2001 Toyota Corolla Burning Oil

[ksfowler166]

I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla which I got used that for as long as I can has burned oil. It wasn't until recently that I learned that burning oil was anything other then a nuisance. So I am looking for some advice on how to fix the burning oil problem.

The corolla has around 72,000 miles on it currently and I normally run the manufacturer recommended 5W30 oil.
So the three easy solutions I heard when researching was;
1. An engine/oil treatment of some sort. I picked up a bottle of Lucas Complete Engine Treatment and added it to both the oil and engine earlier today.
2. Use a heavier weight oil such as 20W50 or W30. With the Lucas I also added maybe a quart and a half of 10W40.
3. Replace the PCV. I have not looked into how to replace it but since it is only a $5 part it might be worth a try.

So I am wondering if anyone has any experience with fixing a car that burns oil at and has any methods or products to recommend. I have heard that the various engine/oil treatments are snake oil and don't work or work well. I also heard that the heavy oils like 20W50 can seriously harm an engine, though this was mentioned in the context of winter.

As an aside if anyone has an easy way to remove the black stain on the bumper and trunk cause by the burning oil that would be helpful. I tried diluted Dawn and that didn't work as well as diluted Simply Green. So far the only thing that has worked is Turtle Wax Scratch and Swirl remover with an applicator pad. It works but it is not the most effective or efficient.

[osteodoc08]

The question that needs to be answered is why is it burning oil? Do you have any mechanics tools such as a compression gauge?

Also, how much oil is it burning?

It’s not a benign process either. You’re gonna have issues with your cats and O2 sensors.

[jcren]

With that low of miles it may be a stuck piston ring due sludged up oil. Try a oil flush before the next oil change. I use Berryman's chemtool and dump the pint into the oil, fire it up and let it idle for 10-15 minutes then shut it off and drain the oil as usual. Won't believe the gunk that will come out. May take several tries, but will eventually clean up a neglected engine.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Why is it more than a nuisance?

Those little toyota engines are known to go for a long time(300K to 400K), so 72K miles is nothing for one of them.
If it's had reasonable oil changes, there has just GOT to be something mechanically wrong with it, like a defective/cracked valve.
I think you need to talk to a good engine mechanic. It may not be worth doing the correct repair, but at least you'll know what it probably it.

[abunaitoo]

Have you checked for oil leaks????
With 72,000mi, unless it's been neglected, it shouldn't be burning oil.
Need to find out if it's burning oil or leaking oil.
Check the plugs is the easiest way to see if it's burning.
Pull the plugs with the engine cold first. Oily plug could be valve stem leak.
With a flashlight look into the plug hole to see if it's wet on the piston.
If OK, go on a drive until engine reaches temp.
Pull plug and check for oil.
If you can, find someone to do a leak down or compression test. Compression test both wet and dry.
To check for leak, look for wet under engine. Might have to remove the splash pan to see where it's coming from..
Valve cover gasket, crank seal are the main cause of leaks.
Black stain from the exhaust????
How is the engine running????
Check Engine light on????
Most of the time, if you have black from the exhaust, the engine is running way to rich.
Leaking injector.
If you are burning that much oil, the converter and O2 are shot.
Hope this helps.

[Petrol & Powder]

First - How much oil is it losing and is it burning it or leaking it?
Second - The "engine rebuild in a bottle" is a fools errand. That includes ALL of the wonder products that promise to fix your engine and using thicker oil to slow the loss of oil.

A 2001 Toyota? With 72K miles? That's a 17 year old car. That's about 4200 miles per year and is way below the average mileage for a car that old.
You must ask yourself - "What am I willing to put into this 17 year old car"?
It isn't just the engine, the rest of the car is 17 years old also. Now, Toyotas will routinely go 300K+ miles but you don't want to dump thousands of dollars into a engine only to have another major failure someplace else. Unless you know the history of that car, I would be a bit skeptical about that mileage and reluctant to spend a lot of money on the engine.

