Oil Consumption In 1.6 Corollo Verso

[june64]

Help! Please could ANYONE advise me about most likely cause. Just before Christmas we had a major service which replaced, according to the documents, 3.7 litres of oil into the engine. 3 months and 2500 miles later, the oil light briefly flickers on and while we're trying to get to a petrol station, fails amid horrific grinding noises. RAC says not a drop of oil in the engine and either the piston or the big end has gone, meaning new engine, costing £3000. This car is 04 reg, with 36,000 miles on the clock. Garage where service was done says well known problem with 1ZZ engine (as in our car) overburning oil and that there is a warranty extension to cover and Toyota will fix. But second Toyota garage, where dead car relayed to, says after engine strip down that carbonisation and gum associated with this problem not present. Toyota refuses to cover it on extended warranty. BUT the garage also finds no oil leaks. They do however, tell a few fibs about it costing £7000 to fix, and a dealer from their Toyota franchise calls us to see if he can't 'take it off our hands'. First garage adamant ( and my whole family uses them) that oil was put properly replenished.

For any people out there who REALLY know these cars, I would be grateful of any and all your opinions.

[Zwart_Verso]

This is a difficult situation! I wish you success in solving it.

As to the cause I can only see 3 possibilities:

1. The oil (or at least enough) was not put in at the last service, but in this case I would expect the problem to have occurred sooner.

2. The engine has used the oil, although in this case I would expect the oil light to come on a few times before it was so low to destroy the engine. And I would expect this to happen gradually so the oil would probably been dangerously low when you took it for the last service, which should have triggered a reaction and repair then. Checking the oil level / colour etc. before you replace it can reveal a lot.

3. The oil has leaked out, if the lamp only flickered before total destruction I would say a big/fast leak. Due to the suddenness, this would be my guess. A hole in the sump or the drain plug fell out because it was not tightened correctly at the last service!! Was the drain plug in the engine when you took it in!

So unless you have a great big hole in the sump (accident, therefore insurance) or other evidence of a catastrophic failure (warranty), I think I would talk to the garage that did the last service and mention the possibilities above.

Unfortunately I conclude from the fact that as you give no information about the oil level after the service and no information about oil consumption up to the service that you do not check your oil frequently. This I suspect is listed as a periodic check in the handbook and makes any warranty claim very weak.

I hope this helps and good luck.

Andy

[T V O R]

How many times did you check your oil level (from Christmas to 3 months later)?

[Zwart_Verso]

How many times did you check your oil level (from Christmas to 3 months later)?

I don’t think he did, which I agree he should have done!

BUT a modern car with only 36,000 miles on the clock should not burn oil, at least not 3.7 litres in 2,500miles (I have had my 1.8 for 14 months and have never seen the oil level change). Normally you would not expect to have to top up oil between services.

Therefore for this to happen something must have gone wrong either with the service or the car or a collision. The question that needs to be answered is what and how further.

Andy

[june64]

This is a difficult situation! I wish you success in solving it.

As to the cause I can only see 3 possibilities:

1. The oil (or at least enough) was not put in at the last service, but in this case I would expect the problem to have occurred sooner.

2. The engine has used the oil, although in this case I would expect the oil light to come on a few times before it was so low to destroy the engine. And I would expect this to happen gradually so the oil would probably been dangerously low when you took it for the last service, which should have triggered a reaction and repair then. Checking the oil level / colour etc. before you replace it can reveal a lot.

3. The oil has leaked out, if the lamp only flickered before total destruction I would say a big/fast leak. Due to the suddenness, this would be my guess. A hole in the sump or the drain plug fell out because it was not tightened correctly at the last service!! Was the drain plug in the engine when you took it in!

So unless you have a great big hole in the sump (accident, therefore insurance) or other evidence of a catastrophic failure (warranty), I think I would talk to the garage that did the last service and mention the possibilities above.

Unfortunately I conclude from the fact that as you give no information about the oil level after the service and no information about oil consumption up to the service that you do not check your oil frequently. This I suspect is listed as a periodic check in the handbook and makes any warranty claim very weak.

