Possible oil problem?

hoodwinked

Hi all,


how often would a 1 litre engine need to be topped up with oil?

i own a toyota yaris '06, and for the first 3 years i barely had to put oil in it everytime i checked it was well within the normal amounts,

last june as i was taking a left hand bend the oil light flickered on and off, i checked the oil level and it was very low, so i filled it up again, and the problem stopped,

1 month later i brought it for its usual service, and explained about the oil light they said they checked it and there was nothing wrong.


its now 6 months later and again today the oil light flicked on and off going around a left hand bend, so again i checked the oil and again it was very low, i have added 1ltr of oil and i will have to add another, its between the the markers but its still on the low end. does it sound like there is a problem? is this normal...it seems excessive to me?

toyotaavensis

how often do you check the oil on the dipstick?
How long in time and miles is there between the car getting serviced?

hoodwinked

toyotaavensis wrote: »

how often do you check the oil on the dipstick?
How long in time and miles is there between the car getting serviced?

i used check the oil (and tyres) every few weeks or so, but have been busy lately so not a lot recently, the last time could have been Aug/sept


service wise, it didn't get serviced for the first 3 or 4 years, but i got it done 2 years ago in august, last year in july (because the light came on i didn't want to wait another month) and again was planning on it July this year.

miles i haven't a clue? 89,000kms on the clock and i'd cover roughly between 5k to 10k in a year... usually nearer 5k a year.

SleeperService

Not sure if <snip>

You really should be servicing and checking levels more often. Damage may have already been done that will shorten the life of the engine. At the very least check it more often and keep it topped up.

punisher5112

You should check tyres and oil at least once a week.

What's the car worth to you and do you have the money for a new engine and time without a car.

timmy4u2

hoodwinked wrote: »

i used check the oil (and tyres) every few weeks or so, but have been busy lately so not a lot recently, the last time could have been Aug/sept


service wise, it didn't get serviced for the first 3 or 4 years, but i got it done 2 years ago in august, last year in july .

I think that statement sums it all up

hoodwinked

punisher5112 wrote: »

You should check tyres and oil at least once a week.

What's the car worth to you and do you have the money for a new engine and time without a car.

i am not a car enthusiast by any means, to me it just gets me from a to b,

as far as maintenance goes i do far more than other people i know with cars, occasionally i do let it fall by the wayside (like recently), but i wouldn't be here asking if i knew all about cars...

im just wondering is it normal for a car that ran for three years with no service just me checking levels and topping up when needed (which was rare), to suddenly go through so much oil so quickly i have never had to top it up before this often...hence i'm thinking is there a problem?

timmy4u2

hoodwinked wrote: »

i am not a car enthusiast by any means, to me it just gets me from a to b,

as far as maintenance goes i do far more than other people i know with cars, occasionally i do let it fall by the wayside (like recently), but i wouldn't be here asking if i knew all about cars...

im just wondering is it normal for a car that ran for three years with no service just me checking levels and topping up when needed (which was rare), to suddenly go through so much oil so quickly i have never had to top it up before this often...hence i'm thinking is there a problem?

To leave a car for the first four years without a service would of course lead to the demise of the engine. It must be really gummed up.

Perhaps you could try a flush but to answer your question, yes I would imagine that you have created a problem with the engine by failing to change the oil and filter.

toyotaavensis

probably from not servicing the car it is ****ed now.
You should service the car every 5000miles or so.
3 or 4 years is ridiculous.

toyotaavensis

<unhelpful post removed>

hoodwinked

timmy4u2 wrote: »

To leave a car for the first four years without a service would of course lead to the demise of the engine. It must be really gummed up.