Now if you know the history of the car and everything else is in excellent condition, it might be worth it to repair or replace the engine.

[popper]

Go to Aurozone and have the codes read. Could be ingition, MAP,O2, guides, rings, injctors, etc.How long have YOU had it? How does it run?

[HangFireW8]

A low mileage older Corolla burning oil is probably stuck rings. Look into freeing them up by pulling the plugs and doing a solvent soak, followed by an oil change.

If that fixes the problem... It'll come back. The real fix is updated rings.

[NyFirefighter357]

I'd bet it's a leak at the cam shaft seal or leaky valve cover. Is it blowing smoke? Do you have oil on the ground? Oil on the engine or chassis?

[dnepr]

A low mileage older Corolla burning oil is probably stuck rings. Look into freeing them up by pulling the plugs and doing a solvent soak, followed by an oil change.

If that fixes the problem... It'll come back. The real fix is updated rings.

What he said I did this a fair bit years ago when I was a mechanic at a Toyota dealership

[samari46]

In my experience most oil leaks have been from valve cover gaskets. Had an older corolla that was loosing oil. Since back then I was a kinda shade tree mechanic. Swapped out the valve cover gaskets and no more lost oil. Had this happen to the Toyota, Ford Grand Marquis and Isuzu Trooper. Suggest you look at the back of the valve covers and wipe the area down with paper towels. If leaking replace the gaskets. Also check the valve cover screws as they can loosen up due to vibration. Easy check and if no leaking oil around the valve covers you know at that point your ok with the valve cover gaskets. My wife had a Chevy Chevette we used to call the bomb. Drove me crazy checking the oil once a week. Checked the PCV valve and sorta kinda sticky. Again cheap to replace and once I did no more disappearing oil. But always kept a small crate in the trunk with oil, anti freeze and rags and other car care stuff. Heck drove my 1970 Dodge Dart over 120,000 miles. Sold it for what the new tires cost me. Frank

[shortlegs]

I have a chevy with 257,000 miles on it. it burned oil(1 qt / 3000 mi) until I switched to mobil 1 syn oil at 100,000 miles. Took 2 or 3 oil changes but it quit burning/using oil. Still not using oil.

[glockfan]

is the smokes comes from the exhaust? if it,s the case, obviously a ring is off specs and let the oil goes through then is burnt in the chamber. otherwise it may be a leak which burns somewhere on the exhaust ,finding from where comes the leak should be an easy task.if it's a ring, well, that means a rebuild. you can't change just one ring; you must do em all.

[Petrol & Powder]

A 17 year old Toyota with 72,000 miles on it ! REALLY !

Do we really believe this used, 17 year old car has 72,000 miles on it ?????

Let me guess, it was owned by a little old lady that only drove it to church on Sundays :grin:


The OP said he purchased it USED. Come on, it has a real 72K on it after 17 years, in Kansas?

[Brassduck]

if there are no external leaks, first thing I would do is change the thermostat.

[zardoz]

I had a '91 Caravan some years ago. Probably had about 75,000 miles on it when bought. Had the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6, and it burned so much oil that the seller called it "Old Smoky". I got it for quite a low price. Those engines had big problem with valve stem seals getting hard after so many years. Oil would leak down from the valve spring retainer, right down the valve stem and valve guide. It got sucked into the combustion chamber on the intake stroke, and there it was. Compression was still very good on the motor.

One weekend, I got a kit of new valve stem seals. Held the valves up with compressed air into the spark plug hole, and used a star wheel type valve spring compressor to remove the retainers. Got the valve stem locks out with a magnet. Yep, most of the seals were hard as a rock and crumbled into bits. I did the work laying prone on a 2 x 12, one end propped on a step ladder rung and the other on the radiator support beam on top. Otherwise it would have wiped my back out.

Long story short, after that was done I buttoned it back up. No more oil burning. I worked with the guy I bought it from, and he asked "new engine?", after seeing me drive up without the blue cloud behind. Nope, about $15 worth of gaskets and seals, and a great many conjuring words.

