Oil for Rav4

[Nodak]

Picked up an 04 Rav4 with over 160,000 miles. Great shape but it does use some oil. Would it help to use a high mileage synthetic or a high mileage dino in it? Does it help with oil consumption? Previous owner used regular dino.

_____________________
97 Prk.Ave.-5-30 QSGB and Wix filter
03 Corolla-5-30 Cenex Maxtron and Wix filter
04 Rav4-5-30 Mobil 5000 and Wix filter

 

[dave1251]

Use your favorite brand of 5W30 HM. If you are planing a 5-7K OCI stick with conventional.

 

[Ram01]

Stay with a HM 10w30 and a STP OIL TREATMENT

 

[DemoFly]

When does it burn oil? Start-up and deceleration? Acceleration?

 

[rfeir]

Why in the world would someone want to add a snake oil viscosity index improver like STP to a modern 10W-30?

 

[Ram01]

It works it stop the oil burning in cousin of. Mine 07 camry 2.4 . No snake oil buddy

 

[lexus114]

Mobil-1 5W-30 HM Baby!! (I heard the new Q State Defy is good too)

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Ram01
It works it stop the oil burning in cousin of. Mine 07 camry 2.4 . No snake oil buddy

See this TSB http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0094-11.pdf

Toyota is replacing with a modified piston to solve oil flow issues. The oil flow problems are usually caused by "any" buildup of carbon and sludge around the rings or the oil returns. Prevent that from happening, no oil burning. Those that use synthetics generally see no oil burning issues even without the modified piston TSB. What the STP is doing is decreasing oil flow to the rings by thickening it substantially. Substituting increased engine wear for less oil consumption sums it up.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Nodak
Picked up an 04 Rav4 with over 160,000 miles. Great shape but it does use some oil. Would it help to use a high mileage synthetic or a high mileage dino in it? Does it help with oil consumption? Previous owner used regular dino.

Please specify if its I4 or v6, if burns oil how much, has any leaks.

 

[ChiTDI]

Change the PCV valve, that may address some of the oil burning.

 

[lexus114]

I would NEVER use STP oil treatment! Not even in my outdoor power equipment.

 

[bepperb]

04 Rav only came with the I4, v6 started in 06.

Really as with any used car I'd clean it up with some regular synthetic (PP, M1, SynPower, Edge, whatever) or a high mileage oil for maybe 5000 miles for a change or two and then transition to 7500 miles.

Oil consumption could be PCV or valve guides which are both suspect on these Toyota's (valve guides have always been a Toyota problem, PCV on these since they are lifetime screw in and jiffy lubes don't take the time to ask owners if they want to replace them). I'm not sure what you can do about the ring TSB. Our Highlander is before that time, presumably with the "bad" rings and we don't burn oil. Then again it's always lived on synthetic oil with regular changes (5000 to 7500).

Not to single out one group, but the same engines are used in Scions and you can really see what happens when they are neglected when you look at youtube videos of it. It's a robust design but subject to the same things any engine is, neglect seems to cause valve guide issues early as they get buildup on them and wear prematurely when they are starved for oil.

And edit: no STP, if you want to try a "thicker" oil to mask the problem try a 40 weight high mileage oil. That would do the same thing but cost less and do a better job otherwise.

 

[LeakySeals]

OK. So its the same engine as the 02 Camry in my signature. For me, the oil consumption is bad valve seals (puff of blue smoke at startup) I'm not replacing them because oil consumption is 1qt every 5k. That, and because of the well known 02-04 2AZ-FE stripped headbolt issue (the 3 bolts behind the intake foam). Extremely important to keep engine temps low, as not to compromise aluminum block headboit threads. Drain and fill the Red coolant often (30-40k). DO NOT substitute the red with anything else! some drop the tstat by 10F. I havent. I have tried numerous oils over thousands of miles. Short of a UOA, best results have been M1 HM 5w30. Best idle quality, quiet, no vvt ticking. No leaks. Replacing the PCV helps. Do not use aftermarkets, they have the wrong sized inlet. The OE inlet is very small. Better off cleaning it with TB cleaner and putting it back. When you clean the TB DO NOT jam the plates open with a screw driver, you will ruin the electronic plate motor. Drain and fills of Toyota T-IV every 30k is all you need. No need to open it up, the filter is "screen like".

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: Ram01
Stay with a HM 10w30 and a STP OIL TREATMENT


HM 10w30 and a STP OIL TREATMENT < HM 10w-40

Give QS Defy a try. Thick oil and has a good add pack. Also, somebody mentioned changing the PCV valve. That is a good idea and cheap to replace.

 

[bepperb]

04 Rav4 might have come with Toyota Pink not Toyota Red coolant, I know our 04 Highlander came with pink. Still not sure about the cause of the head bolt issues but I'd agree that keeping the cooling system in good shape is probably the only preventative maintenance that makes any sense. On the other hand, the braintrust over at toyotanation where every stupid preventative idea is like a godsend is hilarious.

 

[LeakySeals]

Yeah, that's true. 04 was the beginning of the migration to pink. Could have either. The main difference is an advancement in corrosion inhibitors for pink's "Super long life". I prefer changing coolant more often anyways, so that's not important to me. Red in place of pink would be the only substitution for that engine or any Toyota engine I'd be comfortable with. The Red is a concentrate, the pink is pre-mix. So once the Red is mixed 50/50 with distilled, you end up with 2 gallons, so its half the cost of pink.

 

[lexus114]

I have an unopened gallon of the Red Toyota coolant left over from my 2001 RX. So after reading this, I may just use it when I do my radiator maintenance.

 

[LeakySeals]

I'm a believer in Toyota coolants. The Camry's had nothing but Red drain and fills every 30k. Clean the expansion tank. At 216k its all original. Not one single replacement part including tstat and cap. No weeps. Its a downtown Boston/Cambridge city car, all stop and go. 95F here now, dash says 110F in traffic. Just below 1/2 on the gauge, fans cycling nicely.

 

[Nodak]

It's got the 4 in it. I have not had it that long, but after the first 2000 miles I'm down about a third to a half qt. I'll probably change the PCV valve and than dump in some highmileage mobil or maxlife and see how that goes. How about the Highmileage Mobil 1? Should I use the synthetic or just stick with the dino?

__________________________
97 Prk.Ave.-5-30 QSGB and Wix filter
03 Corolla-5-30 Cenex Maxtron and Wix filter
04 Rav4-5-30 Mobil 5000 and Wix filter

 

[LeakySeals]

I would go with a full synthetic. Our engines are prone to clogging/sticking of the VVT-i controller. If you start it in the morning and hear a momentary tick or some ticking when you first pull away, that's it. I'm using Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w30. 6k OCI. Its a thick version of Mobil 1's synthetic with a High Mileage additive pack. Swellers/conditioners for leaks, extra cleaners to get rid of deposits. Solved my sticky VVT-i controller, no ticking. $26.50 Walmart. WM also sells the Purolator Classic $3.27. You PN should be L14477. That or the P1 sold elsewhere works good.