Oil consumption on Scion xB?

[GR_CoB]

I have sold my sludgy Pontiac Vibe and went crazy and got myself a 2009 Scion xB. Crazy move, right? Especially after all the crazy stories of oil consumption in these 2az engines, and bad piston rings, etc... I took a risk, so far I'm glad I did. Car has 72k miles on it, I will use my stash of Pennzoil 0w40 in it until I run out and then will switch to stash of Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30. Sounds like a plan? Or would you do it the other way around? If so - then why? Also, other than oil consumption issues, is there anything else I need to keep an eye on? I hope this one does not use any oil, but I only had it for a day, so too early to tell. But the amount of space is amazing inside

and I got 32mpg hwy on the way from the dealership.

 

[wemay]

Congrats on the xB!

I would go about it exactly as you've planned. Don't let the 'heavy vs thin' crowed sway you one way or the other. Anything from 0W20 to 15W40 would work without an appreciable difference.

 

[GR_CoB]

Thank you, I was thinking exactly the same. Does anyone if there are any other issues I should be looking out for in this model? And if the engine does consume oil at an alarming rate - then what will happen if it constantly burns 1quart per 1k mile for example? Anyone has any first hand experience? Is the engine still gonna run good for many hundreds of miles or is it doomed after 30-50 thousand miles on such oil consumption?

 

[benjy]

a qt per thousand is considered ok by manufacturers!! you may use more with a thinner oil, if so go back to the xW 40. on that note the more costly 0wxx is not needed in a warmer area like yours, a 10-30 in winter + 15-40 would do well in the heat or all the time if its a user

 

[A_A_G]

I've had my '08 since new and I'm currently at 125k miles. The oil consumption issue is a problem and I believe there is a TSB for Toyota to do an consumption test if you feel it is consuming too much oil. Luckily mine only burns about 1 qt every 4k miles and I do 10k OCIs with Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w30.

Things to keep an eye on:
-Wheel bearings wear out prematurely
-If you see a pink line on your hood liner, it's time for a new water pump
-The engine wire harness on early models tends to go bonkers and give you the "christmas tree" dash (mine was fixed under warranty)
-If you have an auto, make sure you change the ATF every 30k miles3
-The factory MTF isn't very good, I tried serveral different brands and Eneos MTF has been by far the best oil for the manual transmission

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian

And if the engine does consume oil at an alarming rate - then what will happen if it constantly burns 1 quart per 1k mile for example? Anyone has any first hand experience?


Does it?
If so, check the oil at about the time you do EVERY fill up on gas (every 400 miles or so). Just don't let the level drop below "L".
If you don't know yet....don't let the net predict the future. Check the level as above and determine the oil consumption/loss and don't worry until it does seem to "use" oil....and then just pick up oil on sale to keep it above "L" cheaply. Adding oil is the cheapest effective response to such a scenario.

 

[GR_CoB]

Originally Posted By: benjy
a qt per thousand is considered ok by manufacturers!! you may use more with a thinner oil, if so go back to the xW 40. on that note the more costly 0wxx is not needed in a warmer area like yours, a 10-30 in winter + 15-40 would do well in the heat or all the time if its a user

Agree, but in my case 0w oils are the cheaper option, as I got it all on Christmas sale at Autozone and plus my employee discount at the time. Oils came out to under $2/qt after taxes, so since I got a lot of it (over 250 qts) I'll just use what I got instead of buying more.

 

[GR_CoB]

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian

And if the engine does consume oil at an alarming rate - then what will happen if it constantly burns 1 quart per 1k mile for example? Anyone has any first hand experience?


Does it?
If so, check the oil at about the time you do EVERY fill up on gas (every 400 miles or so). Just don't let the level drop below "L".
If you don't know yet....don't let the net predict the future. Check the level as above and determine the oil consumption/loss and don't worry until it does seem to "use" oil....and then just pick up oil on sale to keep it above "L" cheaply. Adding oil is the cheapest effective response to such a scenario.
I'm still driving on the tank of gas that dealership filled up. Once I'm through it - I will check the oil every fill up and carry a quart or two with me at all times, as I always do even in my non-oil-burning cars, just in case.

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian

And if the engine does consume oil at an alarming rate - then what will happen if it constantly burns 1 quart per 1k mile for example? Anyone has any first hand experience?


Does it?
If so, check the oil at about the time you do EVERY fill up on gas (every 400 miles or so). Just don't let the level drop below "L".
If you don't know yet....don't let the net predict the future.


I'm still driving on the tank of gas that dealership filled up.


Classic net-induced paranoia....sure, check oil often, but asking us about a doomsday scenario while on the FIRST tank of gas is premature, if not just silly. Relax. Enjoy your new ride!

 

[Doog]

I have a 2008 Rav 4 2.4L with the bad rings. There is a TSB that shows the vin number ranges for the vehicles affected. Mine has 110k miles and Toyota has extended the engine warranty to 10 years 150,000 miles. Mine has had Quaker State Ultimate Durability and Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 since new and only started consuming at about 85,000 miles. I do a 5000 mile OCI with Fram filter. Currently, it consumes about 1 quart in 5000 miles. So it would not qualify for the rebuild. I do clean the PCV valve every 3rd OCI and it is always very oily.

So I recommend you use Quaker State Ultimate Durability/Mobil1/ or Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 (5000 OCI) and clean the PCV well and just check your oil level once a week. Drive on and be at ease with it.

 

[Doog]

www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0094-11.pdf

 

[hank2]

For those who may not know this.

The model years for the Toyota/Scion warranty enhancement for excessive oil consumption was extended to some newer models.
Most notably, the Scion XB, through the last production year, 2015.

The VIN cutoff number on the XB is:

JTLZE4FE?FJ 069331

The warranty enhancement goes to 10 years or 150,000 miles from first date of service.

If you already have bad oil consumption problems with the 2AZ engine, act now. Up to 10/31/16, they will fix it regardless of mileage. Not sure of time span.

In either case, you have to flunk (pass?) Toyota's oil consumption test of at least a quart within 1200 miles.

I have read that if you get approved for the teardown, you do NOT get new pistons, unless you spring for them.

HTH, hank2

07-09 Camry
07-11 Camry hybrid
07-08 Camry Solara
09-11 Corolla (2AZ)
09-13 Matrix (2AZ)
06-08 RAV4
07-10 Scion TC
08-15 Scion XB

 

[GR_CoB]

Update time. Sitting at 76k miles at the moment and the oil level has not moved even a millimeter, as far as my 23 year old eye can tell. Oil is Maxlife 0w20 full synthetic. Pretty happy