[Traffer]

It appears that you have very limited knowledge of mechanics. The million dollar question is like many are saying here "WHY IS IT USING OIL?" I suggest that you find SOMEONE who is either a mechanic ...a former mechanic or actually knows about cars to check it out for you. There can be a thousand reasons that a car will use oil like that. And again, like someone said THAT CAR WITH 72K MILES SHOULD NOT BE USING OIL. It could be an easy fix.
FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN LOOK AT IT FOR YOU.

[Bird]

If its burning oil, it may be one or more of a few problems.
You will need a leakdown tester not a compression tester. It screws into the spark plug hole, and with the piston at tdc on the ignition stroke you add air with a compressor and it allows you to measure the leak past the piston rings, or head gasket or valve seats. If the leak is above 5 or 6% you have a problem some where. With air pressure in the cylinder listen at the oil filler cap, the exhaust outlet and the engine air intake. If you can hear hissing at any of these points, it will assist in diagnosis, eg. worn piston rings/bores, leaking exhaust or intake valves, and even leaking head gaskets. If all is good above, then there is the possibility of bad valve stem seals, which may be hard, broken or missing. The symptom for valve stems and seals are smoke from the tailpipe during engine braking. find a long hill and head down it, then take your foot off the gas so that the engine it trying to slow the vehicle and even change down a gear, then take a look out of your rear view mirror and look for smoke, or have someone follow you to check it out.
Try accelerating hard, uphill if you can. If it smokes under hard acceleration, then the piston rings are the problem.
Good idea to replace the PCV valve first.
Leakdown testers are used for aircraft engine testing. Most garage repair shops and mechanics dont know what they are.
I test all my engines before I even fit them to the vehicle, and my rebuilds come out with less than 3% leak down. I have taught a few mechanics how to use one.

[waksupi]

I seem to recall some models of Toyota had a sludge problem. Do a search for it.

[HeavyMetal]

just a thought, have you looked at the spark plugs?

if the plugs are oily and wet with oil, plus fouling, even one plug you've got internal problems.

if not you've an external leak of some type and it needs tracking down, I won't make suggestions where to start because every engine is different!

now having said that check the oil pressure sending unit first! you'd be surprised how many leak and the owner think rear mean seal or oil burning.

after that seals and gaskets, try youtube search for your year and may turn up something as well.

HM

[merlin101]

A 17 year old Toyota with 72,000 miles on it ! REALLY !

Do we really believe this used, 17 year old car has 72,000 miles on it ?????

Let me guess, it was owned by a little old lady that only drove it to church on Sundays :grin:


The OP said he purchased it USED. Come on, it has a real 72K on it after 17 years, in Kansas?

I believe it, then again I also have an 86 Chevy K5 Blazer tucked away in my garage with 29,000 miles!
OP you realy do need to find a mechanic you can trust to look at it. Like other said do a compression test and go from there. The oil additives only extend a problem NOT cure a problem, Lucas and STP and such work great to thicken oil and will help quit a rod knock or piston slap but only until parts break so use with caution!
Years ago there was a product called "lifter looser" or something like that, it was a solvent based product that dissolved gum and varnish and would free up rings and lifters. It did work but remember that sldge and junk has to go somewhere and that somewhere is the oil filter so change it often when using a solvent based cleaner.

[Outpost75]

I don't believe the odometer. But if it hasn't turned back stuck rings are the thing.

Try some Marvel Mystery Oil and then do a compression test. Proceed from there.

My 2008 Toyota has 250k on it, doesn't burn any oil and still gets 32 mpg. What's wrong with this picture?

[abunaitoo]

Little while ago, sold my 1986 Toyota PU. 38,000mi on it.
Used very little. So little, it just sat for weeks. Sometimes months.
Had to get rid of it because of rust. Body was rotten. Leaked as much rain inside as out.
Engine was fine.
I still miss that truck. Best one I've ever owned.

