[coolmel]

Originally Posted by hserus

5-6k km worth of running in 1-2-3-3-2-1 and half clutch city traffic takes more out of a diesel engine than 10-12k km of highway driving. That + multiple short trips in traffic is classed as "severe use" and can reasonably lead to higher oil consumption.

https://team.valvoline.com/diy/maint...ing-conditions

Note the top risk factors they class as severe conditions -

Frequent idling for long periods of time
Stop-and-go driving in heavy traffic
Short trips (less than 5 miles) in normal temperatures
(and for cabs) Any trips that involve transporting items via roof rack or car-top carrier

If you have low running and such driving patterns you're better off with a petrol mill than a diesel.



ALL modern cars are manufactured with such tolerances. See that Youtube video I posted a few posts above, that discusses the possible causes for this and how to troubleshoot the issue.

Many thanks for this! We had initial high running but not any more. Perhaps it could be time to sell the diesel. :(

Originally Posted by R2D2

Not sure which Delvac you picked up but if it's not Delvac 1 I recommend you try it next time.

Toyota's mineral oil is well, decent..just about OK like most other OEM mineral oils out there. It'll do the job well for up to 5K kms contrary to what TKM sells to customers about a 10K km drain interval only to give the impression their cars are low on maintenance costs. But the entire industry that does that. Witness new cars coming with 15K drain intervals and some cars in the US can go 10-15000 miles without an oil change.

Anyway, if you use Toyota OEM 5W-30 mineral change the oil every 5K kms. If you use Toyota's 5W-40 synthetic then 10K is fine. Both are made by Idemitsu/Savita Chemicals.



Absolutely. +1 to that. With the price differential between petrol and diesel dropping to just about Rs 12/litre and given the higher costs of purchasing a diesel car it makes more sense to buy a petrol if your running is less than 1500-2000 km a month.

It IS THE legendary Delvac 1. Precious golden drops of awesome. Was inclined to buy the Toyota FS but didnt. Ive had a fab experience with Mobil1 on my Getz. It breathed new life into what was otherwise an unreliable motor. And the difference was instantly noticeable. As a matter of fact, there is a cabbie who owns an Etios. Let me check with him regd this oil issue.

Many thanks guys, wonderful connecting with you. Sheer delight speaking.

[ACM]

So a question:

My BMW X3 3.0d with the legendary best diesel engine in India tag consumes (requires top up) 1.5-2 ltrs of BMW original synthetic Engine Oil every 9-10k kms.

Was given to understand this is normal. 50% of my running is highways and only 10% or less in traffic.

Normal?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by ACM

So a question:

My BMW X3 3.0d with the legendary best diesel engine in India tag consumes (requires top up) 1.5-2 ltrs of BMW original synthetic Engine Oil every 9-10k kms.

Was given to understand this is normal. 50% of my running is highways and only 10% or less in traffic.

Normal?

Nope, never added anything on current generation X5 (done 24 K) although, on the older one, it asked at around 6000 Km mark - a litre if I recollect, I sold at around 10 K mark so won't know what happened afterwards.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by ACM

So a question: My BMW X3 3.0d with the legendary best diesel engine in India tag consumes (requires top up) 1.5-2 ltrs of BMW original synthetic Engine Oil every 9-10k kms.
Was given to understand this is normal. 50% of my running is highways and only 10% or less in traffic. Normal?

Turbo diesel and turbo petrol engines will consume more engine oil than NA motors. How much depends on model to model and driving styles/conditions. Isn't this the same engine that does service in the 530D? If yes, GTO and Tanveer_2558 are probably best placed to answer.

PS - @Santoshbhat too. You could ask in this thread: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...km-update.html

[GTO]

Originally Posted by ACM

My BMW X3 3.0d with the legendary best diesel engine in India tag consumes (requires top up) 1.5-2 ltrs of BMW original synthetic Engine Oil every 9-10k kms.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Isn't this the same engine that does service in the 530D? If yes, GTO and Tanveer_2558 are probably best placed to answer.

Let's not take the thread off-topic, but some points:

1. Neither me nor Turbanator have faced any excessive oil consumption in our 3.0L diesels. My oil is always only changed at the scheduled intervals (usually 10,000 km). Never even required a top-up. I change my oil at maximum 10,000 km even if the onboard computer suggests a longer interval.

2. Tanveer has seen his oil change intervals go down drastically (related discussion). Some of us think that's to do with his remap.

3. ACM, because your car was a high-mileage used piece, I don't think it would be the best example to judge this engine on. I know your engine was replaced; there are too many ifs & buts in your situation.

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just a thought, guys: Perhaps, most of the Etios cabs complaining have high odometer readings? Say, 2 - 3 lakh km? If so, then the high oil consumption isn't surprising right, considering the worn out engine?

