Used toyota corolla... Am I screwed?

antonio

Here is my story...































I recently (3 weeks ago), I bought an used car which I tried and it seems everything fine... It's a toyota corolla 2001 with 138K miles... I took the car to a mechanic which he saw and told me that everything was fine that he only saw a small leaking but nothing to worry about...































So, well, I decided to move forward, and I bought the car. Well, after one week, the oil light turned on. So, I got worried and put some oil. And I started checking more frequently the oil level... And I notice that maybe a quarter is consumed in about 100 miles or some more... I took again the car to the mechanic and now he told me that this is a problem with the engine that it would be very expensive (more than the car's cost) and that I should drive it like that checking frequently the oil and put some more everytime that it goes down...































I need to commute approximately 300 miles per week (until the end of august), is there anything I could do? I was thinking on taking the car to another mechanic and have a second opinion... Also, I was thinking change the oil type (right now, I'm putting 5W-30 which is the one specified on the motor), would it make any difference?































Finally, this mechanic screwed me, right? I mean, this is something that he should be able to realize the first time that I took the car for inspection, right?

GF

I'll be watching for your case on Judge Judy

thebax2006

Don't use heavier weight oil. Find a real mechanic!

mafahiim

Oil leakage most of the time is not that expensive to repair. your mechanic is trying to rip you off. if I were you I would seek an advise from another mechanic.

MAD DOG

I would consult another mechanic if I were you. I would also not do anything heavier than what's recommended, so if the vehicle recommends that you should add 5W-30 into the vehicle, then that's what you should add.

momswildchild61

You might want to check out the "lemon" law with cars. It's to protect you Do you have a warranty on it?

TK

It sounds like you have one of 2 possible problems - an oil leak, or the engine is burning oil. The first means the oil leaks out and drips on the ground. The 2nd means the internal parts are worn, and the oil gets into the cylinders and is burned with the gas. Both can be expensive repairs.































If it's a leak, then it's possible that the first mechanic missed it. Maybe the seller cleaned the engine well enough to get rid of the signs of it. If it's burning oil, then there wouldn't necessarily be signs on the engine.































Either way, you're looking at a fair amount of oil consumption. You could do as the mechanic said, and add oil as needed. As long as you keep the oil level up, the engine can run for many miles yet. If you do this, I would try using a heavier oil, at least for a few weeks, and keeping track of how often (by time and by miles) you add oil. Try using a 10w40 or even a 40-weight oil. This is thicker, and won't leak out as fast. Maybe you'll get 150 miles per quart this way - even a bit is an improvement. I would also switch to a cheaper bulk oil. There's no sense in buying an expensive long life oil, if the life of the oil in the engine is just a few weeks.































Finally, if you're parking in a garage or on your own driveway, I'd put a big piece of cardboard under your car when you park, to catch the dripping oil (If it's leaking). That way, you won't have an ugly oil stain there after a few weeks.

John Alden

The mechanic would have no re4al indication that is was burning so much oil without knowing the cars history. My daughters piece of $hit '00 Corolla burns just as much, but there are no real visible signs that is does. Read somewhere this engine has a propensity to leak oil paste the valve seals. A valve job is in order, but yes, all the labor and parts is not worth it on that car. What a pile of crap, yet people swear by them. I don't get it! My daughter buys cheap oil at Walmart and just keeps her eye on it. BTW, the car was given to her for free...