OP needs to find out if it's burning, or leaking the oil first.
With the black on the rear, could be oil, but most likely leaking injector.
Either way, engine is probably not running to good.
Unless the rest of the car is in great condition, might not be worth fixing.

[robg]

I'll bet its the valve stem seals worn ,the easy test for this is to go down a hill on the overrun when you get to the bottom of the hill accelerate if a big cloud of smoke appears that's you problem .hope this helps.

[Petrol & Powder]

I believe it, then again I also have an 86 Chevy K5 Blazer tucked away in my garage with 29,000 miles!
.......

The difference is you KNOW the history of that 1985 K5 Blazer, the OP may not know the history of that 2001 Toyota.

I'm sorry but unless the OP knows the history of that car, it is highly likely that mileage is false.

The first issue is to determine how it is losing oil, leaking, burning or leaking & burning.
The next issue is to decide if it is worth repairing or replacing the engine.
A BIG part of that decision will be based on the actual mileage of the car. If it's a 17 year old car with 275,000 miles on it - that's a LOT different than a 17 year old car with 75,000 miles on it. Then you get into the rest of the car beyond the engine. Toyotas are excellent cars but you must make an informed decision.
At some point you are just throwing money down a hole.

If the rest of the car is in excellent condition and it really has only 75K on it, I would be inclined to fix it. If it's a worn out 2001 Corolla wit 275K miles on it, I wouldn't dump a lot of money into it.

[jonp]

A 17 year old Toyota with 72,000 miles on it ! REALLY !

Do we really believe this used, 17 year old car has 72,000 miles on it ?????

Let me guess, it was owned by a little old lady that only drove it to church on Sundays :grin:


The OP said he purchased it USED. Come on, it has a real 72K on it after 17 years, in Kansas?

I bought a used Honda CRV that someone had put about 7,500 miles a year on putting around town I guess. I still have it and it just turned 21 with 170,000 and has been bullet proof except for the usual ball joints, tie rods etc which I put on in the driveway myself so i believe it. You can find these things hanging around if your lucky and you look. My 2008 CRV bought used has 70,000 on it with far less when I got it.

The advice about pulling the plugs is sound. I'd do that as a first resort as well as running some Marvel in the oil first off. A Toyota with that mileage should not be burning oil but it could be from just sitting around.

Replace the thermostat, PCV valve, check all gaskets or just replace them. I seriously doubt that something is very wrong with that engine unless someone did something very bad with it.

As for the soot, your on a cast boolit site and you want advice to remove carbon?

[Lloyd Smale]

quick easy test you can do at home with just a compression guage. Do a compression test on each cylinder. then take an oil quirt can and one at a time give each cylinder about 4 squirts of oil then retest them. If its the rings the oil will help seal the combustion chamber and your compression will go up. If it doesn't go up then you have a valve problem. If its burning and not leaking the oil 9 times out of 10 its a valve issue. Either seals or guides or a bent valve. Years ago it was rings as often as valves but its pretty rare today that a motor with that low of miles has bad rings or stuck rings.

[Geezer in NH]

Using oil or burning oil 2 different things.

72K on a Toyota? bet it's way more but who cares.

What is the amount of consumption 1QT every 3K? do not complain. I change oil at 3k anyway (never bought into the yearly 30K synthetic)

Remember even when "using" a quart every 1K the oil is way cheaper than rebuilding the freaking motor. There is also high millage oil from most company's it is supposed to help all the seals maybe it does maybe not but it might help.

Base is when running good meaning power AND good gas mileage. Give it a drink of oil when it needs it.

My 2001 GMC 1/2 ton uses 1 qt every 1100 or so miles. fixed some leaks to keep it to that and it will pass 300k this summer. Avg millage 17-18 with balls up the butt.

