Ok,
I don't have the specifics of the original thread, but this past weekend I changed the oil in my '98 V6 Camry, 1MZ-FE (same engine as used in Solara).
I was reminded again why I hate doing it -- the oil filter is at an angle and everytime it's removed or put on, oil spills on to the exhaust. This causes the oil to burn, so maybe that's what the OP was seeing.
If the oil filter is angled downward, then the longer you wait to remove the filter after you start by draining the oil from the pan, the less oil there will be in the filter; it will drain to the pan through the engine in the meantime. At least that's how it is on my old Camry.
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