HELP Please!!!

[99camryy]

Hello I am new to this site and any help would be greatly appreciated. I have a 99 2.2 Camry with 170k on it. The car recently started emitting a grayish-blue smoke from the exhaust. The car is burning a quart of oil every three days. I am getting blowback all way to the intake and have replaced the PCV valve and still getting blowback. My plugs in the first and second cylinder are fouling out within a week. Do you think the rings are bad or maybe the valves are not seeting. I am no mechanic, just know a little from reading and I am a college student with not much money to play with. If anyone knows or recommends what they would do first to try and resolve this problem. THANKS A LOT FOR ANY OF YOUR HELP!!!!

[Yuko]

Do a compression test, then add oil into the cylinders and if the psi increase on the second compression test; then the rings are shot. But it can still be both valves and rings.

A friend that told me about a simple test but I'm not sure: If smoke increase when decelerating, then it's the valve. If smoking increase on accelerating, then it’s the rings. Something like that. Again, not sure.

What weight oil are you running?

[99camryy]

Thanks.. I have heard the same thing about the compression test not being able to tell if its the rings or valves. Never heard about the smoke thing, but definitely smokes only when accelerating when the engine is under a load, (st a light for a sec) but never smokes on the highway. Usually 10-40 Castrol but its getting expensive so I got some 20w 50 from a friend for free, I also have added two quarts of Lucas stabilizer and stop leak. The check engine light stays on for EGR valve if that is helpful..do you think the oil getting to the spark plugs that are fouling them because they smell like fuel. Thanks for your help

[Yuko]

Looks like you're doing everything possible. I don't think a failed/stuck EGR valve would do anything to oil consumption. Did the oil loss happen over time or suddenly? At this rate, your catalytic converter and O2 sensor will be damage by the oil.

The reason the foul spark plug smell like fuel is simply because the fuel is not getting burn (or completely) as it enter the cylinders due to the oil. You can try to install "spark plug defoulers" to help stop oil from sticking to the electrode. It screw onto the plug then the plug it screwed into the heads but the wire might not fit correctly; still an option.

[fenixus]

sounds like piston rings are worn out (blow back) if you use such heavy oil and it still happens ... healthy engine generates vacuum pull in the head, blow back is not good.

as mentioned above, check cylinders compression first and go from there.

as per other stuff, like clogged PCV valve (also check PCV breather hose on side of valve cover and where it connect with main intake hose there is small orifice - can get clogged too) and EGR code, likely the blow back with oil makes things dirty and clogs them ... likely your oxygen sensors and cat converter(s) are getting dirty too...

EDIT:
... sorry just realized Yuko mentioned all other stuff above too, didn't want to repeat hehe...