[abunaitoo]

Toyota did have a problem with collapsed rings.
Don't remember what years or models.
Compression test would be the place to start.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have to agree. The 06 Silverado I bought new did the same thing right from the git go. I sold it at a 100k to my buddy and it now has a 150k on it and still uses the same quart of oil every 3k. If it were my car id probably do some easy checks like the compression to satisfy my curiousity but I wouldn't pull the motor down unless it got much worse.
Using oil or burning oil 2 different things.

72K on a Toyota? bet it's way more but who cares.

What is the amount of consumption 1QT every 3K? do not complain. I change oil at 3k anyway (never bought into the yearly 30K synthetic)

Remember even when "using" a quart every 1K the oil is way cheaper than rebuilding the freaking motor. There is also high millage oil from most company's it is supposed to help all the seals maybe it does maybe not but it might help.

Base is when running good meaning power AND good gas mileage. Give it a drink of oil when it needs it.

My 2001 GMC 1/2 ton uses 1 qt every 1100 or so miles. fixed some leaks to keep it to that and it will pass 300k this summer. Avg millage 17-18 with balls up the butt.

[Petrol & Powder]

ksfowler166 made the first post of this thread and only made that one post.
He never said how much oil he was losing.

I agree that losing 1 quart every 3K miles is nothing to worry about but the OP never quantifies the amount he's losing.

We've all seen old cars with low mileage and they undoubtedly exist BUT, I'm still very skeptical that 17 year old Toyota only averaged about 4200 miles per year.

[HATCH]

Is it smoking or does it just lose oil?

I have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with just under 80k original miles on it so trust me when I say it is possible that the miles are original.


.
If it is smoking, you can switch to synthetic oil and it will stop smoking.
Synthetic oil doesn’t fix the smoking issue but it doesn’t burn so no more smoke.
Over time depending on the rate of ‘burn’ you will end up having a oil sludge come out of your tail pipe from the unburned oil.

[Petrol & Powder]

And just for fun, I plugged some numbers into the Kelley Blue Book calculator for a 2001 Toyota Corolla in Excellent condition and used the top trim level. The average mileage was listed as 154,000 miles and the fair market value for a dealer sale was about $2500 and a private sale was about $2200.

If the car had a new engine, it wouldn't be worth much more than $2500 even with a perfectly good engine. The rest of the car is still 17 years old. Assuming the rest of the car is free (and it isn't), I wouldn't put more than $2500 into the engine. And you can buy a LOT of oil for $2500.

[Petrol & Powder]

Is it smoking or does it just lose oil?

I have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with just under 80k original miles on it so trust me when I say it is possible that the miles are original.
.

Does your 2004 Jeep with a KNOWN mileage of less than 80K burn copious amounts of oil ?

Low mileage examples of old vehicles certainly exist but there's a difference between a vehicle with known low miles that doesn't burn oil and a vehicle with suspect mileage that does burn oil.

[HATCH]

Did he say how much oil was being used?

[Bmi48219]

In my experience a motor with rings that no longer expand to the cylinder walls usually produce a blue-gray smoke screen most noticeable when accelerating hard from a stop or while shifting gears. As others have said check for fouled plug as & run a compression test.
All the modern electronics and pollution control equipment make it hard for a do it yourself mechanic. But then you don't have to reset your points and gap your plugs every three thousand miles any more.

[Petrol & Powder]

Did he say how much oil was being used?

No - the OP never said how much oil was being lost.

[Petrol & Powder]

The question is not, "Is it possible that the mileage is accurate". The unequivocal answer to that question is YES, it is entirely possible the mileage is accurate.

The pertinent question is, "Is it LIKELY that the mileage is accurate". The answer to that question is NO ! It is not likely.

[HATCH]

I replaced the cats on my Jeep at 46k miles so anything is possible.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

We've all seen old cars with low mileage and they undoubtedly exist BUT, I'm still very skeptical that 17 year old Toyota only averaged about 4200 miles per year.


SNIP...

I have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with just under 80k original miles on it so trust me when I say it is possible that the miles are original.

