06 Corolla Sludge :: MMO Experiment

[panthermike]

Does look pretty bad, but definately salvagable.

What did you put back in the car? I would run another round of MC5000 w/ some MMO for sure.

I agree w/ Bill, oil wasn't changed every 5K. Odd that filter was two years old?

My girlfriends mom drives an 05' w/ 103,000 miles that has seen 5K OCI's, I can't see any deposits at all under the cap.

BTW, thanks for taking the time to put up these pics, looking forward to the next round

 

[Bill in Utah]

I should add looking at the cam lobes and chain it will clean up and all will be fine.

I'd just keep with the Mobil 5000 and filters every 2-3k until things clean up. But the 1ZZFE is a tough motor that has seen worst and keeps going.

 

[cchase]

At this point, how often the oil was changed seems irrelevant. You've got a job on your hands to fix what damage was done. It seems to me that continually asking her what she did to get it like that probably just hurts her feelings. She knows what was done was not good.

Sure looks gross, though.

 

[webfors]

Those are excellent sludge pics... love the high resolution!!

As others mentioned, no way in H-E-DOUBLEHOCKEYSTICKS that oil was changed in the last 20k. It takes a lot of miles for even the most regular dino to sludge up like that!

Do what Bill says and get the receipts from her or the lube shop. Someone needs to own up for beating up that pretty little yota!

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: cchase
At this point, how often the oil was changed seems irrelevant. You've got a job on your hands to fix what damage was done. It seems to me that continually asking her what she did to get it like that probably just hurts her feelings. She knows what was done was not good.

Sure looks gross, though.


Or do that... put that energy into cleaning it up

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: cchase
At this point, how often the oil was changed seems irrelevant.


Negative.

The OP came on stating that the quick lube place charged her for the service and did not do it. That they left oil and a 2 year old filter on the vehicle for over 4 oil services.

If you come to this site making comments concerning that we NEED to find out the FACTS.

More people get their oil changed at these type of places and they may be coming here to see if they are doing the correct maintenance. When they read stories like this when all the facts are not in, BITOG is not projecting anything but some members bias.

There is NO WAY that engine saw 5k oil changes. So it's either the quick lube place did not do them and did charge her like the OP stated or his Girl Friends girl friend is not telling the truth.

Need the receipts to prove it either way.

I THANK the OP for helping out the person and getting the Corolla back in tip top shape.

I just hope that the owner of the vehicle gets with the program. (either IF the oil change place is ripping her off she goes some place else OR getting correct service)

Bill

 

[Boss302fan]

WOW... She may have taken it to them(JL) for oil changes, but I doubt if they actually changed the oil. Only time I have seen an engine that was that sludged up, was when I pulled the covers off an engine that did not have an oil change for 30K miles. The guy only added oil when it got low.

I would pull the covers and clean up by hand and then run a really good oil flush through it(15 minute flush and drop). Maybe use Amsoil's and possibly do it twice back to back with fresh Pennzoil or convention mobil. I really think that you need to get that cleaned up as fast as possible. I would then change it out to PP and run it for 3K miles. Maybe, change out the oil filter after the first 1K miles.

 

[OilNerd]

Catera, thanks for sharing the experience with us and posting the pics!

 

[jnmiller75]

What I am curious about, and I can't belive no one has asked about it, is why there was a date on the filter if it had been done at a Jiffy Lube.

If Jiffy Lube has a history of not changing oil filters as so many here claim, then why would they have marked the date on one to begin with? This would be condiming evidence that they hadn't changed the filter.

 

[OLAFF]

Not a problem fellas, the subject with the girl is somewhat odd, she is a single mom, doesnt have anyone to look after her, not even parents, so I have decided to do that for her.

She is good on following instructions, like I told her filter change at 1000, and then full OCI at 2000-2500mi, and she did that.

I poked the JL thing for a bit and knowing how bad her engine is she is somewhat embarrassed that her engine is in such a bad shape and that she has paid almost 200$ for oil changes over the last 20K miles...

She did say that she never checked the oil before or after on her car, just took it it, the fella at the JL place just told her follow the oil light signal, which is 5mo/5K and do that...
The folks at Toyota here next to me change oil for 10$, and i doubt they put anything good in the engine so sludging on this car may have started way way back while the car was still in service with them. If JL did oil changes and maybe also used junky oil but no filter change then I can see how progressively the situation can get worse and worse.

The problem here is I need to play detective go bug the JL guys they will get all defensive on me for trying to uncover their stuff.. < whatever that may be. And eventually I may get the blame for something...

From the sound of it, she was relieved to pay the 18$ in parts for her oil change and not 50 at the JL place. As far as receipts, well she probably keeps them all in her car, in random piles, its a bit of a mess there.

If I get a chance to stop by and ask for the records from JL with the license plate number I will try to play the dumb folk trying to get the records of the car as if I am buying it. I will post any other info that I get.

 

[OLAFF]

Originally Posted By: jnmiller75
What I am curious about, and I can't belive no one has asked about it, is why there was a date on the filter if it had been done at a Jiffy Lube.

If Jiffy Lube has a history of not changing oil filters as so many here claim, then why would they have marked the date on one to begin with? This would be condiming evidence that they hadn't changed the filter.



Simpleste way of looking at it, the person doesn't care about the car judging by how the car appears...
Then they drop in a filter mark it with a date then send her off on her way.
Next time she comes in, they look, same filter, wipe it clean, say they changed it, maybe dump the oil...
Keep doing same thing over and over, while charging her for a premium lube.