Perhaps you could try a flush but to answer your question, yes I would imagine that you have created a problem with the engine by failing to change the oil and filter.

well when i brought it for a service, i owned it about 3 years at that point (it wasn't new either when i bought it) i brought it to an official toyota garage (in fact the one that sold it as new in the first place as it turned out) and when i got it back (they did the biggest service they offer) he did in fact say there was nothing wrong with it and that i was lucky as it was in better condition than cars he had seen which were regularly serviced, (he asked was i good with cars or did i have a mechanic at it)

since then i have brought it in every year (they text me to remind me) and every time fix any always minor problems i have with it, (e.g. the last one only was a jammed dial inside the car) and have told me, (and on the sheet thing he printed) everything was in great working order.

its only last july when this same thing happened and i mentioned it to them, they checked it out and said everything was fine, nothing wrong..etc they even changed the oil and put the right levels in. is it normal for that to drop that much in 6 months when it wouldn't have before?

kona

Is there oil under the car where you regularly park? Is there a black thick coating around the exhaust ?

Depending on how much oil was put in on the last service and how many miles between, it could be normal.

hoodwinked

kona wrote: »

Is there oil under the car where you regularly park? Is there a black thick coating around the exhaust ?

Depending on how much oil was put in on the last service and how many miles between, it could be normal.

thank you no oil under the car if i had spotted that i would have brought it in straight away, just checked the exhaust its dirty grey but not got a black coating by any means...


miliage wise since service i'd say less than <2500 km's since, i just drive literally to college and back most days, and maybe the odd spin to town and back, its sitting there parked most of the time as we use my husbands car for longer or weekend journey's

punisher5112

Car's are recommended to be serviced yearly but that all depends on mileage too.

Best look up each model as can be different requirements for mileage done.

What mileage had you done in the 3 years.
The mechanic may not have known that as all they really do is oil change and quick once over.
That car would need a full overhaul and I mean full kit done such as Spark plugs, oil, oil filter, cabin filter,brake fluid check, coolant and so on.

Many an engine has blown with not servicing.

hoodwinked

punisher5112 wrote: »

Car's are recommended to be serviced yearly but that all depends on mileage too.

Best look up each model as can be different requirements for mileage done.

What mileage had you done in the 3 years.
The mechanic may not have known that as all they really do is oil change and quick once over.
That car would need a full overhaul and I mean full kit done such as Spark plugs, oil, oil filter, cabin filter,brake fluid check, coolant and so on.

Many an engine has blown with not servicing.

that was done the first service i got (after the 3 year gap the garage recommended it and he told me they did a few other checks they wouldn't normally because of the time unserviced) and again last year, as i told them about the oil light coming on (the first time it happened).

biko

It could be something lately that have caused it.
Clean the engine and look for oil leaks after a week.

Since you now know there is an issue check it every two weeks or so.
Is there anything wrong with the coolant colour? Is car "unnaturally" smoky?
When did it last pass the NCT?

supervento

hoodwinked wrote: »

Hi all,


how often would a 1 litre engine need to be topped up with oil?

i own a toyota yaris '06, and for the first 3 years i barely had to put oil in it everytime i checked it was well within the normal amounts,

last june as i was taking a left hand bend the oil light flickered on and off, i checked the oil level and it was very low, so i filled it up again, and the problem stopped,

1 month later i brought it for its usual service, and explained about the oil light they said they checked it and there was nothing wrong.


its now 6 months later and again today the oil light flicked on and off going around a left hand bend, so again i checked the oil and again it was very low, i have added 1ltr of oil and i will have to add another, its between the the markers but its still on the low end. does it sound like there is a problem? is this normal...it seems excessive to me?

Hi

some of the early new model 06/07 toyota yaris were know to consume oil, they only take 3.1 litres of oil in total, the engine oil lubricates the timing chain so it is of critical importance to check your oil level once a week or at a minimum once every two weeks. there really is nothing you can do about this only keep and eye on it and keep topping it up and get it serviced as it should be.

i presume you are using the correct oil grade 5w 30....

timmy4u2

Again you say that you had it for three years before you got it serviced.

