2006 Highlander 3.3L 3MZ-FE Heavy Sludge

[MrBaumTastic]

@Glenda W ... Does this Forum indicate the qualifications of commenter's? Sorry I'm not familiar.
Anyway, just wanted to know if anyone has actually used this BG Dynamic cleaner product.

We'll pull the valve covers, scrape, clean, vacuum.
Run the product then remove the valve covers & drop the oil pan to check it out.
That's the plan. He'll junk/sell as is if it doesn't work.

Here's the front bank valve cover before & after "cleaning".

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Tight, now send it with the BG dynamic cleaner and update us with a good after picture.

 

[RayManPE]

Will do! That's the plan for now ... hasn't even bought the product... $300 on Amazon but working with a local BG sales rep ... maybe next week.

 

[TomYoung]

Agree with TomYoung about the physical cleaning. At this point, more solvents and detergents are just going to break loose more chunks and create more blockages. Don't use any more of that stuff until you've physically cleaned everything.

If it was my car, I'd try running a wire or pipe cleaner type brush into the oil pressure sending unit port and see if it is partially blocked plus use a mechanical gauge to verify low oil pressure.

Edit: If it was my car, and the oil pressure was confirmed low, I would drop the pan once more, clean the pan and oil pickup and then do NOTHING except for using cheap synthetic oil and changing the oil and filter every 3k going forward.

It is difficult to know how to proceed. If this is to be a daily driver, probably you have to replace engine.

 

[Bill7]

Two people are suggesting pressure washing the engine. I don't think that it is a good idea. I thing you are dealing with an engine that has had a few very elongated Oil change intervals. One person is suggesting that you go to a professional. I think that any professional is going to suggest you get another block, be it a short block or a used engine. If you watch The Car Care Nut, you'll see him drop factory short blocks into high mileage vehicles - of this brand - all the time. His results are excellent, and his thoughts are considered. I don't see a true professional taking a chance with that vehicle... there is no guarantee of success.

I think that you are unlikely to get good results with chemicals alone. If I had this vehicle, I would start with a toothbrush, popsicle sticks, q-tips and microfibers and physically clean as much as possible under the valve covers and the oil pan. I am assuming that you are starting with some dissassembly completed. If that is not the case, I would absolutely run 25% MMO for a hundred miles, and use an engine flush like Liqui-Moly. When cleaning I would use gasoline or kerosene as a solvent, and probably use MMO as a chaser. Once physical cleaning was done, I would run kerosene through the engine, several gallons, top to bottom, Put it all back together and go onto a series of short oil changes -- thinner, cheaper oil for maybe 500 miles.

As others have noted, there is likely a blockage somewhere. Not really sure how you chase that down without pulling the engine apart.

There is a good possibility that this will not work, and a non-zero possibility of destroying the engine as you try to fix it. Maybe you luck out and drive off into the sunset. This is rambling, but I think we can all agree that there is no good news here, excepyt that there is nothing to lose.

The only problem with the Toyota Car Care Nut dropping an engine, and replacing the short block is that it's usually a $10,000 repair (parts + labor). More frequent maintenance would be the key to avoiding that repair.

 

[TomYoung]

The only problem with the Toyota Car Care Nut dropping an engine, and replacing the short block is that it's usually a $10,000 repair (parts + labor). Would have been so much cheaper if the owner had just changed the oil more frequently.

Maybe not quite that much, especially if it’s a used unit, which CCN will very occasionally do. Nobody is arguing that it would be and is better to perform proper maintenance. Another question is whether the car should have been purchased used in this fashion. Kschachn tells us he has the same engine just short of 500k

 

[Bill7]

Maybe not quite that much, especially if it’s a used unit, which CCN will very occasionally do. Nobody is arguing that it would be and is better to perform proper maintenance. Another question is whether the car should have been purchased used in this fashion. Kschachn tells us he has the same engine just short of 500k

The Toyota Car Care Nut influenced a car purchase I made to buy a 2008 Toyota Corolla CE.
He mentioned that the 2003 to 2008 Toyota Corolla was a better generation than the 2009+ years,
and he called the 2008 Toyota Corolla a golden oldie and a hidden gem, where no matter how may miles you buy it as a used car, you can still put another 100k to 150k miles on it.
I also confirmed in the Reddit Forums that many original owners have taken the car to the dreaded 299,999 odometer stuck issue, with only a few repairs like having to replace starter, and the alternator (for example) and regular maintenance.

