Strange noise/oil fixes, but where is the oil going???

First...I am not stupid and know how to check and even change my own oil, though I usually pay someone to do it.

My 2010, regular cab, 4 banger has 240k miles. I have put 210k of those miles on it in the last 10 years.

Lately, it has started making this weird noise. Like when I slow down it makes a noise somewhere between a tap and a grind. Definitely in the motor. In my mind, it is like the oil moves with the slowdown and there is no longer enough...if that makes any sense.

So the noise is scary enough that I check the oil and it sucks. I read another thread that talked about how hard these dipsticks are too read so that made me feel better because sometimes I see absolutely no oil on the stick, panic and dump a quart in. The dipstick may, or may not show any oil and sometimes I panic again and put another quart in. Sometimes the dip will show that it is vastly overfilled.

I have no freaking clue how much oil is in that truck...but oil makes that noise stop.

I have no leaks, no smoking, no oil in the coolant. Lately it has been a quart every 500 miles and it's getting worse.

Any advice???

 

I took some sandpaper and roughed up my dipstick up to the full line. Seems to make the oil easier to read

 

Hi, Jena. Welcome to TW! Check the heat shield mounted to the cab floor above the cat is secure

 

What would a heat shield have to do with adding a quart of oil every 500 miles?

 

So, first and foremost, at 240K miles, your truck is going to use oil. That's a given. The fact that you don't notice it, that's just circumstances and possibly not knowing what to look for or not being able to see things when they occur ('blue' smoke on start-up). A quart every 500 miles however, seems excessive. My guess is that you have leaking valve stem seals, worn rings and a few other 'old age' complaints, which all combine, cause your oil loss. I think the first thing you need to do is nail down your oil-level checking as mentioned, roughing up the dipstick with a Scotchbrite pad or similar can help. Overfilling oil is just as bad as underfilling/running low. Avoid both.

Let's get some more info on the noise. How long does it last, does it occur ONLY when you slow down? Is there any way to cause the noise when you're not moving? Have you checked things like engine & transmission mounts? A broken engine mount can cause all sorts of interesting noises when you slow down/speed up/turn, etc. It's very likely that this is NOT related to the oil consumption, but we really can't say for sure at this point.

 

Her first complaint is a tap and grind noise

 

If you have never replaced them, I suggest new

$40 NGK 6619 Iridium Spark Plugs LFR6AIX-11 - 6 PCSNEW

NGK 6619 plugs and Standard Ignition Blue Streak UF495 coils really perked it up

 

Welcome To TW Jenn...how much oil is in it now?

 

Really? I would only use Denso. Rockauto has plugs and coils with good prices.

 

You have 2.7?

 

yes

 

Do what works for you. No disrespect!

 

I will try the Denso plugs again next time

 

Thank you for the replies.
I do plan on roughing up the dipstick as suggested.
So I checked the oil, it showed none. When straight to the oil change guy and he said it was like 2 quarts low (when he drained it). So apparently I am not overfilling it.
I travel a lot between Wyoming (Home, sweet home) and Texas (work). The oil change guy said that they probably put 0-20w in it in Texas and that my truck would "eat it" with the mileage it has on it. He put in 5-20w (in Wyoming) and said I could probably use 5-30w with the mileage.
I do think that the oil is going to worn rings, etc, but I wasn't sure if there like something like an oil pump or something in the engine that could be causing the problem. Ok I am somewhat stupid...
I guess it is just old and using oil. In the future I will make sure it has at least 5-20w (or more) and keep an eye on her.
Thank you!

 

I'd try replacing the PCV valve

More info here

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2007-2-7-losing-oil.468596/

 

last time i checked we use 5w-30??

 

If they put 0W-20 in a 5W-30 engine, especially a well worn 5W-30 engine, that could definitely explain a lot of it. Double check the requirements for your engine and ensure that you have the correct viscosity, and given that you're in mostly warmer climes, you can probably go one viscosity above mfgr spec. The oil pump is unlikely to be the culprit here; if you had consistent low oil-pressure, it's worth looking at, but I think in this case, it's just old age.

 

Meh, you're not stupid. You're ignorant, but not stupid. Ignorance, we can fix (I work on fixing mine every day). Good questions, good thoughts.