I am partial owner of a 2004 Buick Rendezvous, it currently has 56K mi
BUT,
I also own a 2004 Toyota Matrix with 251k mi

Funny thing is, both cars are worth about the same, LOL. The Toyota does have a small oil leak, but there is no evidence it burns any oil. The Rendezous looks and runs like new...except for the bone jarring STIFF rear suspension, but it was like that from new.

So, my point is, if you hang around with retired people or live in a area with a high percentage of retired people, there are lots and lots of low mileage cars out there. Last year, my Mechanic offered me his Mom's 1986 Buick Century Limited with less than 20K mi...if I recall he sold it a month later for $3500.

[Petrol & Powder]

YES, low mileage old cars certainly exist. No doubt about that.

An allegedly low miles 17 year old Toyota that burns a lot of oil PROBABLY isn't really a low mileage Toyota.

And I don't care what the odometer indicates.

[country gent]

Low mileage cars suffer from one thing a vehicle driven daily dosnt. The oils run down seals, bearings, rings and gaskets dry out. The rubber synthetic valve seals get hard and brittle from this and don't seal anymore. Rings dry out and may become sticky ditto varnish and or carbon build up. Some say sitting is harder on a vehicle than being driven every day.

I believe milage is a poor measure of use. As it dosnt take into account operating rpms loads and other things. Farm equipment and heavy equipment ( even most riding lawnmowers) are set up for Hours @xxx rpms, this gives a more accurate idea of use and wear.

[HATCH]

An allegedly low miles 17 year old Toyota that burns a lot of oil PROBABLY isn't really a low mileage Toyota.
.


I now get what your saying.

The vehicle wasn’t driving many miles but it has a lot of hours on the clock.

Analogy is a dragster that runs 1/2 mile at a time.
1/4 mile wide open throttle then 1/4 mile back at partial.
Not a lot of miles but it’s hard miles

[Petrol & Powder]

I now get what your saying.

The vehicle wasn’t driving many miles but it has a lot of hours on the clock.

Analogy is a dragster that runs 1/2 mile at a time.
1/4 mile wide open throttle then 1/4 mile back at partial.
Not a lot of miles but it’s hard miles


NO - you don't get what I'm saying.

Someone altered the odometer. That 17 year old Toyota has more than 72,000 miles on it.

[HangFireW8]

Maybe it is high miles. Or maybe it has stuck rings... Like many other Corollas from that era.

I've seen it happen before. Problematic cars with low miles, because, they are not trusted.

[Petrol & Powder]

Allow me to be clear, I do not believe the OP is lying. I think the OP was deceived himself.
That 2001 car likely has more miles on it than are showing on the odometer.

[Petrol & Powder]

Maybe it is high miles. Or maybe it has stuck rings... Like many other Corollas from that era.

I've seen it happen before. Problematic cars with low miles, because, they are not trusted.

Stuck rings or not, the most likely explanation is the car has a LOT more miles on it than the 72K indicated.

[HATCH]

Guess you must of gotten stuck with something like it???


I know on Dodge trucks (some of them) the OF is recorded on the cluster.
You replace the cluster with a used one it shows the used OD.
Saw a Dakota that said 139k miles on the OD but last record only showed 180k plus

[Petrol & Powder]

Guess you must of gotten stuck with something like it???




/\ Nope, but I've seen others that have.

Human beings are not only capable of lying, they are prone to do so when it suits their needs.

When something seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.

[turtlezx]

oils cheep rebuild isnt keep it topped off and drive it

[KenH]

Don't you just love it when somebody asks a question, and never hangs around, or at least doesn't respond to 3 pages of posts?

I agree with most of the statements made. I doubt the 72K miles are accurate, but it is totally possible. Somebody drove very few miles/yr and never changed oil allowing the engine to sludge up big time causing stuck rings. No point in my suggesting any checks, all the good checks have been made already.

