1/3 qt. oil consumed after 5.5k miles

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by rocketrob, May 21, 2013.

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  1. rocketrob

    rocketrob Member

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    I would be ecstatic if I got >300K miles out of my Prius. I also monitor RPMs using scangauge and tend to ease back if above 4,000 rpm. I go one step further and usually keep to <3,000 rpm in city driving.

    The way I see it, the combustion engine is the thing that wears out and gives people reason to need a new car. (for pragmatic people, that is). One big design advantage of hybrid drivetrains is reduced engine wear. As you know, this is achieved in part by (1) the engine shuts off whenever possible, (2) RPMs are lowered from load sharing with the electric motor, (3) Atkinson is lower compression.

    Besides burning oil after (an impressive) 337K miles, are there other systems/components that are failing? Would you consider replacing the engine to keep her going until 600K miles?
     
    #21 rocketrob, May 23, 2013
  2. rocketrob

    rocketrob Member

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    What are your driving habits? City vs. Freeway?
     
    #22 rocketrob, May 23, 2013
  3. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Things haven't really changed, there were always some makes/models/engines that didn't burn a noticeable amount of oil and some that did. People simply need to understand that a small amount of oil consumption is a normal thing for many engines as they start to age, and it doesn't mean that they're functioning incorrectly.

    The trend to use thinner oils may contribute a little bit toward higher oil consumption. On the other hand however, lubricants have generally got better so that should tend to counter that factor. Overall, I don't think we're seeing any particular problem with engine longevity on modern cars, quite the opposite. And this includes the Prius.
     
    #23 uart, May 23, 2013
  4. boppo

    boppo Active Member

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    Rocketrob, no that I am retired I would say 50 50.
     
    #24 boppo, May 23, 2013
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