Nooooo!!! Sludge in 97' Camry

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Just helped my cousin change his oil in his 97' Toyota Camry 5FSE at 150K. The sludge was so thick in the oil filler hole that I scooped it out with my finger. It was like pure clay. He must have it bad.

I'm going to suggest Auto-Rx for him. Does two treatments sound like a good plan?

Any advice I can share with him would be great. Thanks.
 
no. new engine is a good plan-actually, sell the car is a GREAT plan!!!! Sorry!
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CJ has a good suggestion, however, if he wishes to keep it then I would suggest a manual clean of the top and bottom ends of the motor, then 2x ARX (maybe 3).
 
Chunks of sludge may cause more, bigger... even fatal engine problems.

With it that bad under the filler cap, removing the top, bottom & oil pan for a good, manual cleaning/scraping -- then a couple of Auto-RX's afterwards may help.
 
If it were I, I would also take off the valve covers and oil pan and manually clean the gooey stuff the best I could, especially the oil pickup screen. I wouldn't scrape anything baked on. Then triple AutoRX it new filters each time. Less than $200 in materials just might save the engine.
 
In the last 2 weeks I have seen a Camry and an Avalon with bluish smoke coming out of the tailpipe.

I think this problem is starting to really show up now that these cars are getting some age and miles on them.
 
I pulled the PCV valve and it too was covered in sludge, however it interestingly still rattled. It looks very old. I'm going to replace it today for him.

I wonder if an engine flush would be a better plan for him before auto Rx...? I was only able to look into the oil filler hole, so I have no idea what really lies beneath. I just know that the oil filler hole was covered with the black sludge.

So far he has no adverse affects from it. No blue smoke, no rattles, etc.
 
I had the same situation as your cousin with my '97 Camry 4cyl at ~130,000 miles but was having some smoke on start-up, getting some blow-by smoke, a few engine seal leaks and an oil pan leak. After completing 2 AutoRx treatment and rinse phases (all w/dino oil) the smoking, leaking and power improved but had dark oil in ~500 miles after subsequent oil changes. Used some Seafoam (~$5.00 at NAPA, Advance Auto) in the crankcase, through the PCV system and through the brake booster vacumn line immediately prior to the next few oil changes. The Seafoam may have helped or it just took a few frequent changes to finish cleaning up the sludge. This engine just cooks oil! I still do frequent oil changes ~2000 miles (90% highway) w/Motorcraft 5W30 when the oil turns dark on the dipstick.

BTW...removing the oil pan on this engine is not very easy. You have to loosen the exhaust from the manifold and remove some of the motor support structure to get to it.

Mark in NC
 
Me! I'm afraid to recommend anything now. He may just call up an auto shop and ask about engine flushes.

I believe he mainly uses Pennzoil 10-minute quick change. As far as OCI's I have no clue.
They drive a lot of highway miles, so it's easy to rack up the miles.

I have a 98' Camry 5FSE, and I'm going to use AutoRX and Mobil1 for here on out. I don't want sludge. I think I learned my lesson.
 
I don't want sludge. I think I learned my lesson. A friend came by today with his 2000 Camry and I tryed to tell him that he is driving a Sludge Monster. He drives stop & go and the cheapest oil he can find. All ingredients for the Black Death the cancer of your Camry. So I told him lets start with a ARX treatment and drain and new filter after 1500. I will have the privlage of draining and cut open the filter to see how bad it sludged after 42000. If it is not extream I will use Chevron Supream for the rinse, if it comes out like 90wt gear oil I will put in DELO.He wants to switch to GC but I told him we need to clean up 5 years of DINO SCUM first.I hope I am doing the right thing cause he knows a market guru who has never lost $ on a option in the last 5 years.
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Engine flushes, those sold at quickie lubes, auto repair shops and the bottles that line the shelves of the local auto store, will dislodge large chunks of sludge...VERY bad. Auto-RX slowly dissolves the sludge by essentially liquifying it, those engine flushes do nothing of the sort.

Bottom line: what if any chunks get stuck in any oil passages? That's what Auto-RX completely avoids and that's why it's so much safer in such sludged up engines than any of those "engine flush" products.
 
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