Otherwise I dont see any other reason why someone would write a date on the filter... even if it was changed at any other place..

My father is a mechanic at a small shop, and he often tells me how clients would come and change their oil with PartsMaster stuff, fitler and oil, then they will go on a long trip.... then they would sometimes come back with 10K on the odometer, and some X-brand oil change place decal, but the same parts master filter...

He sees that happening a lot. Not sure why those people think the can get rich off of a 3$ part.

 

[panthermike]

I've seen the same thing happen Catera, as for the oil filters. I change the oil on someone's car, but on the next oil change they don't come to me. So, on the next change, they come back again and that same Toyota/Motorcraft filter is still on there. I'm pretty sure those quick lubes don't use OEM filters.

One time, my girlfriends cousin changed the oil for her mom's Corolla(has a shop). Next change she brought it to me, there was still a Toyota filter on there from the previous change at the dealer. I have no doubt he changed the oil, but come on. When I changed the oil, I figured out why he didn't change the filter. I couldn't get it off! None of filter wrenches fit, ended up having to find a strap wrench. While it was a pain in the [censored], he should've figured it out

.

 

[bearda]

Is she sure it was an actual Jiffy Lube? My mother in law calls every quick-change place Jiffy Lube, even if it's Walmart TLE. The last time I took a look at her car I asked when she got the oil changed last she said she didn't know when but it was at the Jiffy Lube in the next town over. I went to call them to have them pull the record and couldn't find them listed. Turns out it was some other hole-in-the-wall place. If she's not really paying attention to the maintenance and not keeping the record there's a change she didn't pay all that much attention to who actually did (or was supposed to do) the work.

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: bearda
Is she sure it was an actual Jiffy Lube? My mother in law calls every quick-change place Jiffy Lube, even if it's Walmart TLE. The last time I took a look at her car I asked when she got the oil changed last she said she didn't know when but it was at the Jiffy Lube in the next town over. I went to call them to have them pull the record and couldn't find them listed. Turns out it was some other hole-in-the-wall place. If she's not really paying attention to the maintenance and not keeping the record there's a change she didn't pay all that much attention to who actually did (or was supposed to do) the work.


Good point. Many people call their string trimmer a "weed-eater", even though it's another brand entirely.

 

[daman]

Bill you sure know allot about how a iffy lube works and operates,proceedures, you must go there often to get service. Man you always have the "right" answer,

 

[WishIhadatruck]

While the GF's friend probably is mostly worried about her car (maybe) and could care less about JL. All of us would like to find the truth if you don't mind digging. While it is certainly possible the JL place ripped her off it is more likely she isn't telling the truth. Even if she didn't know it was sludged she probably knew she was skipping oil changes. Of course the window stick did indicate she had it changed, when? Could you tell? Either way, hopefully it works out well for you.

Remember the link to the BMW site where a guy went 40k miles on a oil change and they were doing some auto rx cycles? When the guy went to another forum members house to get help changing the oil and cleaning what they could under the valve cover he finally got the guy to tell the whole truth. He really went 60k miles.

 

[Boss302fan]

Right now I think the sludge problem should be taken care of before trying to prove that JL screwed up.

 

[addyguy]

I'd agree.....you'll never get 'satisfaction' trying to find someone responsible for this.

I agree with Bill, based on the condition of the cams and timing chain, engine should be okay.

I'd continue to use sale dino w/1 quart of MMO, and do 2-3k OCI's...it will clean up slowly, but it SHOULD clean up.

Reason I suggest this is you will probably only have limited time with the car, as it is not yours. If this was your car, and you had more time, I'd fill the engine with 2 quarts of diesel, 2 quarts of cheap 15W-40, and run it for 10 mins. Drain it, and do it again, then continue with regular changes. I'd like to think that would flush out as much of the 'soft sludge' as possible.....

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: daman
Bill you sure know allot about how a iffy lube works and operates,proceedures, you must go there often to get service. Man you always have the "right" answer,

I HAVE to take my work truck there a LOT. And sometimes I take other trucks there to get their oil changed.

We used to have our own state mechanics change oil but then someone up above decided that it was unfair to businesses to cut them out on the service so now we take the "normal" vehicles to Lube Centers (Work trucks up to 1 ton, Crown Vics, Tahoes and such) and the heavy duty stuff still gets done in "house".

I happen to pay attention to things around me (sorta my job) so I WATCH what they are doing.

Sorry if I state what I've seen and sorry that I'm trying to keep things real around here.

Whatever.... Who cares... Lets just slam everything here and spew whatever bias we have. Forget any facts...

Amazing.

 

[Boss302fan]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
I'd agree.....you'll never get 'satisfaction' trying to find someone responsible for this.

I agree with Bill, based on the condition of the cams and timing chain, engine should be okay.

I'd continue to use sale dino w/1 quart of MMO, and do 2-3k OCI's...it will clean up slowly, but it SHOULD clean up.

Reason I suggest this is you will probably only have limited time with the car, as it is not yours. If this was your car, and you had more time, I'd fill the engine with 2 quarts of diesel, 2 quarts of cheap 15W-40, and run it for 10 mins. Drain it, and do it again, then continue with regular changes. I'd like to think that would flush out as much of the 'soft sludge' as possible.....



I agree with you... Diesel works very well if you are careful with its application.