Is a 1999 Avalon a Sludger?

[ricamryman]

Considering buying a mint 1999 Avalon that a local Toyota Dealer has on the used lot, is this year a sludger?..........

[BMR]

Yes it is, according to this website.

[American Pie]

Looks like a design change made for the 1997 model year 6 cylinder motor was responsible for the sludge problem. Does anybody know exactly what it was? I've heard it had something to do with the PCV system, but how was it changed for the worse?

It was really surprising to me when I'd heard about this issue for the first time. You'd think Toyota with its reputation for excellent engineering wouldn't have made such a blunder after many years of designing and building engines.

(Looks like our '96 Avy missed it by one year. I didn't know about the sludge problem until after we bought it. Phew!)

[jack toy]

I realized that my avalon 96 has a grey sle v6 solara toyota engine 3.0 from the 1999(it was chaged to my avalon cause the vin number is from a solara), this engine has the same problem?cause is from the 1999 considering it has he same engine that the camry v6, solara, lexus es 300 and the avalon share... whats the meaning of SLUDGER???? im confused

[84Cressida]

My '98 has never sludged. Change your oil and maintain your car and you shouldn't have problems. The 1MZ-FE is an excellent engine.

[BMR]

Originally Posted by 84Cressida

My '98 has never sludged. Change your oil and maintain your car and you shouldn't have problems. The 1MZ-FE is an excellent engine.

Exactly. From what I've read, the likelihood of getting sludge build up is highly reduced if the oil is changed on schedule. Even better if it's done more frequently than the recommended 7k(?) mile interval. Of course there are always exceptions. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I knew it was well maintained.

[BMR]

Originally Posted by jack toy

...whats the meaning of SLUDGER???? im confused

It means the oil turns into a gel and sticks all over the engine internals. It can break loose and block oil passageways which can cause major engine damage. Here's a thread with some good pics of what it looks like. A little brown/tan staining is normal. But globs of "mud" is bad.

[CTB727]

Any engine can sludge when not properly maintained, and any engine can perform well when maintained properly with frequent oil changes, etc. An easy telltale sign if it's sludged or not is to take a look underneath the oil cap. Next step, is to remove valve covers and take a look. I wouldn't let the "possibility" of sludge affect your buying decision. Take it for a test drive, and see if the car suits your needs.

[Mike Murrell]

There is a fomer Dealer Tech at this website(hevster1) who spent around 25 yrs. in Toyota dealerships. He commented on this in another thread.

He never saw a sludge problem that was not due to owner neglect and I believe him.

People buy these cars and think they'll last forever with zero maint - just not true. Change oil/filter on a reg. basis.

There are 2 other things that can cause sludging in my opinion.

- people who live 2 miles from work.
- using too cool a thermostat

[pmesfun]

I live 1 mile from my school. using a full synthetic is a must and 5k OCI.

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by pmesfun

I live 1 mile from my school. using a full synthetic is a must and 5k OCI.

Hell, I even do 3-4k intervals just as a precaution. My parents think I'm wasting money. Oh well.

[pmesfun]

If your using full synthetic, it may be overkill depending on your driving distances.

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by pmesfun

If your using full synthetic, it may be overkill depending on your driving distances.

I drive about 95% city. 6 miles to school one way, 5 mies to work one way.

When this car belonged to my mom, it was driven about 80% highway.

[robcam13]

i also agree that if you do regular oil changes you will not have any sludge issues at all. ive been a certified toyota tech for 6 years. my 96 avalon looks new inside with 160k on the engine. i did the valve cover gaskets last week and i was very happy of how clean she was inside the engine.

[American Pie]

No doubt regular oil changes will avoid sludge problems. But evidently there was some design change made in the 1997 and later motors that contribute to accelerated sludge buildup. It resulted in the aforementioned recall and (if memory serves) a class-action lawsuit.

ANY motor will get gunky internals if oil isn't changed regularly, but the '97 and later Toyota V6 appears to have been affected by the problem to a greater than most. I'm still curious as to what the design change was that caused the problem.

Could it simply be mostly due to owner ignorance and neglect? Let's face it, the vast majority of Toyota drivers probably have as much passion for their vehicles as they do for their refrigerator. They tend to look upon it as a "necessary appliance" and perform maintenance only when they remember, or once every two years whichever comes later.