Potential 2 with oil burning

MrChris · July 16, 2021, 09:27

Hi all,

I've got my eye on a 2 to view this weekend I hope. The owner has been fairly honest it seems and admitted that their car "burns a little oil but has always done this" over the last 2 or so years. It's a 2001 pre-facelift. Precats have been removed, what do you reckon? I really don't want to find myself having to rebuild the engine.

Thanks

s12vea · July 16, 2021, 09:54

Unfortunately you won't know until you have purchased. Depending on the mileage you do it may not be an immediate problem. But long term ownership might require a rebuild

Call the midlife! · July 16, 2021, 10:03

Mine used to use half a litre over 3-400 miles, I laughingly called that "a bit of oil", until you can quantify it yourself you're basically in the same position no matter what you buy.

1979scotte · July 16, 2021, 10:06

People run oil burning engines for years and years.
@Ardent can quote the offical toyota litre per mile listed in the owners manual. It's quite a lot.
Check every time you use it for the first month and then once a month if its within tolerance.
Reminds me probably time to check mine again.

Iain · July 16, 2021, 10:18

A little oil burning is no big deal, most engines do it.

If however its putting blue smoke out the back, thats a sign to walk away.

jonbill · July 16, 2021, 10:24

IME rate of oil burning rises with RPM. so one user who never goes over 3500 rpm will say 'just uses a little oil' and the next user who hoons it all the way home will wonder why its knocking and has no oil when they get home.
You can live with it, but you have to figure out the rate it burns oil the way you drive it.

Joesson · July 16, 2021, 10:25

As @1979scotte says, the Toyota handbook quotes oil consumption, it devotes half a page of the handbook to the topic. Maybe because they were aware that the drivers of such vehicles would be exploiting it's potential. Any way Oil consumption :
Max 1.0 L per 1000km (1.1 qt/ 600 miles , 0.9 Imp. qt /600 mies).
Oil consumption, once noticed, will not decrease, some years ago the " answer" was to use a heavier grade, ie Duckhams Q20-50 slowed the rate of loss but it was not a cure.
It depends where in this cycle of events the engine is, if you really don't want to be rebuilding an engine and intend driving hard and long then perhaps this one is not for you.

1979scotte · July 16, 2021, 10:36

Quote from: jonbill on July 16, 2021, 10:24IME rate of oil burning rises with RPM. so one user who never goes over 3500 rpm will say 'just uses a little oil' and the next user who hoons it all the way home will wonder why its knocking and has no oil when they get home.
You can live with it, but you have to figure out the rate it burns oil the way you drive it.

This is a great point.
If you're an enthusiastic back road blaster compared to a boulevard cruiser.

Ardent · July 16, 2021, 10:53

Beaten to it. Post #6.

If it burns less than a litre per 621 miles. It's in spec. Raised eyebrow with monical emoji.

Like everyone above.
Need some numbers for perspective.
If the seller openly states it burns some.
How much are they putting in vs miles covered.

Gaz mr-s · July 16, 2021, 12:21

Following on from the revs comments above, that's my experience too. If you go to view it get the owner to take you for a drive on rural roads, - encourage him/her to drive 'enthusiastically'. If they don't use 5-6k revs you can be pretty sure it'll burn quite a bit more if you drive it harder than they do.

One other tactic is to take someone with you & get them to look at the exhaust fumes. I went to see a very tidy looking Electric green (FL) & did exactly that. Following it I could see some smoke. Then left the car ticking over for a minute & gave it big throttle blips. Lots of smoke.

ManInDandism · July 16, 2021, 13:21

Quote from: Ardent on July 16, 2021, 10:53Beaten to it. Post #6.

If it burns less than a litre per 621 miles. It's in spec. Raised eyebrow with monical emoji.

Like everyone above.
Need some numbers for perspective.
If the seller openly states it burns some.
How much are they putting in vs miles covered.

It all relative. I've never previously owned a car that burnt oil at a rate of knots by design. Seller might simply be comparing it to another of his cars.

Dev · July 16, 2021, 13:54

If I owned a car that burned oil and was fine with adding oil I would tell myself it isn't that bad and make the best of it.
If I was a potential buyer and the owner said the same thing I would immediately disqualify it as an unknown and at least part of the price reduction should reflect that the engine will require a rebuild in the near future. It doesn't mean the owner is hiding anything, he or she maybe ignorant about the condition but it certainly a car to walk away from unless the price is right. At the very least a compression test is warranted.