Consumer Reports finds some newer cars burn too much oil
07-02-15, 09:10 AM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
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CR also reports most of their readers drive mid grade camrys and accords, keep them for an average of 10 years and hate cars. 
07-02-15, 09:16 AM
#17
Lexus Test Driver
No. No matter what company representatives say, oil use at those intervals is NOT acceptable. To try and claim otherwise is PR nonsense.
What's being overlooked, though, is that some owners are not breaking in their new vehicles properly. The guidelines in the Owners' Manuals for break-in (4000-4500 RPM max, no full-throttle acceleration, vary engine speed up and down, no hard braking except for emergencies) mean what they say.....they are not merely suggestions. Flaunt them, and one risks improper valve/bearings/ring seating and more-than-necessary oil use.
What's being overlooked, though, is that some owners are not breaking in their new vehicles properly. The guidelines in the Owners' Manuals for break-in (4000-4500 RPM max, no full-throttle acceleration, vary engine speed up and down, no hard braking except for emergencies) mean what they say.....they are not merely suggestions. Flaunt them, and one risks improper valve/bearings/ring seating and more-than-necessary oil use.
And if you're going to claim that the manufacturer break in process is correct because they should know best, then you should use that same logic for the oil consumption because they know best.
07-02-15, 09:41 AM
#18
Lexus Champion
07-02-15, 10:31 AM
#19
Lexus Fanatic
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07-02-15, 11:53 AM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
And if you're going to claim that the manufacturer break in process is correct because they should know best, then you should use that same logic for the oil consumption because they know best.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-02-15 at 12:02 PM.
07-02-15, 12:00 PM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
I don't think CR would spend that kind of time and money on testing if there wasn't a demand for it from their readers....for a lot more vehicles than just Camrys and Accords.
07-02-15, 01:29 PM
#23
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So, what is the underlying cause of the problem? Leaving the driver fallacies out, is it Turbo, or Direct Injection, or thinner grade oil, or a combination of the above, or we don't really know? I mean Fords are not being cited, which seems to have moved to Turbos en masse. Only BMW, Audi and some Subaru's.
I am leaving the driver fallacies out because, to me it doesn't look like we suddenly have a different type of driver behavior spread today than what we traditionally did.
I am leaving the driver fallacies out because, to me it doesn't look like we suddenly have a different type of driver behavior spread today than what we traditionally did.
07-02-15, 02:59 PM
#24
True to some extent, but most engineers are still agreed on keeping engine RPMs below 4500, varying engine speed up and down within that range, no jackrabbit starts, and easy on the brakes for the first 500-1000 miles. However, because of better production tolerances today, the whole break in procedure itself is not as critical as it once was.
No. It's basically apples and oranges. Engineers determine break in procedure.....PR reps (usually) handle what the company announces in public.
No. It's basically apples and oranges. Engineers determine break in procedure.....PR reps (usually) handle what the company announces in public.
07-02-15, 03:25 PM
#25
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So, what is the underlying cause of the problem? Leaving the driver fallacies out, is it Turbo, or Direct Injection, or thinner grade oil, or a combination of the above, or we don't really know? I mean Fords are not being cited, which seems to have moved to Turbos en masse. Only BMW, Audi and some Subaru's.
07-02-15, 04:17 PM
#26
Lexus Champion
Some cars briefly mention it in the owners manual telling you not to drive at a steady speed for more than a few minutes. But other than that you're right there is no rigid break in procedure that auto makers insist people follow, not that I've seen anyway. Maybe some higher performance cars have them, but some of those are broken in at the factory which is the way it should be.
07-02-15, 04:26 PM
#27
Lexus Fanatic
Some cars briefly mention it in the owners manual telling you not to drive at a steady speed for more than a few minutes. But other than that you're right there is no rigid break in procedure that auto makers insist people follow, not that I've seen anyway. Maybe some higher performance cars have them, but some of those are broken in at the factory which is the way it should be.
Toyota and Lexus have a 1000 mile listing in the owners manual. I don't believe that Toyota's or Lexus models are broken in at the factory. And if they are, how does the factory break them in?
07-02-15, 05:12 PM
#29
Super Moderator
This problem escalated ( at least for Audi/VW ) when they started with long life oil and service every second year or so. There have been several stories about people having this 2.0T engine who changed oil quality and started with the "old school" service procedures. This recudced the oil consumption drastically.
07-02-15, 05:37 PM
#30
So, what is the underlying cause of the problem? Leaving the driver fallacies out, is it Turbo, or Direct Injection, or thinner grade oil, or a combination of the above, or we don't really know? I mean Fords are not being cited, which seems to have moved to Turbos en masse. Only BMW, Audi and some Subaru's.
I am leaving the driver fallacies out because, to me it doesn't look like we suddenly have a different type of driver behavior spread today than what we traditionally did.
I am leaving the driver fallacies out because, to me it doesn't look like we suddenly have a different type of driver behavior spread today than what we traditionally did.