Acceptable oil use in a Toyota 1.8 litre

[ishmael]

I'm the kind of fellow who buys something good, and trys to make it last forever. I checked the oil on this 2002 Toyo yesterday, and after three hundred miles it's down an eighth of a quart. I assume it's pretty normal for a motor with 110,000 miles to use a bit of oil. Lord, I hope I didn't buy a pig in a poke! Don't think so, it runs very well.

[Norman Bernstein]

I'm the kind of fellow who buys something good, and trys to make it last forever. I checked the oil on this 2002 Toyo yesterday, and after three hundred miles it's down an eighth of a quart. I assume it's pretty normal for a motor with 110,000 miles to use a bit of oil. Lord, I hope I didn't buy a pig in a poke! Don't think so, it runs very well.

I'd say that a quart in 2400 miles, for a car with 110,000 miles, is incredibly good... and nothing to worry about.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

What Norman said - sounds very fair to me.

In my youth, I have run things where "2 Gallons of Fuel and a Pint of Oil" was a routine order.

[mmd]

Sometimes ya just get plain ol' lucky - my old pick-em up just rolled over 400,000 km (250,000 miles) and burns no oil. Nada. Zip. With a bit of luck it will become my first half-million kilometre vehicle. Not so shabby in a maritime environment in a land that heavily salts its roads in wintertime.

[Hwyl]

I doubt a dipstick is an accurate enough measure for "an eighth of a quart". Having said that, I'm glad you have a new set of wheels.

You might want to consider going with synthetic on your next oil change.

[geeman]

I can remember a '58 Rambler I had many many years ago that somebody had installed an oil pressure gauge in.I found out why after driving it for a week.On the open road you could actually WATCH the pressure drop as the oil burned.Course the blue smokescreen it laid was sort of a telltale sign too.

[huisjen]

I'm with Gareth. Keep checking. It may not be using oil at all. If it was well cared for, that car is barely broken in. My '00 Tacoma uses no oil with 85k miles on it.

Dan

[George Jung]

I don't think you gain anything going with a synthetic oil at this point; any 'wear' you were trying to avoid using synthetic has already occured; just use a good grade crude, and change on schedule.

[Keith Wilson]

Yeah, you can't measure 1/8 of a quart with a dipsick with any accuracy. The apparent oil level fluctuates that much with temperature, how long you've been driving, how long you waited for the oil to drain back into the crankcase before you checked, the phase of the moon, the state of the tides . . . You're used to driving an old vehicle right on the edge of death, and it will take a while for your attitude to change. You don't have to worry about the Corolla.

[ishmael]

Just checked it again. 3/4 down on the stick. Variables.

Anyway, you're right Keith. I should just enjoy it. Keep an eye on the oil, but enjoy it. Measured gas mileage for the first time, and it's in the mid thirties with mixed driving. What's to complain about? Gawd, to be reliably mobile again! I don't quite trust it yet, but what a relief.

BTW, ol Brer Mazda truck is still available for free to a good home, if anyone knows a kid gear-head up this way. I've had it in the paper, no nibbles. If it doesn't get some action, off to the junkyard come Spring.

[Paul Pless]

Sometimes ya just get plain ol' lucky - my old pick-em up just rolled over 400,000 km (250,000 miles) and burns no oil. Nada. Zip. With a bit of luck it will become my first half-million kilometre vehicle. Not so shabby in a maritime environment in a land that heavily salts its roads in wintertime.

Chevy S-10 right? Heard a good chevy quote the other day...
Nothing but nothing runs as long as a Chevrolet will badly

[jack grebe]

Quote:
Nothing but nothing runs as long as a Chevrolet will badly


sorry.... don't buy that one
http://www.mbusa.com/heritage/high-mileage.do

[mmd]

Close, except for different cosmetics - it's a GMC S-15. Those little 2.8-litre V-6's seem to be relatively bulletproof.

On a slightly different topic, my, but don't these vehicle rely heavily on their computers to run right! A couple of days ago the O2 sensor gave up the ghost, causing the on-board computer to think the engine was running lean. I used a whole tank of gas in just over a hundred miles! Ten-point-frikkin'-two miles per gallon! OMG! 'Course after at least 250K of being ignored the durned thing was a two-hour nightmare to remove. Oh, well; the joys of having a project rather than a vehicle...

[pipefitter]

Most of those old toyos will leak more than they burn and drips will add up to an 1/8th of a quart or atleast half of that just in driveway drips alone or the little bit that seeps past the valve seals when the motor gets cold and everything shrinks which sometimes is evident in the hardly noticeable puff of smoke at start up.The previous 2 owners of my Sr5 4x4 pickup (infamous 22re motor) used castrol so is what I stayed with. I just gave the truck to my oldest son with 300k miles on it and it still purrs.Oil change every 3k is what that truck saw in maintenence. Not a trace of sludge in that motor. It sounds like you got a gem there.

[Beowolf]

I'll reiterate what's already been said. (Not that anyone sees this)

Keep an eye on the stick. If you don't see any drops on the driveway and no blue smoke, you're probably still full. My '01 Tundra with the 4.7l V8 uses no oil at 60,000 miles. My '99 Nissan uses no oil at 178,000 miles. Some guys are just lucky, I guess. We'll see how the new Honda pans out.

Hope it's all good for you.

Jeff

[pipefitter]

I should also add that my truck saw severe duty hauling a 20ft boston whaler 180 miles every weekend for a long time,multiple hunting excursions where water was above the tires and some severe mud driving and alot of time at redline.I fixed the oil leaks which one was the front main seal and the others were transmission and transfer case leaks.After that,it would use a qt every 12-1300 miles.Not bad for a daily driver in the city and heavy off road use.remarkable actually.And from a wimpy 4 banger at that.

[Brian Palmer]

I had a 92 Corrolla that I bought new, and it did not use any oil when I sold it with 150,000 on it. Now my 1968 Falcon .... that was nother story.

-- Brian

[botebum]

I'm right with you on the "don't trust it yet". It takes a while to get so you trust a new (to you) vehicle. You could trust the old one to screw you every chance it got, but you knew the eccentricities(sp:eek: ) of that vehicle. Now you have to learn the new one and figure out just where it's gonna' go wierd on ya'. If nothing goes bad, then you continue to wait and expect. You'll spend some time on the edge of your seat, waiting to see how the guy who sold it to you gotcha. Been there.
Best of luck with it, Jack.
Hope all is well with your other efforts.

Doug

[ishmael]

I'll keep an eye on it. Hate to see the oil playing hide and go seek. Not sure what's what at this point. Down an 1/8 yesterday, 3/4 today. If they are accurate, this baby is leaking somewhere, not burning it. Hope not.

I haven't bought from a dealer since I bought a new Civic in '82. In this case I was desperate. Paid probably a grand over what I would have from a private party. However, the check engine light has been on twice, and the dealer has replaced the O2 sensor and the cat converter at no charge, so I figure I'm breaking about even. Assuming the motor isn't worn out. LOL. Nah, it's not smoking.

Funny how you get to know a 'hicle and trust it, and it takes a bit of time. I knew all the foibles of the Mazda, and up until about a year ago, when I started not fixing things, or fixing them half-assed, I'd have driven it anywhere. It's been sitting for three weeks, and to keep the battery charged I ran it today. Started right up, just like it always has.

Cheers.