Over the past year or so, my otherwise flawless '99 Camry 4 cyl. has begun to occasionally ( 2 or 3 times a month) emit a large puff of white smoke at the instant the engine fires up. Present mileage is only 90,000 kilometers and I can't think of any reasons other than wear in valve seals/lifters/guides. Oil and filter have been changed every 5000 to 6000 kilometers and consumption is about half a litre between changes. This also began happening with my previous '87 4 cyl. Camry, but only after
150,000 or so kilometers (and using 10W-30 oil). This is not a pressing problem right now (except perhaps to Toyota's reputation when my neighbour notices!) but I'm wondering about further deterioration.I'm using the recommended 5W-30 oil and recall a few years back when Rick Jones (MDT) was the lifeblood of this group, that he stated his personal belief in staying with 10W30 oil for engine longevity. With that in mind, I have two questions I would appreciate opinion on, especially from professional mechanics:
- Is this engine known to be prone to early valve seal problems?
- Would it be better to stay with 5W-30 oil or switch to 10W-30 to try and minimize the problem ( temperatures here stay well above 0 degrees F) ( out of curiousity, I checked my old '87 Haynes Manual vs. the new one and engine clearances didn't change from '87 to '99, just the recommended preferred oil weight.)
Thnx for any input
Al
( By the way, anyone know what happened to Rick Jones - his input to the group is really missed.)