2011 Rav 4 Burning Oil?!?

[anchorman]

It will be interesting for us all to see how this develops with a potential issue with a 150 engine at such low mileage. Please keep the forum updated Richard.

Not even considering it as a potential problem yet Paul. This lot doesn't make sense.

[CharlieFarlie]

Mmmmmm

We have I think touched upon the 150 engine having rings done on another thread where as usual I pointed out that the engine should not be opened up .. It was at that time Kingo who's said certain engines are repaired by the dealers.

But the point got dropped and I assumed it was just confusion...

I sincerely hope that there are no inherent problems beginning to show in the later engines and selfishly at that as I still hunt Autotrader on a daily basis for one of the later cars...

Here's hoping its confusion here but a nagging doubt is creeping in...

I too can't work out why an engine can be condemned to major work without proper tests and diagnosis ....

[anchorman]

Exactly, it just seems like an off the cuff comment without any logical diagnosis. Whether the 150 has had new piston rings in some cases of consumption doesn't alarm me - that is another issue and one based on our own findings would be extremely rare. However, oil lights flashing on an engine with oil above the minimum mark is nothing to do with piston rings. Either there is a faulty sensor, the engine oil pressure is low (restricted flow or faulty pump) or the engine has history and has previously had "something" done to it.

If the OP sends me the reg or VIN No I will find out. We also need to know what was flashing.

[CharlieFarlie]

Does the oil light indicate low level of oil .. Low oil pressure. ... Or both. ??

[anchorman]

I think it does a number of things but without a trawl through the manual, I would be guessing. I think on some cars, a red oil can is low pressure and a yellow oil can is low level. It is so rare even on an old RAV, I can't remember! It also matters if a light is flashing or if it is flickering. This dealer is contemplating putting piston rings in an engine that is showing the wrong symptoms - galoots. If it isn't bggrd now it will be if that is their work ethic.

[kencat]

Yea red is stop

Yellow is low level warning

Which dealer did the diagnostic checks may be try another ?

Pistons won't cause low oil Pressure only the crank shaft and bearings really , and pump

Wot colour is the oil mine is still very clean 4 a Diesel with 26000 miles

[Big Kev]

Yea red is stop

Yellow is low level warning

Which dealer did the diagnostic checks may be try another ?

Pistons won't cause low oil Pressure only the crank shaft and bearings really , and pump

Wot colour is the oil mine is still very clean 4 a Diesel with 26000 miles

..........but your OIL has only done 6000 miles, so should be ok, no........?

[anchorman]

Yea red is stop

Yellow is low level warning

Which dealer did the diagnostic checks may be try another ?

Pistons won't cause low oil Pressure only the crank shaft and bearings really , and pump

Wot colour is the oil mine is still very clean 4 a Diesel with 26000 miles

..........but your OIL has only done 6000 miles, so should be ok, no........?

eh?

[kencat]

Yea only about 4000miles ! Most Diesel oils turn very black very quickly just stayed very clean in mine must be a very clean running engine , ( it's had 3 Services )

[Big Kev]

Anchorman's 2010 oil stayed clean for ages too. My 2009 SR180 oil was bowfin' at 2000miles......!

[silly sausage]

Oil was incredibly clean right up to 10k -20k changes on my previous 150, furthermore it didn't use a drop between changes.

[shcm]

On a RAV with a multifunctional display (i.e. probably most if not all EU ones), there should be no oil related warning lights. It is all done with messages on the display.

There is no low oil pressure light before engine crank. Unless they put it back on 2011 models!

So, which light is flickering?????

Something else doesn't stack up...........

[anchorman]

There you go. It gets curiouser and curiouser........

[CharlieFarlie]

Wondered why I could not recall an oil light.. I have had the no oil pressure sigh when I stalled the engine though. .... Curious indeed. ....

[blackcts]

It's the same story with the vvti engines, generally they guzzle oil when they get to a certain mileage, someone I know has an Auris 1.6vvti 08/09 and it guzzles oil. You would think Toyota would have this sorted from 2000, any Toyota I've ever came across vvti,vvtli or D4D all use oil. Yes I'm sure not all use oil, but I'm just saying from my experiences..That said going by other makes a top up of oil every now and again is nothing., they are generally very reliable cars IMO

[firemac]

It would be interesting to know exactly which light(s) fickered on the dash. Also, if a warning comes up on the info display, is it logged by the OBC? If so, can the dealer read a code to get an idea of the problem? If so, has this dealer done that?

Finally, have there been any symptoms of problems other than these fickering lights? How does the car perform otherwise?

[CharlieFarlie]

It's the same story with the vvti engines, generally they guzzle oil when they get to a certain mileage, someone I know has an Auris 1.6vvti 08/09 and it guzzles oil. You would think Toyota would have this sorted from 2000, any Toyota I've ever came across vvti,vvtli or D4D all use oil. Yes I'm sure not all use oil, but I'm just saying from my experiences..That said going by other makes a top up of oil every now and again is nothing., they are generally very reliable cars IMO

But surely the point about oil burning is if doing so will have consequential detrimental effects ?

