Oil leak or just high oil burn

[cranswick]

Hi l have a 2003 camry done 340,000 km. Had oil change 3 months ago and they said all was normal then no sign of leak  . PAst 3 months l have done 2,500 Km's and oil on the dipstick has gone from Full to half way, does that mean theres an oil leak and l should take it in to be checked or is that fairly normal oil use for such an old car. lm using 5w 30 synthetic oil

Edited March 12 by cranswick

[campbeam]

Can you provide more details of your Camry i.e. engine and transmission. Is it the original engine or has it been rebuilt at any time?

I am thinking that it would be a good idea to check the Positive Crankcase Ventilation [PCV] to confirm that it is functioning correctly.

[Baxter190388]

If it's the 2.4 2az-fe engine they are prone to burning oil and your experience isn't uncommon. Not to say there won't be a leak but I'd guess it's burning it.

[cranswick]

Thanks , its the original engine, never been rebuilt and it auto .  l think its 2.4 2az-fel engine 20 years old and done 340,000 km's did have a leak a year ago but they fixed it and when they changed the oil 3 months ago they checked it and said its fine with no leaks. Past 3 months l have done about 2,500 kms and oil gone from full to half way on the dipstick ., Would that be fairly normal oil use for such an old car  and if it is a leak would it sound like a just a small leak? If l just keep checking the oil and keeping it topped up should l have nothing to worry about until my next service in a few months or should l get it checked

Edited March 13 by cranswick

[campbeam]

Sound like you have a decent quality engine from the earlier generations of the 2AZ-FE engine which presumably was manufactured in Japan. However after 340,000 kms it is worn, so can expect some oil consumption. Main aspect is regular maintenance and avoid extended oil change intervals.

What you should consider is using the recommended oil viscosity suitable for the engine of your specific vehicle and driving conditions. Best reference source is your owners manual and then the lube guides from recognised engine oil brands.

https://penriteoil.com.au/forums/topic/1/Car Engine Oil/thread/2682/2003 toyota camry whats best engine oil?page=1

https://penriteoil.com.au/product-selector#/recommendations

https://www.nulon.com.au/vehicle-lube-guide-menu/manual-vehicle-search/TOYOTA/CAMRY/2003/91027300

I have recently been doing some online research on Liqui Moly Cera Tec so got it under consideration as a future purchase.

In your situation, I would consider using this product and keep monitoring the oil level.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/liqui-moly-liqui-moly-cera-tec-300ml/649235.html

[cranswick]

5 hours ago, campbeam said:

Sound like you have a decent quality engine from the earlier generations of the 2AZ-FE engine which presumably was manufactured in Japan. However after 340,000 kms it is worn, so can expect some oil consumption. Main aspect is regular maintenance and avoid extended oil change intervals.

What you should consider is using the recommended oil viscosity suitable for the engine of your specific vehicle and driving conditions. Best reference source is your owners manual and then the lube guides from recognised engine oil brands.

https://penriteoil.com.au/forums/topic/1/Car Engine Oil/thread/2682/2003 toyota camry whats best engine oil?page=1

https://penriteoil.com.au/product-selector#/recommendations

https://www.nulon.com.au/vehicle-lube-guide-menu/manual-vehicle-search/TOYOTA/CAMRY/2003/91027300

I have recently been doing some online research on Liqui Moly Cera Tec so got it under consideration as a future purchase.

In your situation, I would consider using this product and keep monitoring the oil level.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/liqui-moly-liqui-moly-cera-tec-300ml/649235.html

 

[cranswick]

thankyou,  do you think the dipstick going from full to half way after 2,500 km is mostly likely typical oil burn for such an old car rather then an oil leak . or if there is an oil leak would it most likely not be a big leak with that amount of oil use. l next get it serviced in 3 months l guess they can check then

Edited March 13 by cranswick

[campbeam]

I have got no definite answers, merely reasonable guesses/assumptions. It could possibly be typical oil burn and perhaps be more noticeable after using a lower viscosity engine oil.

What I have suggested are some options that are relatively inexpensive and not going to make a bad situation worse. This is why I suggested for your consideration using Liqui Moly Cera Tec as a better alternative to just topping up the engine oil. Quite simply it is a potential workaround until you get the next service in 3 months.

Same with checking the PCV valve. Maybe it could do with a clean rather than need a replacement.

[ozieagle]

Hi, Just some general comments.

2500 km for 1/2 litre oil consumption. I've had cars where the manual said that 1 pint per 1000 miles is acceptable, that's roughly 3/4 l in 1600 km. The car was never that bad, but it gives an indication of "acceptable" consumption, maybe just a way around warrantee claims for high consumption.

The PCV system should have an oil separator in it, somewhere, to condense any oil vapour to stop it being sucked into the engine and burnt. If this is gunged up oil consumption goes up.

Additives. When I bought my 28 year HiAce van, with 275,000 km on the clock, the seller mentioned that it used a bit of oil. I was a bit worried about passing a roadworthy with this, because of "blowing smoke", so I added a "stop oil burning" additive to the oil. Not a drop has disappeared in 9 months. I don't know whether this is due to the additive or the seller didn't really know what she was talking about. It did use a lot of coolant, but this was due to a faulty radiator cap.

At the next oil change I will try a thicker grade of oil, say 20W 50, which is a common grade, for classic vehicles.

Herb