Ken H>

[Petrol & Powder]

Nobody is saying old cars with low mileage don't exist. Of course they exist. HOWEVER, it's a bit naïve to think an old car that burns copious amounts of oil and has an average displayed accumulated mileage that corresponds to 4200 miles per year has an actual total mileage of 72K. The most likely explanation (not the only explanation, just the most likely) for a 17 year old Toyota to be burning a lot of oil is that the engine has a LOT of miles on it.
If it didn't burn oil and was in otherwise pristine condition, it would be a little easier to believe the mileage was accurate. If one knew the history of the car and knew the mileage was correct, the mileage wouldn't be a concern at all. But to assume the mileage is correct absent of any proof beyond the digits displayed on the odometer is foolish.

[snowwolfe]

Nobody is saying old cars with low mileage don't exist. Of course they exist. HOWEVER, it's a bit naïve to think an old car that burns copious amounts of oil and has an average displayed accumulated mileage that corresponds to 4200 miles per year has an actual total mileage of 72K. The most likely explanation (not the only explanation, just the most likely) for a 17 year old Toyota to be burning a lot of oil is that the engine has a LOT of miles on it.
If it didn't burn oil and was in otherwise pristine condition, it would be a little easier to believe the mileage was accurate. If one knew the history of the car and knew the mileage was correct, the mileage wouldn't be a concern at all. But to assume the mileage is correct absent of any proof beyond the digits displayed on the odometer is foolish.

Good lord man, give it up! We get what you are saying but it doesnt have anything to do with offering advice to the OP on what may be wrong with the car. You made at least 10 posts about this cars mileage. WE GET IT.

[Petrol & Powder]

Good lord man, give it up! We get what you are saying but it doesnt have anything to do with offering advice to the OP on what may be wrong with the car. You made at least 10 posts about this cars mileage. WE GET IT.


WE GET IT! (well maybe)

Clearly YOU get it. I'm not convinced the collective "we" gets it.
But I'll take your advice and shut up. I wish the OP the best of luck and hope he doesn't end up dumping $4000 into a seventeen year old car valued at $2500 with 200,000 actual miles on it.

[HATCH]

Still say it has 77k miles on the od
Lots of engine hours and poor maintenance.
But let’s see if the op comes back

[john.k]

I have a couple of vehicles that old,with that kind of mileage......I dont think Henry Ford was fibbin when I bought them,cause he said they had zero miles on them.......And I would spend any money to keep them going,cause new diesels are so complicated and costly to maintain.......My brother has a 20 yr old Landcruiser with low miles,seals leak,and it smokes,so he has had valve and crank seals replaced....problem solved.

[Lloyd Smale]

I believe a 2001 has an odometer that reads 7 digit numbers. Where it gets sketchy is if its a plug in dash. I bought a white faced dash assembly brand new on ebay for 200 bucks for my 06 Silverado when it had 12k on it. Dash read zero and was a simple 10 minute swap. Guy could easily swap it out even if going on a long trip and swap the stock one back when he got home. Easy way is to do a car fax report on it. It should give the history of the car and any maintenance, wrecks and mileage through the years. Still wont tell you if someone was swapping dashes back and forth though. Good thing is 90 percent of corolla's are sold to yuppys and people who don't even know what a cresent wrench is let alone would turn back a speedometer or swap a dash. Most probably don't even know where there lug wrench is.

[Geezer in NH]

The easy answer is when you fill or put any gas in the tank check the oil. I had to add the put any gas in the tank to cover the 2-3 gallon pumpers.

Fill the gas fill the oil. Standard procedure at my age of 66. KIds who cannot figure that simple procedure buy a new car and have more debt!

Check and fill both Soon if you do not you WILL need a new vehicle.

[Elkins45]

UFO must have snatched the OP because after three pages he still haven’t told us if it’s actually burning the oil or leaking, although the question about the black stain from the tailpipe strongly indicates burning.

I have a 98 Chevy truck with 42K actual miles on it. It had 22K when I inherited it from my dad, and I know how that he treated it like a baby. It’s falling apart because things are dying of old age, not wear.