1st undercap view...what do you see?

[KitaCam]

Following up another's thread I decided to take a shot under the filler cap and post here to ask what you folks see...

This is from my "new" camry...2005 i4 with 98k, 1500k miles on 5w30 dino (OCIs of 8/13/15/12k with unkown oil are known after the 48k warranty period)...

I have no knowledge what to look for...so I ask if what you see gives you any idea how the oil did for owner-1...I'm o-2 for the past 6 weeks (since 97.5k miles)

Thank you for taking time to comment...

 

[MarkStock]

Hi again.

That looks like varnish to me. Might mean that other parts of the engine are worse, might not.

So best to run a high detergent oil like Pennzoils. As mentioned previously, Ultra has the most detergents.

My Ford has 70k on it and has always had syn or semi syn and is completely shiny under the oil cap. Since I had it from 25k / 1 year old, no OCI went past 5k.

Btw the 1997-2001 2.2 L 4-cylinder (5S-FE) was prone to sludge. I don't know whether that was because of engine design or maintenance recommendations that were subsequently fixed.

 

[Zaedock]

Looks clean to me with 98K on it.

 

[RiceCake]

It looks perfectly fine for any engine with nearly 100k miles on it.

Don't fret.

 

[webfors]

Mild varnish/coloring. Nothing to be concerned about. It will probably run another 100k+ with regular dino OCIs.

 

[cchase]

Light varnish. Nothing needs to be done.

 

[Donald]

Light to mild varnish on the parts we see. But that may or may not be indicative of what is under the valve cover as a whole.

 

[KitaCam]

Wow...you guys are quick...

Being a bit color blind (red-green deficient), I made the effort to make sure the color was accurate...

I appreciate your attention to such details...

...as I wrote in my self-intro, I change oil 2x/yr @ about 5k miles so don't know whether I'll go PP regularly...but for the next OC at least (if there isn't any leaking oil) I figure it would be nice to give Kitacam a bit of luxury brew to clean 'er out....

 

[yonyon]

I don't see anything to worry about, but if you feel the need to buy a particular oil for it's reputation of cleaning well, buy enough that your next oil change is with the same oil. Remember that after the first oil change it's being mixed with a little of whatever was in there before.

 

[bourne]

Looks great for almost 100k miles on it. PP for 5k miles should work great with a quality filter. Is the PCV valve serviceable in that vehicle ? If so, I suggest replacing it if you havent already.

Another oil to consider, Maxlife 5w30 syn blend. I use it to great effect in my sister's 2004 Camry with 145k miles on it. Runs smooth and quiet and she has gotten her best hwy mpg on that oil yet.

 

[oggb]

Oh man, sell that thing QUICK.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: bourne
PP for 5k miles should work great with a quality filter.

That's an economic waste.

Any oil can handle 5K in this application and would continue keeping his engine clean.

 

[KitaCam]

Red....

Don't think I haven't thought of flipping it for couple of grand profit...but...would I find another stick for such a good price in such good condition?...no...I think not...

 

[KitaCam]

Z...I was thinking the same...

What high detergent dinos would do the trick for 5k miles of cleaning?

 

[mikered30]

Doesnt this valve cover have a baffle on it like the other toyota engines?

 

[KitaCam]

mike...if by baffle you mean the black cover on top of the engine, then yes.

 

[john_pifer]

Yes, that's a little bit of varnish, and has no effect on the engine. Of course a little oil film is going to be left on that surface after oil has been poured in, and that area isn't lubricated constantly by pressurized oil, or even splashed/thrown oil. Lighter components of that oil are going to evaporate when they get hot, leaving behind that little coating of varnish. Not going to hurt anything at all.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: MarkStock

So best to run a high detergent oil like Pennzoils. As mentioned previously, Ultra has the most detergents.


According to whom? A marketing department?

 

[jeepman3071]

Its a Toyota. You could run Windex in the crankcase and still get 100k more out of it.

You will be fine with any conventional oil such as Pennzoil, Castrol, Valvoline, etc with a good filter for a 5k interval.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Z...I was thinking the same...

What high detergent dinos would do the trick for 5k miles of cleaning?


Pennzoil conventional is highly regarded, but personally, I don't really see the need to do any cleaning. I've seen the inside of many an engine and it looks fine to me. I run my wife's Maxx to nearly the end of the Oil Life Monitor on every change. It has seen mostly SuperTech it's entire life with an occasional QS Green Bottle or Ashland (Valvoline) auto store clone and it's perfectly clean inside.

I would continue to run a nice conventional like QSGB/PYB/VWB/M5K, etc. and your engine will continue to serve you well for another 100K. I usually wait for rebates or oil deals for added savings.