soft varnish/sludge on oil fill baffle Toy 2GR-FE

[friendly_jacek]

I changed oil couple of weeks ago and noticed very soft varnish/sludge on oil fill baffle in my 2006 V6 RAV4. I wiped it with finger at the time and thought it was gone, but I looked closed again today and there is some left (on the right).

The last OCI was 10W30 QS Qtorque 5,000 miles/12 months, and before that 0W30 GC 3,000 miles/12 months, and before that various dino oils, mostly 5W30 every 6 months, 3,000-5,000 miles. Now I have 10W30 PP and the car has 50,000 miles, mostly short trips mixed with long hwy trips, and some boat towing.

Should I worry about more of that varnish inside the engine and do some kreen cleaning?
Thanks!

 

[oldhp]

Run the PP and sleep soundly.

 

[901Memphis]

No, the baffle will almost always have more varnish than the engine because it only gets infrequent splashes on it. I have seen engines with sludge on the baffle and spotless internals. Even if the engine was coated that light i still wouldn't flush it!

 

[147_Grain]

Very little varnish for a 9 year old vehicle.!

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
No, the baffle will almost always have more varnish than the engine because it only gets infrequent splashes on it. I have seen engines with sludge on the baffle and spotless internals. Even if the engine was coated that light i still wouldn't flush it!


A very sound post indeed.

 

[Shannow]

Where you see varnish deposited is typically not where it is generated. It's solubility is related to temperature, and places like this is where it's relatively cooler, and it settles out.

Probably "made" in the ring belt, or the environment around the oil slinging out of the big end (150C oil, atomised, in an environment of blowby gasses)...then finds somewhere cool to plate out on.

e.g. in the turbines, the varnish ends up in the hydraulic rather than working circuits, as they are a lot cooler than the working oil circuits.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
No, the baffle will almost always have more varnish than the engine because it only gets infrequent splashes on it. I have seen engines with sludge on the baffle and spotless internals. Even if the engine was coated that light i still wouldn't flush it!


A very sound post indeed.


+2

 

[mongo161]

Originally Posted By: wemay
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
No, the baffle will almost always have more varnish than the engine because it only gets infrequent splashes on it. I have seen engines with sludge on the baffle and spotless internals. Even if the engine was coated that light i still wouldn't flush it!


A very sound post indeed.


+2


+3 My 1997 T4R, SR5 has had varnish/baked on "sludge" for many years now. According to Toyota, that is common/will happen with all of it's vehicles with the baffle plate. Inside is most likely spotless....don't sweat the small stuff. You can call Toyota at the 800 number and ask....they will tell you the same.

 

[Donald]

Like the color of the oil, the looks of the oil baffle or fill cap are not a good indicator of sludge or no sludge.

 

[demarpaint]

It looks OK to me for a 9 year old engine.

 

[toneydoc]

That would not worry me and you have been running some fine oils.
I would sleep well at night.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
No, the baffle will almost always have more varnish than the engine because it only gets infrequent splashes on it. I have seen engines with sludge on the baffle and spotless internals. Even if the engine was coated that light i still wouldn't flush it!


+4. The baffle on my Accord looks similar. Its just because the oil rarely splashed around up there to clean it off. The oil vapors and steam probably rise to the top of the engine and settle down on top of the baffle. Here is a pic of the baffle on the Accord. Looks worse than yours but everything around it looks nice and clean.

 

[Trav]

As others have posted, i don't see any problem at all there either, discoloration in that area means very little as its subjected to oil gases more than liquid oil.
Toyota colored a lot of those shields black and textured for this reason. Just leave it alone IMO.

 

[michaelluscher]

There's a baffle like that on the 1/3MZ-FE engines, and mines done the same.
No worries.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Thank you all!
I just checked baffle on a 4 year old prius with 40,000+ miles and there was a small amount of yellow varnish too, but i did not wipe off with finger. More like baked in. 0w20 oils every 10,000 miles.

 

[Lex94]

Thanks, Shannow.

Give PUP 10w30 a try.....