter. Ate the cam. Metal throughout the engine ruined the oil pump. You can guess the rest. My BIL can get about 900,000 miles out of his Toyotas and I don’t think he changes oil….