Oil Consumption, Rough Engine, 2VZ-FE

[jonsey1886]

Hey Camry lovers

This is my first post with my new(ish) Camry and I think I deserve a big idiot sticker so please bear with me and help me out

I had to toss my original Camry due to issues (see here if you really wanna know) and got a nice 1990 Camry LE Station Wagon 2VZ-FE (V6) engine with a COMPLETE and FULL maintenance history.

Yippee. I noticed that the PO had a head R & R (removal & resurfacing) as well as all gaskets (head gasket set, tube seals, etc) replaced at 123k miles and he sold it to me at just over 152k. Timing belt and water pump were also replaced then too.

So I pulled the plugs, checked this that & the other before buying and noticed the following:

1.) No full antenna for the radio-it was snapped off about halfway and if anyone can give me any hints on where to find a power antenna (or other vehicles that I could pull one from a JY) I'd appreciate it

2.) Coolant leak-documented in records but listed as unknown it's amazing the simple things professional mechanics can miss as I replaced the upper rad hose the day I bought it and it seemed to fix it

3.) Vacuum leak-need to replace the busted BVSV (blue plastic vacuum hose thing probably broken when the head work was done) and then trace the hoses back to see if the leak still persists

4.) The driver's side automatic seat belt has been disabled because it would extend and then not retract (documented in records)

5.) No A/C-according to the records the compressor is locked and would need replacement (if anyone here knows a way around that please let me know)

Wound up buying it and then found out......guess what? It consumes oil (apparently quite a bit IMO) at about from full to below Low in 2 weeks or less. Which I don't quite get seeing as how I topped it off the day I bought it and then about halfway between L & F (on the dipstick) 4 days prior. Yes yes I checked the oil on a level/flat surface with the engine cold don't worry.

Also I deliver pizza so this vehicle will get a workout. So the other night while on delivery I noticed it running roughly and having just checked the oil before I headed off to work and finding it below L (this was Sunday night 22 Jan 2012) I got so peeved off that on the way back from my first delivery I bought a quart of oil and dumped the whole thing in

After that I got back to the restaurant and it wouldn't restart (turn over). Had to let it sit for a while and it wound up being just about 2 hours (due to the sheer volume of business) before I was able to go back out and try again, but it started right up. And yet now I notice it might be running ROUGHER than earlier?

Essentially what gives here?! Did I add too much oil? And why was it burning off that quickly to begin with if all the gasketry was replaced 30k miles ago? It hadn't seen anything like heavy use with the previous owner and he had been almost religious about fixing EVERYTHING the second he was told it needed to be.

[white90dx]

The amount of oil that it takes to go from the bottom mark on the dipstick to the top mark on the dipstick is 1 quart. Check to make sure that there is oil in there now, and its above the 'low' mark and at or below the 'high' mark.

Any smoke out the exhaust? Any leaks? How many miles did you put on between topping it off and when it needed more oil?

-Charlie

[jonsey1886]

Okay thanks Charlie, that's what I thought, but why no turning over (I tried repeatedly for about 5 minutes cursing because this was literally IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR BUSIEST DINNER NIGHT SO FAR)

Checked the oil earlier today before heading off to do cash work (hanging ads for the pizza business) and it was almost at the full mark. I purchased (and first drove) it on 9 January 2012 and have put about 500 or so miles on it so far.

As far as smoke out the exhaust, the standard (as far as I know) gray/whiteish plume that comes out of every car when it's warming up in the winter as well as the same when driving.

No leaks that I can see (again checked it earlier today, ran it for a few minutes and didn't see anything dripping or obvious)

I got lucky & was hanging my apt complex now I need to get back to work so I won't see any replies to this for at least a few more hours.

[Doctor J]

V-6 are known to have head gasket leaks
The seat belt may not move due to the following:
dirt on the track caused rapid motor brush wear (uncommon)
bad door latch switch
broken harness at the door to body joint
plese check the stickies how to troubleshoot seat belt control cicuit (or look trough my threads)
if you were not able to crank an engine you may need to check the starter brushes and if they are good install the starter relay
If engine is cranked but did not start, begin with pulling the codes from computer memory.
I'll rather buy a car that has no maintenance done (and cheap) then the one serviced by unskilled mechanics. For example on my Camry someone drained tranny and differential but refilled only the tranny - the only thing which I was not able to check during my car purchase process

[white90dx]

^^^^

Doctor J's answers there are spot-on.

-Charlie

[dem2757]

do the v6s really have HG problems? or is it because there are less than i4s so when one does have one it seems prevalent?

im just wondering if there is any design flaw since i have a v6.

doe you have smoke coming from under the hood after a couple of minutes of driving? the rear bank can leak (old gasket or improperly sealed new gasket) and cause a ton of oil loss.

