Facts about engine oil
consumption
Engine exhaust cautions
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
ꢀ Keep the back door closed while
driving. An open or unsealed back
door may cause exhaust gases to
be drawn into the vehicle.
CAUTION
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ꢀ Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.
ꢀ To allow proper operation of your
vehicle’s ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
ꢀ Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
ꢀ If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, open the windows and
close the back door to ensure
plenty of fresh air enters the ve-
hicle. If you can smell exhaust
fumes even though there are no
other vehicles in the surrounding
area, have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer. Continued in-
halation of exhaust fumes can lead
to death by gas poisoning.
ꢀ Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when
a
piston moves downwards in the cylin-
der. High negative pressure generated
when the vehicle is decelerating sucks
some of this oil into the combustion
chamber. This oil as well as some part
of the oil film left on the cylinder wall
is burned by the high temperature com-
bustion gases during the combustion
process.
ꢀ Do not run the hybrid system in a
garage or enclosed area except for
the time needed to drive the vehicle
in or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.
ꢀ Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the hybrid sys-
tem running. If it is unavoidable,
however, do so only in an uncon-
fined area and adjust the heating or
cooling system to force outside air
into the vehicle.
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