Engines don't wear out even at 3 lakh km if routine and preventive maintenance is done.
Taxi drivers are likely not to follow those regimes.
Toyota or any other manufacturer, for that matter is not responsible , or rather is not liable to warrant a Private vehicle used as a taxi.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Engines don't wear out even at 3 lakh km if routine and preventive maintenance is done.
Taxi drivers are likely not to follow those regimes.
Toyota or any other manufacturer, for that matter is not responsible , or rather is not liable to warrant a Private vehicle used as a taxi.

err .. taxi drivers are more fastidious than private owners in routine maintence and servicing esp if taxi is driver owned and driven.

[Ashley Nair]

Saw this taxi Etios today at Changanasserry, Kerala. The Malayalam words mean “Toyota Company, keep justice. Sort out the problem of engine oil level decrease in Etios. Don’t get cheated by buying Etios”
The driver came out of the parked car, seeing me, and disclosed that his car had run just 45000 kms and it required a two litre oil top up every 4000 kms. Besides, the fuel tank was badly rusting. He had contacted Toyota dealer more than once, but they are evading an overhaul of the engine on flimsy grounds. The same is the case with other new Etios’ in the town and so on.

He insisted me to post the registration number of the car in Team –BHP, so that anyone can contact him and he desired others not to get cheated like him.

As to me, I feel that Toyota, which is considered as an epitome of reliability and quality, is not the same as of old.

[dhruvtanwar]

I own a diesel Etios Liva since June 2016 and have done about 25k kms thus far, with about 60% of my run being a highway. While I haven't personally faced this oil level issue, I did ask the service advisor at the Turbhe workshop about this (having read about this in the media and on Team-BHP). Maybe he was trying to brush the query off and get on with his day, but the gist of my brief conversation with him condenses to the fact that running conditions and doing distances of a hundred km or more in city conditions seems to push up oil consumption. He did point out that with my kind of usage, I'm unlikely to face the issue. Have been monitoring my oil levels every month over the past 6-odd months, no change so far.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by dhruvtanwar

I own a diesel Etios Liva since June 2016 and have done about 25k kms thus far, with about 60% of my run being a highway.

He did point out that with my kind of usage, I'm unlikely to face the issue. Have been monitoring my oil levels every month over the past 6-odd months, no change so far.

That use is a fraction of the use a taxi driver will put on his car. And 60% highway driving.

Enjoy your Etios, and forget about this thread

[itsashishsharma]

I am sure if this issue was reported with a Tata car, people would go gaga over how bad Tata cars and their service are. With a Toyota, however, most of us are trying to look for reasons why the issue could be because of some other factors and not the car per se.
When so many car owners are reporting this issue and they have gone this far, stickering their beloved cars with text to demote a company, so that they can get some attention from right authorities, I am sure they would have struggled a lot with their Toyota service centre and didn't get satisfactory response. Also, as mentioned by others, taxi drivers may not know many things about cars that we know, they would definitely know about such an issue being specific to the Etios 1.4L diesel as they are surrounded by fellow Etios owners and other diesel cars owners (such as the dZire, the Indigo, the Excent etc). As fuel efficiency actually matters to them and not just a matter of pride as most of private car owners, and as mobile oil consumption also contributes to their operation costs, of course they care for FE and oil consumption, and of course they would discuss, compare, research in whatever form they could.
Toyota has been enjoying the tag of reliable cars and none of their current offerings is VFM, just none. It is high time in India that they start caring for their customers and not take their position for granted.
My Fiesta 1.5L diesel doesn't consume any oil and almost all my running is in b2b Bangalore traffic. Consumption of 2L oil every 4k KMs is ridiculous and the drivers aren't expecting anything they don't deserve. They are just asking Toyota to take one of their vehicles and run all the tests they want and if an issue is found, to fix it with all such reported vehicles.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by lurker

Oil can vanish only due to faulty seals .... (snip)

It also happens with worn out piston rings. Or worn out engine bearings.

When lube oil consumption goes up, normal wisdom is that the engine is end of life. On commercial vehicles, this means the engine is overhauled. All moving parts , seals, packing gaskets, etch are replaced.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Taxi drivers are likely not to follow those regimes.
Toyota or any other manufacturer, for that matter is not responsible , or rather is not liable to warrant a Private vehicle used as a taxi.

And why would that be so?

If you are saying the vehicles have run beyond the kms warranted by the company, that's one thing. If you are saying any manufacturer is not liable to honour warranty if a private vehicle is used as a taxi, it's hard to believe.

Do you have any warranty card that spells this out? Or any warranty claims rejected due to such a reason? Would be interesting to know more about it.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

It also happens with worn out piston rings. Or worn out engine bearings.

the worn seals will pack up first. Rest will happen sequentially from then on. It is clear, new Toyotas that are cheap and made to a cost like the Etios will not have the durability of their more premium brands.

[ALTIMAed]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Oil consumption:- thought that was a VW speciality.

Water ingress:- This is serious. Didn't a forum member have the same problem with his Innova?

Regards
Sutripta

I always thought the 'crown for engine oil consumption' went to TATA. In 1996 (way back, I agree), I used to work for a TATA dealership in the service department. The entire line up, be it trucks, 207 (Tatamobile), Sumo, Estate and Sierra all were famous to have a thirst for engine oil.

Only the 407 was a teetotaler.