[Grego 92]

Yes, I also was given my camry with a blown HG.

Here is a quote from a guy that goes by "sb5walker". He's a knowledgeable guy on this board and yotatech in the 89-95 pickup forums.

In the quote he's referring to pictures of my camry v6 engine block when I had to change the HG. Veezy = 2VZ-FE and 3VZ (pickup v6, similar design).

"That is true. Like this camry, the veezy has a spot near the # 1 and 6 where there's way too little distance between the coolant passage and the ring, and it doesn't take much expansion contraction and time for the gasket to be degraded enough to allow contact. I know people talk about there being movement because of the aluminum head expanding more than the iron block, but I think the main problem is that when the aluminum head expands, it squashes the head gasket enough to flatten and damage it, and after enough times of that happening, the gasket doesn't bounce back, and gaps are formed."

[Doctor J]

My customer's 90 LE V-6 had the minor HG leaks (exhaust gases leaked into the coolant) without prior overheating @160000 mi

[dem2757]

grego do you have a link to your album?

[Grego 92]

Here's the pictures he was referring to

[dem2757]

ah i see. so #1 and #6 both have this issue. is #1 worse due to it being run hotter? (referring to exhaust crossover)

and if i were to replace my HG, should i use oem or a different brand?

[dem2757]

not sure if you can tell, but these are my plugs after >90000

do they look all fine? besides excessive electrode wear, any signs of coolant burning?

i managed to break one too

[jonsey1886]

@Doctor J, thanks for the tips, I've been perusing your seat belt stickies for a few days now and if we have another unseasonably warm day tomorrow (60 degrees today IN JANUARY in the mountains of Southwestern VA) I'll try and coax the plastic b pillar inner trim off (any tips to get it off safely, easily and in 1 piece btw?) It doesn't move as I noted because it has been disabled by a shop, the main plug (belt motor connector) has been unplugged. As noted on the shop records it would come forward (when the door was open) and then refused to retract.

The belt motor was unplugged and the thing was wound back in order to pass safety inspection.

Thanks for the tips about the HG, I was just hoping I WOULDN'T have another "must add oil every 2 weeks or so" car, what viscosity would you recommend (if other than standard 10W-30) for it?

The starter (along with the right rear pads & rotor) was replaced June 6 2011 (mileage not recorded by shop)
Serpentine belt in late may 09 @ 138,974
The mileage on the head R & R, gasketry, new timing belt, & water pump was 123,090 22 Oct 2007 (4.5 years ago) and I think it may just need new valve cover gaskets as I saw some accumulation/black build up around there when I looked earlier today.

Plugs were & fuel filter were last changed in 04, cap, wires, & rotor might need to be replaced but the first two (unless I'm wrong) will need to be replaced the sooner the better. Probably could use a new air filter too.

[Doctor J]

Dem2757, the plugs are not indicating obvious coolant leaks (they are going to be white clean or rusty, if water used to be added), the electrodes also will wear badly on them.
So far they are looking like an engine runs on the slightly rich mixture or ignition spark was weak or the engine burns oil.
For the cars which are using oil AND have large oil clearances (like mine),
http://youtu.be/2Tud6tZkcPI
I am using 20W50 oil around the year; in colder climate I would try 10W40 oil with low ash content such as Valvoline High mileage.

[dem2757]

Originally Posted by jonsey1886

@Doctor J, thanks for the tips, I've been perusing your seat belt stickies for a few days now and if we have another unseasonably warm day tomorrow (60 degrees today IN JANUARY in the mountains of Southwestern VA) I'll try and coax the plastic b pillar inner trim off (any tips to get it off safely, easily and in 1 piece btw?) It doesn't move as I noted because it has been disabled by a shop, the main plug (belt motor connector) has been unplugged. As noted on the shop records it would come forward (when the door was open) and then refused to retract.

The belt motor was unplugged and the thing was wound back in order to pass safety inspection.

Thanks for the tips about the HG, I was just hoping I WOULDN'T have another "must add oil every 2 weeks or so" car, what viscosity would you recommend (if other than standard 10W-30) for it?

The starter (along with the right rear pads & rotor) was replaced June 6 2011 (mileage not recorded by shop)
Serpentine belt in late may 09 @ 138,974
The mileage on the head R & R, gasketry, new timing belt, & water pump was 123,090 22 Oct 2007 (4.5 years ago) and I think it may just need new valve cover gaskets as I saw some accumulation/black build up around there when I looked earlier today.

Plugs were & fuel filter were last changed in 04, cap, wires, & rotor might need to be replaced but the first two (unless I'm wrong) will need to be replaced the sooner the better. Probably could use a new air filter too.

if you dont see any oil dripping or gathering on the firewall, then its being internally lost. im not sure where though as you have no ill symptoms besides hard starting and rough idling.