I bought the car with 60,000 miles on it for only $4,000 from the original owners (an elderly couple that were getting too old to drive it).
I plan to drive it 20k miles a year as a commuter car, and then after retirement to keep it and go on long trips with it.
It gets 40 MPG on the highway if you drive it with a gentle foot and maintain the speed limit.
Also, on the Reddit forums, the 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla owners mentioned that these cars are still very reliable
between the 200k mile to 300k mile range, and they didn't hesitate taking these cars on long trips with that mileage.

This was an important takeaway for me, to rate cars based on how reliable they are in the 200k to 300k mile range.
Most other car brands would become too cost prohibitive to keep past 200k as the expensive repairs would be constantly hitting you.
Toyota seems to be the most reliable car between 200k and 300k miles.

 

[TomYoung]

The Toyota Car Care Nut influenced a car purchase I made to buy a 2008 Toyota Corolla CE.
He mentioned that the 2003 to 2008 Toyota Corolla was a better generation than the 2009+ years,
and he called the 2008 Toyota Corolla a golden oldie and a hidden gem, where no matter how may miles you buy it as a used car, you can still put another 100k to 150k miles on it.
I also confirmed in the Reddit Forums that many original owners have taken the car to the dreaded 299,999 odometer stuck issue, with only a few repairs like having to replace starter, and the alternator (for example) and regular maintenance.

I bought the car with 60,000 miles on it for only $4,000 from the original owners (an elderly couple that were getting too old to drive it).
I plan to drive it 20k miles a year as a commuter car, and then after retirement to keep it and go on long trips with it.
It gets 40 MPG on the highway if you drive it with a gentle foot and maintain the speed limit.
Also, on the Reddit forums, the 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla owners mentioned that these cars are still very reliable
between the 200k mile to 300k mile range, and they didn't hesitate taking these cars on long trips with that mileage.

This was an important takeaway for me, to rate cars based on how reliable they are in the 200k to 300k mile range.
Most other car brands would become too cost prohibitive to keep past 200k as the expensive repairs would be constantly hitting you.
Toyota seems to be the most reliable car between 200k and 300k miles.

Completely agree and wish you the best with this car. Even in today’s world, 300k is a place most vehicles have trouble getting to, as it requires both a well-designed vehicle, and an owner with some sense of the necessity for maintenance. The CCN has this down, and Toyota is the brand, with Honda in second place probably.

 

[Stumpy]

I understand that the 3.3 Toyo V6 had a "sludge" reputation but every time I see photos like these I wonder how many times the previous owners used non-detergent "SA" rated motor oil or how many miles they TRULY went between changes. I change my oil in my fleet of 4 cars on average of 12.5 to 20K miles and my engines are spotless and the UOA's show below average wear. So am thinking that if these people aren't using non-detergent oil, they must have ran these oils what 30-40K miles before changing or did they just add when low?

 

[Patrick0525]

I understand that the 3.3 Toyo V6 had a "sludge" reputation but every time I see photos like these I wonder how many times the previous owners used non-detergent "SA" rated motor oil or how many miles they TRULY went between changes. I change my oil in my fleet of 4 cars on average of 12.5 to 20K miles and my engines are spotless and the UOA's show below average wear. So am thinking that if these people aren't using non-detergent oil, they must have ran these oils what 30-40K miles before changing or did they just add when low?

Probably high mileage OCIs. Not easy to buy/find non-detergent unless u buy it at Dollar General store.

 

[Slick3914]

I would do nothing. Put it back together and run it.

 

[KEVINK0000]

Aggressive cleaning with solvents in this engine will likely cause the problems the OP is seeking to avoid by cleaning in my opinion.

