2001 avalon smoking on startup

[Mikgsxr]

hello all. i just bought an avalon from the auctions and when i start it there is a huge cloud of white smoke that comes out of the exhaust. it goes away after a minute or two... i also hear a slight rattle sound coming from the engine when i push the accelerator down. i live in Australia and toyota have denied sludge problems in Australian toyotas. is there anything else it could be? it has 177,000 kilometres on it and has been serviced regularly as it was a fleet car for a govt department.

thanks!

ps- i put in a product called "stop smoke" but it seems to have made it worse?

[swiftjustice]

Puff of smoke on startup that is of short duration is a classic sign of valve seals that are old and deteriorated - my '93 V-6 Camry with 175K miles does the same thing.

When the seals get old, hard and cracked due to age they no longer "seal" the oil from the top of the valve stem as well as they used to (they don't actually "seal" all the oil out, they are more of an "oil control seal" really as they let some by). When this happens, oil pools on top of the closed valves and some leaks down through the open ones, causing the puff of oil smoke at startup until it gets burned off. You should also notice slightly increased oil consumption as more oil is getting past the valves and is being burned when the car is running although you would not notice the smoke then unless the seals were almost totally gone.

The only way to cure is to fit new valve seals, which require removals of the heads to replace. With R&R of the heads, new head gaskets and labor, etc. its a fairly substantial job and not a DIY job unless you really know what you are doing.

[ChiTDI]

Very accurate description there, swiftjustice.
Miks - you don't need any more of that "stop smoke" for sure. The symptoms don't support the "engine gel" issue either. That's good. A compression test might answer a lot of questions and lead you to the right repair/replace/ rethink decision.

[Mikgsxr]

Thanks for the response! sounds like you guys know what your talking about. how much would it cost for new valve stem seals to be put in at a mechanics?

sounds like a big job- one i cant really afford right now. is there a cheaper alternative to get it to stop smoking until i can save some money? its embarrassing driving a car that looks like uncles bucks.

thanks again!

[ChiTDI]

a valve job I would guess at about a grand (US), and a compression test at about $75.
"uncles bucks" - too much too soon today.