QuestionMy 4Runner is the 3.4L V6, 5-speed, with air conditioning. I'm the original owner and have put 143,000 miles on it. It's been sluggish lately, and has been consuming oil. Maybe it's just age. I have had all scheduled maintenance completed and have changed the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Usually, I have to supplement with one to two quarts of oil between changes. This started at about 100,000 miles; it hadn't been consuming oil until fairly recently.
I just finished a round-trip drive from Denver to Chicago (about 1,100 miles one-way), towing a trailer on the return leg. It used two quarts of oil on the way there and three on the way back. Now that I'm home, I notice a new ticking sound that changes with engine speed. I'm worried that the valve train has serious problems and that the oil consumption is tied to that.
Thanks for any help.
AnswerA ticking valve would not cause oil consumption, it may just need to be adjusted.
Unless there is an external oil leak oil consumption is usually caused by either worn piston rings or possibly valve seals leaking, the ticking noise can also be caused by a broken piston ring.
