Excessive oil consumption?

Have you used the dipstick to check the oil level from time to time?

Or isnt that necessary?

 

Here is a link to a search of your topic on Prius chat. As you will see there are many instances of this problem. Time to start checking with the dipstick, as suggested.
https://priuschat.com/search/171740205/?q=Excessive+oil+consumption&o=relevance&c[node]=97

 

Yup I used to do this

The same problem I was facing

 

Not necessary, there’s 2 people that I know who says it’s an option.

 

By the way, what was the reason to transition to high mileage oil?

 

As a forum lurker for years on this forum there is a mountain of info already about this. No magic bullets, but if in your shoes I would try first:
1. Clean EGR circuit (cooler), and intake, throttle body, change PCV valve to factory new
2. Use Toyota 0w20 Syn or Quaker State full Syn 0w20 and change more frequent for the next 3 or 4 changes (i.e. 3000), then set at 5000
3. Bottle of Techron on last fuel fill before each oil change, using up entire tank before changing oil
4. From this point forward use only Top Tier Fuel
5. Utilize a Toyota OEM air filter
6. Combine short trips into longer trips when possible.

If the usage does not improve, some on the forum do an oil catch can. I don't have OCC and no oil usage at 182k on my 2013 following this routine. Others have tried crankcase oil cleaners-- I would only do that if the problem got worse and would follow the directions exactly and try it only once as one could argue that running extremely thin diluted oil with cleaner is risky for wear damage.

Good luck

 

what or who is a dipstick?

 

COUNTABLE NOUN
If you call someone a dipstick, you are showing that you think they are very stupid or have done something very stupid.

“Don't be a total dipstick, Dad.”

 

Two and a half months later I guess I will be the one to say a 2013 Prius burning a quart every 4,000 miles is not unusual. Its actually pretty good considering these cars have a problem with excessive oil consumption due to a design flaw in the pistons and piston ring design. Toyota considers excessive consumption as a quart every 1200 miles. Back when these car were under warranty, Toyota would repair if the consumption met that standard.

 

Per the Technical Service Bulletin ...168.

In the Owner’s Manual they’re even more ballsy: saying a quart every 600 miles is “acceptable”, IIRC.

 

man, they really relaxed those standards when they started using crappier piston rings !

 

These 2 brands of oil are what has run in my 2013 which is not (yet) an oil burner. It's anyone's best guess if the oil brand (amongst the many synthetic with same weight and ratings) has any real bearing on which ones become oil burners or not.

 

Relevant docs indicating gen3 excessive oil consumption Prii were from 2010-2014. The pdfs include production vins that started using the improved pistons and rings. One of the first updated Prius hatchbacks was sold in May 2014, one of the first updated Prius v's was sold in July 2014.

 

The OP is in California.

Oil catch cans.....like many useful things, are illegal behind the tinsel curtain.
I'd use one anyway.......but I would make it east to remove when they demand to see your papers and inspect your car.

@ oil change interval. I'd stick with 5k but I would increase my oil CHECK interval. You're also going to want to start thinking about what's making your car drink. Sometimes it's rings....and there's NO SUCH THING as retroactive oil changes.
Other times it's other things....leaks....valve seals....PCV/EGR.....

@ 'Top Tier' fuel...Mostly that's balloon juice. Example: Costco. They paid a certain body to include them on the list. If your gas station of choice has fairly good equipment (filters, tankage, etc) then the fuel will be just as good as the bigs....and it will often come off the same truck.
It's like "Premium" gas....which really.....isn't premium at all.

@ Techron. Doesn't hurt, but there's no flux capacitor inside. I don't use it personally....but then my cars only need to last for about 20 years and 225,000 miles.

@ "High mileage" oil. For many engines, these contain conditioners and sometimes detergents to help with valve seal deterioration and sludge. Many people "say" that once you start using a high mileage formula that you have to keep using it. Most of my (4) vehicles have well over 100,000 miles on them so I use it....and keep using it. YOUR mileage may vary.

@ oil....this is a lot like "top tier" gas.
For now? I'd stick with 0w20, and determine how much your engine is REALLY using between 5,000 mile oil changes. If it's a quart or two then I would pick a brand that's widely available if you change your own. ANY blend that meets the appropriate standards for your engine (starburst) is just about as good as any of the others...and if it's 0w20 it almost certainly meets those standards.
This is especially if you're sending a lot of it through your exhaust system...if you don't check your oil, don't change your own oil, have clogged emissions or intake components (EGR, PCV, TB, MAFS) etc.
If you're burning more than about 2q every 5,000 miles then you may need to club up to 5w30 and reduce your OCI....and switch to a cheaper blend.
After all.....the purpose of driving a Prius is to save money - right?
I've seen people get into passionate 'oil wars' over this or that Gucci blend who buy cars every two years....don't know where their dipstick is, and never change their own oil.
I use either Castrol or SuperTech and have for decades....and let others fight the good fight over their favorite teams.

AGAIN.....YMMV.

 

I suspect they’re “illegal” most everywhere: any mods are a departure from the approved setup. My Moroso can(s) came with a card with words to that effect, something about not legal for street use; their lawyers’ suggestion I’d think.

 

heard majority say to save gas on a green level but go with the spin on oil filter conversion ditching the paper only filter

 

I agree with most of your points but perhaps not the details of top tier gas. As someone who designed and repaired gasoline product terminals including additive injection skids, I know there is a difference in gas. But gas has no impact on oil burning.

Most gas in an area is transported in fungible pipeline batches (mixed refineries in the same giant batches). At the local product terminal (tank farm where transport trucks load up), specific additives are injected as the generic gas is pumped to the truck. Shell will have a specific additive package while Exxon will have their own as will Chevron, etc. The top tier additives and their standalone additive injector skids cost more money than the generic additive the rest get. But in the end, all the additives do is a good to excellent injector cleaning and some degree of valve cleaning within port injected engines.

Costco is buying a top tier additive package from one of the majors or Dupont.

Meanwhile Premium gas is special because of increased octane. Some engines need it, some run better with it and some do not benefit from increased octane. A few of the major oil companies like Shell will increase the amount of additive in their premium.

In any case, the best additives in top tier gas or the use of premium will do nothing to solve or even prevent excessive oil consumption. Personally I suspect frequent oil changes before high oil consumption starts is the best defense. After the cylinders are scored and excessive consumption starts all bets are off.

 

am/pm is on the list top tier list also and their gas is priced lower than chevron and shell