Uh-Oh. Toyota 2.2 L Sludge engine (Ray/qslim/MDT...)

AFAIK, sludging was mostly confined to 3 liter V-6 engines in the Camry, Solara, Avalon, and Sienna.

I'm not aware of a quick way to look for sludge, other than pulling a valve cover. You may be able to pull the oil pan and take a look but since it is an FIPG, it is probably a bigger pain than pulling a valve cover.

I am not that familiar with the terms of the used vehicle warranty, but the original factory warranty covers the vehicle, not the owner. In other words, it doesn't matter how many owners the vehicle has had, as long as it has been maintained properly.

I am probably not the person to ask about oils. HUW or Philip can provide better information regarding this than me. My personal philosophy is to stick to one name brand oil without adding anything else or mixing other types of oil. In theory, synthetic's should be more sludge-resistant, I don't have enough personal experience to know if this is actually true or not.

As far as trying to reverse any sludging that has started, GM top end engine cleaner is supposed to work very well, or you can try some engine cleaners from auto parts stores that you add to the engine right before you change the oil.

If you have the 4 cylinder engine, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over sludge and just take care of your new ride!

I wouldn't worry about it too much, for every sludged 5SFE we see about 20

1MZs. There really isn't a quick way to look in the valve train besides lifting the valve cover. Should be a 32mm nut around each sparkplug tube securing the valvecover to the head.

SNIP

Good advice I'd say...and I'd also say that a poster like this is one that we hardly ever see...IMO any advice from Ray we can pretty well take to the bank.

You're a real asset to these groups Ray...

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'm not always right, like I missed the leaking T-chain tensioners on Corollas, but I do try to give good advice.

Yeah! Me also!

The thing was started when I went looking for info on my 'new' car; of course, I didn't look at the hood sticker (I did look to make sure it wasn't a crasher...how bad can a Toy with 38K be?!?!)

I ran across a site that said Toyota has extended the warranty on the 3.0L V-6 and the 5FSE 2.2L 4 to cover sludge in the engine for 8 years from date of purchase. Now, i had never heard of a sludge problem with a four cylinder!

30mm, qslim.

BTW, long time, no contribute! (on my part)

Toyota MDT in MO

The Maintenance Guide that came with my 2006 J-Vin silver Camry says to change the oil and filter every

5,000 miles or 6 months.

Is 5,000 miles really a good idea?

The maintenance guide for a particular model is not VIN-specific. In other words, it will be the same whether the vehicle's final assembly plant is in Japan or in North America.

Note that there are different oil change intervals for "normal" and "severe" operating conditions. It is a good idea to follow the correct schedule for the type of driving conditions you encounter.

Yeah, we know!

Nice to see you again!

And what's even better you temper your answers with 'I think' and 'IMO' when you're not certain...this attribute alone gives you great credibility, something we all should strive for, (IMO) :)

I'd like to agree with Gord, thanks Ray, from an Avalon Grande owner in Australia. Regards, Jacko:)

You guys are gonna make my head swell! I'll try not to let you down!

You're very welcome! Just be understanding if I make a mistake here and there.

The dealer I purchased my 2005 Corolla recommends the 5000 mile oil change. Who would have thunk. I go to 4000 miles because of low mileage. About 9000 miles per year.

Ron

Actually, though, the Guide recommends oil changes at 5,000 miles or 6 months for all driving conditions, including severe. It's just that for the severe (what the guide calls "special operating conditions"), the mechanic is suppose to check 7 or 8 extra things at the time of the oil change like "Inspect ball joints and dust covers," "Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis," etc.

The special/severe conditions the Guide mentions are "Driving in desert or on dirt roads" and "Driving while towing."

I wouldn't bring this little trivia up except you mentioned to me once that the Hayward dealership is not in San Francisco, which I knew. But you are correct, I shoulda wrote the Hayward dealership, *near* San Fran. [chuckle]

But seriously, I do very much appreciate your helpful advice :-)

You are an asset to the Usenet, and I wouldn't mind PayPal'ing you a few dollars for your help. If you'd ask, I'm sure many people would pay.

This is just a small, minor case of the student correcting the teacher. :-)

Wow, I've had my Camry for 3 weeks now, but I've only put

350 miles on it. And it has that many miles only because I'm deliberately driving to out-of-the-way places to put a quick thousand miles on the car to help "break it in," whatever that means.

For example, if I need to go to Super Walmart, I don't go to my Columbia, Missouri's Super Walmart. Instead I'm driving

30 miles south to Jefferson City's Super Walmart, or 20 miles east to Fulton's Walmart. But I drive so little, it's taking a whole lotta time to rack up those first thousand miles. I hope this is okay for my car, which I love so much. Kiss Kiss Camry.

When in doubt, it never hurts to follow the severe or special driving conditions maintenance/inspection schedule.

I worked in Benicia, South San Francisco, and San Ramon from 1978 to 1983 and so I was familiar with a lot of the dealerships.

Cars fascinate me and I used to watch my dad work on cars on weekends. I started taking stuff apart as a kid, got most of it back together. I remember an unsuccessful attempt to fix the recoil starter on our Lawn Boy when I was in 6th or 7th grade, my dad ended up putting it back together.

Other than when it was part of my job, I've never been paid for working on cars. I am a volunteer with our local Boy Scout Council, which is in the process of raising $4.3 million for dining halls at its camps and for a new volunteer service center. If someone is so inclined, I'd appreciate a donation to our councicl so I don't have to spend so much time fundraising.;-)

I had a teacher who used to say "if you want to become old and wise, learn somethine new every day; otherwise, you'll just get old." That advice stuck, so I'm always willing to learn something new!

Many people probably disagree with this advice, but I'll give it anyway. If you want a "loose" engine, then drive it hard when breaking it in. If you want a "tight" engine, then baby it when breaking it in. I've broken in 60 or 70 new cars, always drove them hard right out of the port of entry. Many friends purchased my company cars and ran them for 200k miles without problems.

Enjoy your new ride!

Mike, you got all the money. Why don't you send a few nickels Ray's way ;-)

I mean just sell some of that GM stock you've held onto since 1960. You can always buy it back at $18...