2000 Toyota Camry Oil usage

2000 TOYOTA CAMRY
235,000 MILES • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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CANTGROWUP
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My Camry is now "using" 1.5 qts between oil changes, which I consider excessive for a 4 qt capacity. I've always changed my oil every 3000-3500 miles since new, initially using Castrol Syntech Blend 10W30 and then Castrol's High Mileage 10W30 for the past 100k miles. This car does not drip oil on the driveway, nor does it smoke out the tail pipe. However, for the past couple of years I have noticed a burnt oil smell coming from the engine compartment and I did recently have the valve cover gasket replaced to stop a leak. My question is whether my car is burning oil via leaking rings or whether it is leaking oil from other seals and is just being cooked on the engine somewhere. I have tracked every single gallon of gas that I've put in this car since it was new (8,045 gallons of Chevron regular) and my gas mileage has been consistant at around 29 mpg for the past 7 years. In fact, it has recently climbed to 29.11, so would this increasing mileage be possible if my rings were wearing more? Should I be concerned about losing 1.5 qts between changes? Should I have a compression check done? I know this is anal, but it's been bugging me. Thanks

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Jan 15, 2008 at 1:34 PM
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DSPLC
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Hi. I have a1999 Toyota Camry, same engine as 2000 Camry. I have 201,000 miles. I travel 110 miles a day. I think it is normal. Every 4 days, I add about 1/16 to 1/8 quart of oil (10w/30). I do not see any leak around the engine nor on my garage floor. I do not see any white smoke out of the muffler. At 200,000 miles, piston rings and valve stem oil seals are a little bit worn out, and the top portion of the cylinder bore got a little groove already. All these causes a little oil burning inside the combustion chamber. Now, I add an oil additive ($2 STP) that thickens the oil (every 3000 mile oil change). Also, every 6,000 miles, I also add an oil additive ($6 Bardahl, not sure of the name brand) that coats/fills up scratches in the piston cylinder. It does not stop the oil consumption but it lessens it. It helps.
By the way, I own a 94 Toyota Tercel before with more than 230,000 miles. Same problem.

This is only my actual experience.
Jan 15, 2008 at 2:28 PM
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2CARPRO JACK
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I think you got your moneys worth out of those rings.That is alot of miles for a gasoline engine. I know it is a Toyota, I have owned them myself, great cars/trucks. Might want to see if the oil drainback holes in the head have become plugged, causing the valve cover to fill up and leak, this will also make it suck the oil into the combustion chambers while driving. Comp test wont tell you much, if anything you need to do a cylinder leak down test to see if the rings are worn out. Comp will probably be high due to oil in th ecylinders
Jan 15, 2008 at 3:14 PM
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CANTGROWUP
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[quote:c8da7cbe76="2CarPro Jack"]I think you got your moneys worth out of those rings.That is alot of miles for a gasoline engine. I know it is a Toyota, I have owned them myself, great cars/trucks. Might want to see if the oil drainback holes in the head have become plugged, causing the valve cover to fill up and leak, this will also make it suck the oil into the combustion chambers while driving. Comp test wont tell you much, if anything you need to do a cylinder leak down test to see if the rings are worn out. Comp will probably be high due to oil in th ecylinders[/quote:c8da7cbe76]

Since the gas mileage is increasing and it's not dripping on the driveway, I don't really mind the oil useage. It's the burnt oil smell that bothers me. The car literally stinks from under the hood when I stop after driving. Should an engine be steam cleaned to help identify a leak and other than the cyclinder cover, what other seals might be leaking on this Camry engine that could be economically changed? Probably none witout a major overhaul.
Jan 15, 2008 at 3:58 PM
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2CARPRO JACK
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Not too many that dont require a bit of work. I prefer to use Simple Green to degrease for finding oil leaks
Jan 15, 2008 at 4:30 PM