Years ago when my Dad ran a small fleet of diesel Taxis it was commonplace to top up the engines on the cars whether old or new.. In fact the old man would go nuts if the drivers did not check the oil before a shift....

But in those days Catylists DPNRs and Dcat had never been hear of so the burning of the oil meant sod all where today it clearly does.... If it didn't Toyota would more than likely not adopted the current engine exchange policy..

When I first got my cat I just topped up... OK yes I did consider it burned quite a bit of oil but my mileage was high so put it down to that.. Then I read up on here.

[blackcts]

Very true Charlie.

The original 2.2 D-CAT engine running on 5w30 A1 high ash oil, must have been such a headache for dealers with clogged EGR and DPNR's. The residue from excess oil burning must have just clogged everything up. The low ash oils that Toyota now recommend would certainly help greatly with this.

[NORTHERN_LAD]

I am writing this to put a more positive spin on this problem and I hope you do not mind me doing so.

My Rav is a 2009 59 plate XT-R, registered about this time of year so about 4 years old. It has full Toyota history and I am its second owner.

It has about 56k on the clock and as far as I know is one of the first of of the 150 Optimal Drive Models without a DPF (unless you know different). It uses minimal oil (about 0.5 litre in 4K miles) 1K of that towing a 1400 kg caravan upto and around Northumberland.

The exhaust is clean without any smoke that I can see and the oil is now dark brown in colour but stayed clean for a long time. In my last car (C5 X7 2.0 HDi) it would be black within 500 miles but did not use oil between oil changes which I do at least twice per year or 4K miles.

I am new to this marque and still getting used to the car but so far I am very happy with it and so is my wife which is always a bonus. My only gripe is no spare wheel which I rectified as soon as I bought the car. Now my only gripe is nowhere to put it.

regards

Keith

[CharlieFarlie]

Was talking to the two guys whose garage now does the work on our cars...

These tow chaps were techs at one of the larger Toyota main dealers in the Midlandsup until September this year.

So I asked specifically if there has been any problems with the later 150 engine.

There is/was a TSB for replacing piston rings on this engine.

So I asked how many cars had they done.......... NONE... Neither had any of the branches associated to the dealers had done one single car either......

The blame for this bulletin may rest upon a reaction to one or two cars burning oil and subsequently having the rings replaced..

So why not replace the engine if a 150 engine started burning oil was my next question..

Simply because the design of the EGR is quite different and employs a flap affair that allows gasses to pass through quickly and efficiently so no clogging and carbon build up.

Their opinion of the EGR used on THE EARLIER ENGINES was not great.. It employs a sort of needle valve affair that because its of its limited capacity to flow gasses means it clogs up and carbon build up takes place...

Guys please remember this is my interpretation of what I was told.. Whilst I have a reasonable understanding I am no technician. Far from it...

There are NO reasons for owners of the later cars with the 150 engines to worry about their engines in any way shape form or fashion..

I for one will not hesitate to buy one of these cars with the 150 engine that's for sure !

[Big Kev]

Charlie........regardless what yer wife says, you're a very nice person. Thanks for at least mostly clearing this up........yet again ah was watching our cars depreciate very quickly due to misinformation.

[CharlieFarlie]

As a point and this is quite important I believe..

Said technicians were very scathing about the design of the earlier engine ..

So if blockage of the EGR is as detrimental it makes partial nonsense of my previous opinion to not clean the EGR

I have in the past advised..

For a vehicle still in warranty do not touch the EGR or clean it as sooting up is an indicator of the engine burning oil and to clean is removing that indicator..

For an engine outside of warranty clean it very often !!

But now I'm not so sure

Either way if the odd ...Say 1 in 1000 150 engines do burn a spot of oil and in the opinion of the Technicians this is quite normal/acceptable it wont do any harm as the later / modified EGR will not clog up... Niff said..

Oh and I asked if it was possible to fit the later betterer EGR to the earlier engines... No.. It would apparently need the ECU changing if it would fit but it wont anyway...

[Big Kev]

...........plus I think it is radically changed by the introduction of some kind of water cooling, Charlie.....?

[voyager t180]

Charlie........regardless what yer wife says, you're a very nice person. Thanks for at least mostly clearing this up........yet again ah was watching our cars depreciate very quickly due to misinformation.

Don't know about that Kev, there's an 2006 T180 at a dealers near me reduced to £9250 from £10.5k

Guess if you never go on forums you wouldn't know anything about the possible issues.

[CharlieFarlie]

...........plus I think it is radically changed by the introduction of some kind of water cooling, Charlie.....?

So I believe Kev.. Never touched on that point.. But yes I remember it being said here on the forum... It is a completely different EGR so should be much much better...

Oh I also asked about the engines fitted to the latest 4.4 cars and was told they are completely different in most every way....