Call Toyota USA and ask them. They'll tell ya it's normal.

 

Re-read my post again.

 

That much oil use is definitely a major seal problem along with worn oil rings being another possible cause. Get it fixed soon. One thing you can try, would be Auto-RX once you get the mail seal fixed.

And not to beat a dead horse, but the 3VZ-E is quite possibly the worst engine Toyota ever built. This is coming from a loyal 5 Toyota vehicle owner for the last 20 years.

My .02
G

 

I started my truck up today after I had been off-roading, and blue smoke shot out of my pipe. I was told it may just be a compression issue, nothing to worry about.

I checked my oil level though, and .
The damn thing had oil on it when I first pulled it out, but when I dipped it back for an accurate reading and pulled it out, the damn stick was bone dry!

Who knows how long I had been driving like this for, but I dumped some in ASAP and drove home.

Did I cause any serious damage from this little mishap? The engine still feels and sounds like it did before. I'll check for smoke again when I fire it up tommorrow morning. Hopefully it doesn't rear it's ugly head again.

 

2K? That's compleetly normal for a rig with some miles on it. A quart every 700 to 1000 miles (like mine) is reason for concern. In my case, I know I am burning a little and driping a little too which is prabably the case for most of you guys. Some might be mostly leaking while others might be more burning. I know mine pufs out a patch of white smoke when I start it up (I have to look right at the pipe when it fires up to notice) but even that is enough to show it is in fact burnig oil. Not much can be done beyond a new engine in my case.

 

Ok, maybe I missed that someone already went over this, but are you running conventional or synthetic oil? While this may not make a HUGE difference, it is a know fact that the way synthetic oil is constructed, it is helpless to be "burned" a lot faster than regular oil. I used to own a '96 and a '95 Prelude VTEC and the VTEC was engaged via oil pressure. If a VTEC owner used synthetic oil (much better heat controller than conventional), then "missing" oil was the ordinary. No one ever knew where it went... it didn't burn... it didn't leak... it just disapeared. So if you are using synthetic, I'd be less worried (but still VERY worried) and if you are using conventional, I'd be VERY worried. I don't care what kind of engine you have, that much oil loss is way to much. I'd be very pissed if my engine used a quart on 3000 miles. I don't even wait that long to change my oil though! ..... ..... So what kind of oil do you use?

 

After 6 months running synthetic. My oil is gone, I noticed it this past weekend. Just went over 100,000 unrelated I'm sure. Anyway, I hear this noise coming from engine left side sounds like a flap/tick sound. Is this nomal?? I see the oil guage at low the dip stick is dry. I droped 5qrt at the local shell . ther are no oil leaks anywhere.
The noise continues. Could the valves have gotten warped or meesed up. Should, I get some sort of diagnostic check up Compression test or something.

thanks

 

little help

 

Just a quick note, I hope you guys are letting the all the oil drain back into the oil pan after turning it off. It should sit about 10 min. before checking the oil. I had this same issue with a customer after I rebuilt his diesel( big truck engine, but the same principle) he would check it right after he turned it off and complained about oil consumption. It took me a while to figure out that he was overfilling his engine with oil. so let it sit a while.

 

Also checking your oil after changing it, warm your engine up to normal temp.Cold oil flows slowly and takes it's time making it's way back to the oil pan(see last post).I've noticed at least a 1/2 quart difference between cold start levels and a warmed up engine.
If it's not leaking (externally-internally)it's burning it! It can be burning oil and not be visible. 300 miles to the quart is pretty excessive.Are you sure there are no leaks?Did you crawl under your truck and check or are you just looking at the ground under it?
lbb-1.you put in 5 quarts? or you just changed the oil ?If your oil pressure was lo to no and now you have engine noise then it sounds like you did some damage.Cam's and rod bearings are usually the first to go.

 

It also fills the filter on the first start, remember to take that into account

 

You need to check your oil at least once a week in older motors. If you are running synthetics for the first time you will consume it fast for the first 15-20000 miles until it cleans the crud leftover from dino oil.

 

any test to do?//

 

ANYONE

 

For oil consumption ,there are no tests per se.A compression test is probably the only "test" related to your problem.But that can be misleading.Each piston has three rings and the oil scraper ring is the bottom one.So you could have ok compression but still have a broken/stuck scraper ring.
You stated you changed your oil six months ago,but how many miles ?3000 ? 6000 ?Do you ever check your oil level ? As mentioned before Toyota says a quart per thousand is not abnormal(so does Honda)so even if everthing is ok you could still consume 6 qts. of oil in 6000 miles.
I'd be more concered about your sudden engine noise at this point,and just monitor your oil consumption(checking it at every gas fill-up)to see how much oil your actually consumeing.