Oil Burner

[ToyotaAuris]

Hi, i have a 54 plate 1.8 Verso 120k miles petrol. I do around 3k miles per month all motorway miles and it burns alot of oil, i have to fill oil about 400-500 miles, it completely finishes the oil. Why does this happen? There are no leaks under the car or in the engine bay and its never let of any black smoke or anything, always good sound. Please help with the problem and if you can tell me if it has a recall or something.

Also another thing is that its paint is beginning to peel off on the bonnet for no apparent reason, no stone chip or scratch under it. Its a Red Maroon colour.

Thanks!

[Devon Aygo]

Unfortunately oil consumption of more than 0.5lt/621 is a known issue for which there was a warranty extension in place however your car is both too old and has too many miles for it to apply now.

The fault is oil burning on the back of the piston crown, this gums up and blocks the oil ways around the piston rings, eventually wearing the engine bores, allowing oil to bypass the piston rings and burn away in the combustion process.

The fix involves fitting a reconditioned short block which has been rebuilt using modified pistons, piston rings and a few other minor modifications ( not a cheap repair ).

Some other forum members have had success with oil flushes, high quality oils of the correct grade and using premium quality fuels which appears to clean the gummed up oil away from the pistons rings improving the sealing of the rings and reducing oil use, this only seems to work on cars that have been using oil for a short period and only last as long as the use of the higher quality fuels continues.

As for the paint peeling if its not due to the normal chipping, scratching etc then it is highly likely that the car has been painted/repaired before and the repair quality is a little lacking, as if the car was totally original and had a genuine fault the entire car would be showing the same problems and not just the bonnet , as for warranty the car is well beyond any manufactures paint warranty and the 12 year anti perforation warranty only covers rust blistering through from the inside of the panel.

[ToyotaAuris]

I use premium oil and always BP fuel but I have never flushed the oil, I'll see what I do, thinking of selling it soon anyway.