Sludge - how to determine

[ToyotaToday]

I bought my Camry 2002 V6 about a month ago with no real maintenance history.

Two questions.

1. How can I tell if there's sludge in the engine?
2. And if there is a bit of sludge will it eventually wash out with regular oil changes

Thanks

[cdncamry]

bump for good question, I'm in the same situation myself having bought my car with no records, I would also like to know the answers to these questions.

[Cyorke]

Easiest way is to pull one of hte valve covers. The front one being the eaisest obviously. Pull it and youwill know right away if you ahve sludge buildup. There are maybe 1--12 10mm bolts that hold it on and thensome wiring harness stuff attached to some of the bolts also so you ahve to get those out of the way.

[BadChicken]

check the dipstick, if it shows any evidence of being burnt you may have some sludge developing, but to be sure about it, pull the front valve cover off and you'll be able to tell then. You'll have all sorts of junk stuck in the valve cover and all over the cams. No it will not just work its way out. I would recommend replacing the valve covers and then having a dealership flush your engine. This should take care of it.
Hoep this helps

[ToyotaToday]

Originally Posted by BadChicken

check the dipstick, if it shows any evidence of being burnt you may have some sludge developing, but to be sure about it, pull the front valve cover off and you'll be able to tell then. You'll have all sorts of junk stuck in the valve cover and all over the cams. No it will not just work its way out. I would recommend replacing the valve covers and then having a dealership flush your engine. This should take care of it.
Hoep this helps

Thanks, checked the dip stick its super clean. One thing I know about this car is that it was driven on the highway a lot. I assume this is better than city driving.

Ok, I'll have to look into how to take the valve cover off. How much is this going to cost with replacing the valve covers and engine flush.

[BadChicken]

Valve covers aren't cheap I'll tell ya that, but you might be able to get some from a junk yard for cheaper. Some people might tell you just to hot tank them to clean them out but you will never get all of the sludge out of the baffles and this will cuz problems later. The engine flush is around $150 or so i believe depending where you go to get it done. But since the dipstick is clean i wouldn't expect it to be sludged but might be worth a look. I believe they had already fixed the sludge issue by 2002, so i don't believe yours is in the same category, but i could be wrong.

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by ToyotaToday

Ok, I'll have to look into how to take the valve cover off. How much is this going to cost with replacing the valve covers and engine flush.

You don't replace the valve covers. Just the valve cover gasket(s).

[kenny1773]

USed car with no history, why take chances?

Buy this

http://www.auto-rx.com/

Follow the directions for sludge

FIRST APPLICATION

STEP 1
Change the oil filter*
Install a new oil filter to give Auto-Rx® a place to deposit sludge, dirt, contaminants, and third-party abrasives cleaned from the engine.

STEP 2
Add Auto-Rx® to the oil
Pour 12 full ounces of Auto-Rx® into your existing oil.
If your engine oil capacity is not 6 quarts then for correct amount to add.

STEP 3
Cleaning Phase
Drive 1,500 miles.

STEP 4
Rinsing Phase
Change the oil and oil filter (use non-synthetic oil for this step).

STEP 5
Drive your car an additional
2,000 miles with just the new oil and filter.

SECOND APPLICATION

STEP 1
Change the oil and oil filter*
Continue to use non-synthetic oil

STEP 2
Add Auto-Rx® to the oil
Add the second bottle of Auto-Rx®
If your engine oil capacity is not 6 quarts then for correct amount to add.

STEP 3
Cleaning Phase
Drive 1,000 miles.

STEP 4
Rinsing Phase
Change the oil and oil filter (use non-synthetic oil for this step).

STEP 5
Completion Phase
Oil and filter should next be changed between 2,000 and 3,000 miles.



Auto-Rx Ongoing Maintenance Plan

For continuous and long-term protection 3 ounces of Auto-Rx® should be added with each oil change. In addition, you should continue to use non-synthetic oil for maximum benefit.

[brink]

Does it look like this?

http://camry.wanthoney.com/pictures/...Sludge+Pics%2F


If so, you've got sludge. What makes you think you've got a sludge problem necessarily?

[BadChicken]

Originally Posted by 88 LE

You don't replace the valve covers. Just the valve cover gasket(s).

if its sludged you should replace the valve covers due to the amount of sludge that gets stuck up in the baffles that you can't get out. If you don't replace them you will have problems with burning oil later on.

[JetspeedCamry]

Originally Posted by BadChicken

if its sludged you should replace the valve covers due to the amount of sludge that gets stuck up in the baffles that you can't get out. If you don't replace them you will have problems with burning oil later on.

Sure you can clean it. it just takes a little more time. Ive done it on mine. The only part i couldnt get off was the dark brown color underneath, which seems to be stained. But any cakey bits came off, you just need some patience and some nice fine brushes/tools.

[BadChicken]

everyone I've seen, its impossible to pull the baffle out without destorying it. So we just replace them and save a possible headache later

[ToyotaToday]

Ok, not sure if my Camry 2002 falls into the sludge category as there are conflicting info. My car was manufactured on Jan, 2002.


The link below says Camrys up to 2001 are affected then it goes on says camrys produced 8/96 - 8/02 are affected
http://yotarepair.com/Sludge_Zone.html

Here's another article that says its July 2001 as the cutoff date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sludge

oh no, which one is it???

I dont see any sludge on the oil cap or anything. Dip stick is very clean.. a brilliant silver. BUT I don't want to take any chances.

1. Does Toyota cover this sludge problem?
2. If there so many Toyotas and Lexis affected by this sludge problem, wouldn't this have killed Toyotas reputation for reliability???? Also, how frequent is this problem, even with cars affected.
3. So what is the cut off date for the Camry for this sludge probem. Is it Aug, 2002, or is it 2001

Please help! Thanks

[BadChicken]

i believe it is covered up until 80K miles

[ToyotaToday]

Thanks, but is my car affected? Anyone know. Thanks