Smoke on Startup / Oil Consumption

All the symptoms just remind me of my when my friend's MR2's rings were going. The smoking under load especially.

 

Word, I had the cylinders scoped and leak down test done. Clean bill of health.

To clarify, it doesn't smoke under load, it smokes upon start up AFTER it's been under load. No visible smoke when driving altho I am sure it was burning oil under those conditions.

I'm hoping it's resolved... Will report back after more hard driving and another oil change.

 

I literally went through the exact same thing if you want to look at one of my past posts. Im not exactly sure what I did to fix it, and even when I took it to “the best Toyota mechanic in town” as recommended by a bunch of people from my city’s subreddit, they couldn’t even figure out why my truck was blowing out smoke (2002 sequoia, which is exactly the same thing as a tundra just a closed trunk)

this is what I did that “fixed”/made my car stop smoking, with parts I bought off Rockauto
replaced the following
1-Air filter
2-PCV valve
3-Valve cover Gaskets
4-Spark Plugs (all 8 of course)
5-O2 Sensors (all 4)
*Cleaned the MAF sensor
*Cleaned the Throttle body

after completing that list and getting my truck back on the road, the smoke show stopped. I hope this helps.

 

Reporting back sooner than another oil change.

The truck has generally been better about not smoking on startup, as in, twice but no more. So I thought maybe the issues were behind me. My 1400 mile dipstick check was fairly close to the PCV valve change, leak down test, etc etc, so I wanted to monitor from there.

Last oil change I filled it to the top dot on the stick. Seven quarts, like many of you.

1400 miles in:


2000 miles in:


I am not sure how much I'll have to add to get back to the top dot, but I seem to be consuming oil fairly quickly... So I'm not planning to let it keep dropping...

My driveway is clean, I don't really know where to go from here given the shop already evaluated it. I guess I'll see how much it's actually consumed in the last 2000 and re-read the manual on how much is ok.

I have 11 quarts of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum left in the garage... Which at this rate is just one more change interval lol... I have read it's on the thin side of 5w30, maybe I'll try something else or go back to Mobile 1 Full Synthetic...

 

Yeah, that info is in the Owner's Manual:

 

Dang, thanks.. I was going to post this today

 

And it's super weird, if you truly lost 1.6qt of oil ... where the hell did it go, and why isn't it showing up under the vehicle, in the skid plate, on the driveway, down the sides/rear of the engine, in the engine valley?

Absence of that speaks to being burnt during combustion, but with no smoke, that seems impossible. Or lost to the coolant, but you'd see that in the coolant ...

Has to be some explanation here!

 

I've had the skids down multiple times, once for a trans line leak, and top off, and also for the swaybar install and uninstall etc etc... Nothing, and no drips on my driveway.

I'd say I've lost 1 qt, not the full 1.6, in 2000 miles. According to the "Oil Consumption" section in the owners manual... 1qt in 600 miles is... acceptable?! Page 356-357 in my manual...

I'm pretty certain I am burning it, at least I think so... Considering the blue smoke symptoms I was chasing when I started this thread and lack of other signs...

 

Hey you just mentioned you have penzoil ultra platinum in your truck. Is this the very first time you’ve used that oil? If so, something very interesting you might like to know… my truck went through the same thing (as I posted above) when I decided to go from mobile 1 to penzoil. I had been using mobile 1 religiously for years, and then just a day or two after trying penzoil for the first time, I had what I listed above happen (the same thing happening to you)

Ive now switched back to mobile 1 since then and truck runs perfectly. Would never of thought it could have been the switching of oil, but the fact that you mention you have been using penzoil when previously using mobile 1? Have we possibly found our answer? Let me know your thoughts

 

Shit, I just started using that Penzoil U.P. and I haven't checked my oil since I changed it out a couple K miles ago. Hmmm...

 

I use Pennzoil Platinum high Mileage 5w30 in all my vehicles. Tundra uses zero oil between changes.

 

Thanks guys.

The internet is a hard place to read about oil. So much folklore. I think I'll top off and track it over the next few changes. Some say that switching oils can lead to temporary consumption based on chemical incompatibility and deposit cleaning... I'll remain hopeful and track. Switching to high mileage platinum could be something I try when I am out of UP.

@shifty` let me know what your results are and for how many changes you've been running UP!

 

I'm running on my first go at it now. Been a loyal Mobile1 guy for eons. I'll check my oil before I leave in a few.

 

Looks like I installed it back in December. https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-2229#post-3795209

Mileage when I got gas on 12/20/2024 was 80,401. I'm sitting around 82,950 currently., I was at 82,866 on July 20th, but I remember being about 75mi from hitting 83k while driving around yesterday.

 

Ok, here you go. Looks like no (or minimal) loss.

Main reason I switched over to PUP is the Oil Guy video where he shows the cleaning power, because this is what I found at around 72k miles when I did the VC gaskets. Previous owner changed oil based on miles, not time, and 90% of his trips were short-travel. It may've actually been worse than that, I'd I had the truck for about 10k miles and 2-3 years prior, and was on my 3rd oil change, and had been running SeaFoam in the crankcase a couple hundo miles before changes up to the point those covers came off.

But anyway, 6.5qt usually gets me about mid-way between the dots. I just checked the oil, both sides for shits & giggles (after previous chatter on the forum), and it looks like it hasn't changed much. But I've clearly picked up some color to the oil, I would expect this color at 5k miles, not half that. Maybe the PUP is doing me right? Only Blackstone would tell for sure.

​

 

Thanks Shifty.

I think I'll top it off, keep driving, and likely do another round of the same oil and see if it lessens. Of course I am also on a heightened alert so we'll see...

For what it is worth, I've picked up as much color as you. the PO did regular 5k changes on my truck too, but I don't know if it was used for short drives, long, or what. I also haven't cracked a valve cover to check on buildup.

All I know is that the intervals were regular for mileage, I'd have to take a second look for time, and that it was usually Valvoline bulk all-weather 5w30 blend, that was used for a long time previous to me.

Anyways, I'll keep an eye for the smoke, and report back on the consumption over the next 3000 miles and next oil change...

 

I only know mine was a short-tripper based on a few things I found after the fact. They did oil changes at mileage, sometimes years apart. I also know where the original owner worked and lived, and they're extremely close distance. I also know - wisely perhaps - they registered the truck as a 'work/fleet vehicle' linked to their business (a bank). But more than that, what I found under the valve covers tells the story: Short trip driving, not getting the vehicle up to temp. Service records show oil changed based on miles, vs. time, which you don't do if you're short trip driving (see my valve covers for "why"). And I also see they used the cheapest-possible jiffylube type shops, which often use the cheapest recycled oil they can get their hands on. At least it's not as bad as the sludge some other low-milers found in their trucks.

 

Word. I've seen your sludge pics. Mine had basically double the milage and from what I can see peeking thru the various holes and ports in the covers, way less sludge.

Anyways, I appreciate the insight with Pennzoil.