It does not matter how big a service it got; the oil is the oil and it is just 3.2l.
It should not be left in a sump for three years. It is full of contaminants at that stage.

All very well for the garage to say it looks great, they cannot see inside the engine where it is getting corroded with acids and getting gummed up from lack of being changed.

hoodwinked

biko wrote: »

It could be something lately that have caused it.
Clean the engine and look for oil leaks after a week.

Since you now know there is an issue check it every two weeks or so.
Is there anything wrong with the coolant colour? Is car "unnaturally" smoky?
When did it last pass the NCT?

Thanks! ill do that,


nothing wrong with the coolant colour and its not smokey, its due an NCT again this march,

supervento wrote: »

Hi

some of the early new model 06/07 toyota yaris were know to consume oil, they only take 3.1 litres of oil in total, the engine oil lubricates the timing chain so it is of critical importance to check your oil level once a week or at a minimum once every two weeks. there really is nothing you can do about this only keep and eye on it and keep topping it up and get it serviced as it should be.

i presume you are using the correct oil grade 5w 30....

yeah i used the halfords check thing and 5w 30 is what they recommended so i used that last year, Toyota were the last to put oil in the car since then though so i don't know what they use.

toyotaavensis

Toyota use 5w30 in your car.
OP, some of us (including me) may have been a bit hard on you but make sure to service the car at least once a year or every five or six thousand miles.
Make sure you have oil every time you get petrol. A local motor factors is generally the best value here.

Chimaera

The car's manual should have a service schedule in it. Most manufacturers recommend an inspection once a year even if an oil change is not needed. At 5000 km per year, it's quite possible to go three or four years without needing an oil change depending on the manufacturer's recommendation. There's also usually a low mileage alternative schedule for oil changes.

Oil is really only going to pick up contaminants from combustion products. The main risk with low mileage cars is water vapour condensing inside the crankcase, particularly on cars that don't get warmed up properly (short trips are never enough to warm the engine up to normal temperature). Annual inspection is mainly for things that wear with time, e.g. brake lines, hoses, seals, etc. It's worth taking your car for a longer trip once a month if you can so that it can warm up fully and run at operating temperature for a little while. 30-40 km should be enough.

Sometimes you can get weird periods of extra oil usage that have no obvious cause or explanation. My car recently went through a litre of oil in 1500 km but in the 1000 km since I topped up, it's used very little. No leaks (I fixed all those when I did the timing belt in October), no play in the turbo. Possibly worn rings or valve stem seals, but no way I'm pulling the engine asunder to check for that.

OP, for servicing, go with what the schedule in your manual says. I'd imagine if you're going in to Toyota each year they should be following the correct schedule anyway, but it's never any harm to educate yourself so you can ask questions about what they've done.

mathepac

OP, I'd certainly agree with the majority here and have the car checked with the main dealer or a good independent garage once a year.

The oil light flashing on a bend is caused by the oil in the sump surging away from the oil-level-sensor as it sloshes around in the sump. On some cars this can be prevented by fitting a different sump with internal baffles that slow down the oil movement, side-to-side (caused by cornering) or back-to-front (caused by hard acceleration or emergency braking).

The danger for the engine is for those few seconds the oil may not get sucked out of the sump and pumped into the engine. If these conditions are repeated frequently, the engine may suffer internal, invisible damage.

Check the oil level frequently (weekly) with the car on level ground and the engine cold. Withdraw the dip-stick, clean it on a rag/tissue and re-insert it. This will give an accurate indication of the oil level. Please do not be tempted to fill the oil beyond the MAX level indicator on the dip-stick.

BTW we had a '05 Daihatsu Sirion for a few years as a city run around. It has the same Toyota 3-cylinder engine fitted as your car. We used and abused it for a few years (furniture removals and solid-fuel collections!). I met the current owner by accident in a car-park recently and she said the little car is still going like a watch.

