Like many of you, I also own a '06 IS350. 107k miles.

Silly question, how do you guys know precisely how much oil your car burns every given number of miles? I wanted to see if my car burns any oil.

 

After oil change, make sure it's at "FULL" line. Go however many miles... if it's not at "FULL" line, add oil until it is. However much oil you added is however much you added in however many miles.

 

Guys, I have something that might help.

I too had developed oil burning in my '09 IS350 at 170k miles. I was losing a quart every 2-3k... and since I do extended OCI's and have my oil lab-tested every 20k, I keep a VERY close eye on it.

As a mechanical engineer, I've always been leery of "snake oil" fixes, but the logic behind a product called "EPR" by B&G sounded pretty solid to me, with some good feedback on a few other forums, so I gave it a try... it's a solvent you add to the oil and rev the engine in neutral for a bit right before an oil change, which is supposed to help loosen sticking rings, which are known to cause blow-by and lower compression. My consumption dropped instantly... not to "zero", but it's a major improvement, as I was only a quart low when I changed my oil last night at ~6,700 miles. So at worst, it improved the consumption by half. I'd soon after started smelling some oil and found a small leak on the passenger valve cover gasket, so there's a good chance the actual effectiveness of the B&G was even better than I can claim... sadly I won't know until I replace the gasket, which is ironically how I found this thread today. Hopefully this is helpful for some of you folks. If it saves even one of you from replacing an engine, I'll be thrilled but not surprised. For me, it means keeping her an extra year or two before I find my cream puff IS-F!

I'd found the best price on EPR via eBay btw... Spend the extra couple bucks for the neat little funnel that is made for the can. It's thin stuff, so with a "regular" shop funnel, I could see how it'd be a little tricky to not spill it.

I'll also try and find the technical article that had convinced my engineer brain that just maybe it wasn't snake oil!

Best,
Nick

PS - The manufacture has a lot of good info, but few things tell the story better IMHO than Amazon reviews: Bg109 Bg EPR Engine Performance Restoration 11 Fl Oz From the Makers of 44k

 

PS - Anyone know where there's a good DIY write-up on replacing valve cover gaskets? I'd found one for the IS300, but not for any of the 350 variants.

 

Wow! I was just trying to find out why my car was burning so much oil and I landed on this thread. I have a 08' GS-350 with 157k miles on it and it burns 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles. I used to be a Ford mechanic years ago and if the engine burns oil like what we are experiencing, the problem was always piston rings which is a sign that the engine is getting old. My Honda never burned oil like that even at 300k miles.

I don't understand why this is happening to us because all piston rings will last over 250k miles from any car manufacture. A quart of oil every 1000 miles is a lot of oil consumption. However, there is no blow by from the top of the engine and the exhaust has a clean burn. Therefore, it must be the design of the engine that's doing something weird for me to understand because my RX 300 has 170,000 miles on it with no problems at all.

 

Alot of the future health of the motor is how the motor is treated and care for very early on in its life. Since I've built motors, I know what I personally feel/believe is the proper method; but everyone has an opinion.

Do you find yourself ever using all 6-7k of rpm and romping on it? Does it smoke during driving and idling? Have you replaced the PCV?

 

This matters a lot. I've read stories of people smelling fumes after getting on the throttle which might have something to do with oil consumption. I stomp on the gas in my 06 IS350 and I don't smell anything. It also doesn't burn more than half a quart over 5,000 miles. The previous owner babied it I'm sure.

 

I am the first owner and I never red lined it. I don't recall ever jamming the paddle to the floor and my car never smoked from the tail pipe. I am also the first owner of a RX 300 and it now has over 170k miles on it. It never burned oil. Only the GS350 burn oil like crazy.

 

Sounds like it's been babied too much honestly. All of my motors I've built and vehicles I've purchased have all been put through the ringer. How many of them had oil burning/consumption issues...none. I'm a firm believer that a motor that gets a firm beating now and again is overall more healthy over it's lifetime. Less possibility of carbon build-up on the various chambers and ring seats, thus causing stuck rings OR failing rings/ringlands.

Just my observation.

 

As stated, my RX300 has more miles with no problem and I drive it the same way.

 

Didn't mean to say that ALL vehicles if not driven rough. will develop these issues; just more susceptible to them over time.

 

urggg, thicker oil is not the answer.

@leander, can you post your data?

time to use a different oils guys, post what you're using. Check the PCV system, as one smart guy here may have realized. PCV valves are supposed to be maintained!

 

Anecdotal, but I took Leander's advice and ran BG PN 109 through my crankcase before my last oil change. I'm about 2000 miles since, and notice no consumption. I've only owned the car for 7k miles, but the first change it consumed about 1qt/2500 miles. Also replaced PVC, but motor is otherwise stock. I'm running Mobil1 5w30 this time, versus Penzoil Ultra P 5w30.

 

Who knows what they **may have* changed but my 2012-11 production date (2013) uses no oil in 5,000 mi. And as noted by others, its happy to be opened up. Increased temperatures, port velocity, and cylinder loading reduce carbon and varnish build up.

If you ever notice how low it keeps RPM when putting around town its barely twice that of its idle RPM. This isn't high enough to keep the engine clean. Open it up. It's not a tractor engine....

My question to those of you who have engines that burn oil is how often do they get a 30sec long pull from 3K to 6k?

I'll be happy if her consumption remains nil... Good luck to all.
Oh, and if you never open it up and have a change of heart and decide to flog it a bit. Work you way up in RPMs gradually as there is likely carbon build up at the cylinder top which the piston and rings need to slowly remove....

 

2013Fsport, I neglected to say this before, but I did one event at a SCCA track night on the first oil change, but none since. That is when I really noticed consumption. I'm not exactly easy on this motor. I pulled it from a junk yard with supposedly 125k miles and it's been rock solid since. But it's really nice to see consumption in check and the BG product work as advertised. Maybe that will help others.