I hope this helps and good luck.

Andy

Thanks, Andy, we are now embarked on the awful, expensive road of repair. You are quite right, proving anything against the service garage isn't really viable. So, we are replacing the 'short' engine. In your view, is that likely to solve the problme, if the problem as diagnosed most likley by youself is hole in the sump or oil drain plug movement?

Thanks for taking the time, greatly appreciated.

[Zwart_Verso]

In your view, is that likely to solve the problme, if the problem as diagnosed most likley by youself is hole in the sump or oil drain plug movement?

As long as you don't put back a damaged sump and make sure the drain plug is screwed in properly then it should not happen again.

(By the way if this was the cause there should have been a big puddle of oil right where the car stopped! Was there?)

Anyway if I were you I would want to know what happened! As I said you should have checked the oil, this might have prevented the engine seizure but there was obviously something wrong before it seized. The oil has got to go somewhere 3.7 litres of oil must leave some trace somewhere. Assuming it was put in!

I still think the garage that did the last service should be your first port of call, the reason you have a service is to prevent this sort of thing happening. When they give you back the car it is reasonable to expect it is perfect working order. I think the onus is on them to prove the car was OK when they were finished rather than you have to prove it wasn't. But I am not sure they will agree.

Perhaps you can come to some sort of a deal.

Hope this helps,

Andy.

[takisawa]

Hi, sorry to hear of your troubles....!!!

I had to fix a major problem with our 03' Corolla due to sludge.

Basically sump off, rocker cover off & thoroughly de-sludge.

Having seen the inside of a sludged VVTi engine I'd not rule out failure to to this.

We had ours up to 70k miles & it used about a litre of oil per year, & was oil tight.

These engines are excellent, & I'm struggling to thinkl on how close on 4lts of oil could leak away.

The problems with sludge are mainly in the US due to cooler running engines luckily, & I think ours missed an early oil change that led to our problem.

As for 3k for a new engine, great if you can afford it. I looked into a new engine & the cheapest option was an engine from a write-off. I sourced a 15k mile one for about £400. I reckon another £250 for fitting should see you back on the road.

Good luck...!!!

Oh, & Toyota in Tamworth quoted me almost £8k for a new engine...!!!

[june64]

Hi, sorry to hear of your troubles....!!!

I had to fix a major problem with our 03' Corolla due to sludge.

Basically sump off, rocker cover off & thoroughly de-sludge.

Having seen the inside of a sludged VVTi engine I'd not rule out failure to to this.

We had ours up to 70k miles & it used about a litre of oil per year, & was oil tight.

These engines are excellent, & I'm struggling to thinkl on how close on 4lts of oil could leak away.

The problems with sludge are mainly in the US due to cooler running engines luckily, & I think ours missed an early oil change that led to our problem.

As for 3k for a new engine, great if you can afford it. I looked into a new engine & the cheapest option was an engine from a write-off. I sourced a 15k mile one for about £400. I reckon another £250 for fitting should see you back on the road.

Good luck...!!!

Oh, & Toyota in Tamworth quoted me almost £8k for a new engine...!!!

Thanks for all that - its going to cost three grand - I just don't have the knowledge to fight this one. I don't understand how garages can get away with kind of behaviour. Do you know anyplace I can go look how common these kinds of issues are? how do you come back to an 'official' Toyota garage to say 'you're ripping me off, please can i have fair price now'?!

[hertsnminds]

I don't understand how garages can get away with kind of behaviour. Do you know anyplace I can go look how common these kinds of issues are? how do you come back to an 'official' Toyota garage to say 'you're ripping me off, please can i have fair price now'?!

You have a couple of sources for help, the Citizens Advice Bureau and someone like the AA or RAC. The Breakdown companies can give you an independent "qualified" quote on the work required and the possible reasons for failure and the CAB can tell you what legal recourse you would have given the details the AA/RAC have discovered.