HTH

timmy4u2

When new oil is poured from its sealed container into an engine, it goes from the controlled environment of the oil refinery into a completely uncontrolled chemical factory - the engine. There is little control of temperature, pressure, time or contamination in the engine. The oil is subjected to temperatures from below zero to perhaps 1500°F (816°C) on the cylinder walls and to pressures from atmospheric up to thousands of pounds per square inch in the bearings. The length of time the oil is exposed to this uncontrolled environment depends simply on the whim of the operator with regard to operating conditions and drain intervals. In addition to the variations in time, temperature and pressure, the oil now becomes exposed to a great variety of contaminants. The burning of the gasoline or diesel fuel itself yields a host of chemicals which find their way into the crankcase oil. When a pound of gasoline is burned, about a pound of water is produced. Combustion also creates oxides of nitrogen from the air, and these oxides may form acids. Small amounts of carbonic acid, sulfuric and sulfurous acids, lead sulfate, compounds of chlorine and bromine, and other complex compounds may be formed. If combustion is incomplete, aldehydes are formed, and when knock or detonation occurs, even more complex reactions take place. During combustion, unburned or partially burned carbon or soot also forms, and it forms more heavily when the air fuel mixture is rich. Most of these compounds leave the engine through the exhaust, but a small amount goes into the crankcase from blowby. Some fuels also form other undesirable decomposition products. These products are not only oil contaminants, but may interfere with the action of piston rings and affect engine cleanliness. Further contamination occurs from the heavy ends of the fuel which reach the crankcase during cold engine operation. Dust and dirt find their way into the oil. The water, chemicals, heavy fuel ends, dirt , dust and the air in the crankcase are then completely mixed with the oil by the motion of the internal parts of the engine. The oil itself will tend to deteriorate because of oxidation. Even though it is well inhibited, high temperatures will speed its oxidation. This chemical union produces oil oxidation products which in themselves can be harmful. With these processes continuing over wide ranges of speed and temperatures between oil drain intervals, it is no wonder that the oil may eventually deteriorate as a lubricant. Let us examine the various types of engine operating conditions and the effects of some of these contaminants so that they can be brought under some degree of control. It is not possible to eliminate oil contamination nor to avoid the influence of temperature and time. However, it is possible to minimize their effects to some extent and thus prolong oil life

Chimaera wrote: »

The car's manual should have a service schedule in it. Most manufacturers recommend an inspection once a year even if an oil change is not needed. At 5000 km per year, it's quite possible to go three or four years without needing an oil change depending on the manufacturer's recommendation. There's also usually a low mileage alternative schedule for oil changes.

Oil is really only going to pick up contaminants from combustion products. The main risk with low mileage cars is water vapour condensing inside the crankcase, particularly on cars that don't get warmed up properly (short trips are never enough to warm the engine up to normal temperature). Annual inspection is mainly for things that wear with time, e.g. brake lines, hoses, seals, etc. It's worth taking your car for a longer trip once a month if you can so that it can warm up fully and run at operating temperature for a little while. 30-40 km should be enough.

Sometimes you can get weird periods of extra oil usage that have no obvious cause or explanation. My car recently went through a litre of oil in 1500 km but in the 1000 km since I topped up, it's used very little. No leaks (I fixed all those when I did the timing belt in October), no play in the turbo. Possibly worn rings or valve stem seals, but no way I'm pulling the engine asunder to check for that.

OP, for servicing, go with what the schedule in your manual says. I'd imagine if you're going in to Toyota each year they should be following the correct schedule anyway, but it's never any harm to educate yourself so you can ask questions about what they've done.

From what I can see the oil change schedule for your car is 10k mls or 12 months. If used under more severe conditions-and short journeys are more severe on an engine and oil-it is 5k mls or six months.
As for long life oils and three years or four years without a change I would perish the thought.
Oil deteriorates from the moment the engine is started and a % of these contaminants remains in the oil.

Source Lubrication Engineers International