First, do no harm.

Figure out oil pressure issue.
Clean pan manually, clean the valve cover and shop vac as much gunk as you can out of the head you can reach.Drop the pan frequently and clean the pickup screen. Clean whatever other screens are present and clean it slowly with frequent OCI and inexpensive oil. It will likely run longer than the owner wants to drive it.

 

[kschachn]

I'm seeing a lot of opinions ... Unless I bring it to a ASM or certified mechanic, it's all guesswork.
Has anyone here used BG Dynamic Cleaner or seen the BG Dynamic Video?

You are really enamored with BG. Interesting.

 

[cptbarkey]

Nothing will help. Budget for a new engine.

 

[RayManPE]

You are really enamored with BG. Interesting.

Anticipating our first date.
Did you watch the videos and read ALL the comments ... I did.

We took the valve covers off, front & back.
The back was just as bad.
Scraped and shop vac for hours ...

Going to clean it up a little more, drop the pan, clean ... then run the BG.

 

[kschachn]

Anticipating our first date.
Did you watch the videos and read ALL the comments ... I did.

We took the valve covers off, front & back.
The back was just as bad.
Scraped and shop vac for hours ...

Going to clean it up a little more, drop the pan, clean ... then run the BG.

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For me it’s another company that employs what I consider shady business practices, so regardless if it works or not isn’t relevant to me. Other products would work too, if I thought an additive would fix this massive problem I would use one of those instead. But my belief is that this is way beyond any such remedy. Manually cleaning it up as you show is a good first step but if an additive then helps that help will not be exclusive to the BG brand. It’s your repetitive mention of this brand that I was noticing. It’s not a magic brand.

I also think that engine has been damaged by the repetitive low oil pressure.

 

[Mechanician]

Anticipating our first date.
Did you watch the videos and read ALL the comments ... I did.

We took the valve covers off, front & back.
The back was just as bad.
Scraped and shop vac for hours ...

Going to clean it up a little more, drop the pan, clean ... then run the BG.

View attachment 245078

View attachment 245079

You may want to plan another oil pan drop & clean, after a drive, and before putting any expensive cleaners in. You've disturbed the the junk, and it's certain that a bunch of junk will fall loose as soon as you drive it.
It will likely plug the pick-up screen, and you don't want to waste the cleaner.

 

[RayManPE]

You may want to plan another oil pan drop & clean, after a drive, and before putting any expensive cleaners in. You've disturbed the the junk, and it's certain that a bunch of junk will fall loose as soon as you drive it.
It will likely plug the pick-up screen, and you don't want to waste the cleaner.

 

[RayManPE]

So, it’s not my car… My friend just wants to be done with it… That’s why when we saw this BG dynamic cleaner, why not?… Now you mention “shady business practices”, that’s why I’m asking questions… Please elaborate. It’s weird that no one says that they’ve even tried it other than the YouTube videos and some Reddit posts I saw that were positive. If it were my car, I’d take my time for weeks and do what’s mentioned here, but he’s fed up and just wants to be done with it or junk it. If someone could mention their experience with it and or elaborate on why BG is “shady” perhaps I can convince him to go another route.

 

[Furious]

The 3MZ-FE is the original engine for this car ... the 1MZ-FE prior V6 is notorious for sludge, especially due to the poor design of the air/oil ducts in the valve covers.

I have a 300,000 mile 1MZ-FE no sludge, another 1MZ-FE with 150,000 miles no sludge.

Oil changes every 3k-5k. Even with the 1MZ-FE being a known sludge monster the majority of it is piss poor maintenance and following extended intervals that really caused the sludge issues.

 

[Mechanician]

The problem now is you've disturbed the stuff. As others have mentioned you need to either go all in, or leave it alone.
It's going to create problems as what you have removed won't be all that comes loose.
The ones I've seen pressure washed were very clean under the valve cover, but other goop, and particles show up and fall into the pan, as soon as it's run and the oil starts flowing.
The problem is that stuff will get sucked into the pump intake, and probably block the screen.