Toyota Oil Sludge Prevention

[thrace]

Pete said, "videoing my oil changes and saving receipts. Get a shot of your back yard or child, proving the time...and use a dedicated tape."

Good idea. The dealer could just refuse to acknowledge documentation and say it is all a fake. Some have said that Toyota dealers may claim Jiffy Lube receipts are not proof of oil change. It might be best to find the cheapest Toyota dealer and do the service there. Of course, the quality of the dealer's bulk oil is not known.

I also videotape my oil changes. I videotape the odometer and the cable TV date and time screen on the TV. I tape my VCR being off so I did not record and fake the date. I have a Honda dealer, Scott Robinson in Torrance, CA who I cannot trust. They cannot be trusted to deal with warranty problems, torque wheel nuts, change the oil when asked, or use the correct viscosity or anything else. Unfortunately, dates can be faked and the dealer could try to claim you went 7501 miles or 6 mo. and one day to exceed the specified limits. I am not sure a picture of your child would be good as there are those who might use family pictures for evil ends.

[ June 11, 2003, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: thrace ]

 

[RussellA]

quote:

---

I also videotape my oil changes. I videotape the odometer and the cable TV date and time screen on the TV. I tape my VCR being off so I did not record and fake the date.

---

Man, are you trying to get warranty coverage or a ransom!?

Take a picture of your car holding today's newpaper, cut off a sparkplug wire and send it to your dealer. If he still won't fix it , drive it off a cliff.

I aways have my finger print in a mix of the current used oil and my blood on each completed page of my maintanence log. Unfortunately this is never by plan, it just always happens.

 

[jjbula]

quote:

---

Originally posted by thrace:
I have a Honda dealer, Scott Robinson in Torrance, CA who I cannot trust. They cannot be trusted to deal with warranty problems, torque wheel nuts, change the oil when asked, or use the correct viscosity or anything else.

---

If you can't trust them, find a good local mechanic and go there. Or find another dealer. I've heard stories of untrustworthy people actually damaging vehicles just to repair them for you.

 

[frankioski]

RussellA,

Thanks for the PCV reference. I pulled the PCV valve out, shook it, and it rattled freely, so I didn't replace it. I put it back with a little aluminum anti-seize added.

I was thinking of jumping the diagnosis box with paper clips and reading the diagnostic codes myself. A friend told me that I can read the flashing of the check engine light to interpret the diagnostic codes. Any reference you can point me to to that end for the 99 Camry 5S-FE?

Thanks.

[ June 13, 2003, 03:36 PM: Message edited by: frankioski ]

 

[RussellA]

quote:

---

I was thinking of jumping the diagnosis box with paper clips and reading the diagnostic codes myself. A friend told me that I can read the flashing of the check engine light to interpret the diagnostic codes. Any reference you can point me to to that end for the 99 Camry 5S-FE?

---

I have the toyota service manual for the 99 Avalon and they gave no reference on doing this. I'm not saying it can't be done, but doesn't seem to be supported officially anymore. I found this link on jumpering BUT NOTICE THIS IS RUSSIA ! http://alflash.narod.ru/OBDII/ReadNew.htm

I bought an AutoXray EZ-Scan OBD II scanner on the web for about $230. A reader only can be found for about $130. I hear many auto parts places will read them for free. If you have a second fault your check engine light (MIL) will light. Not sure if auto parts stores will show first fault, the AutoXray does.

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TooSlick:
Schuey,

The affected engines I know of are the 3.0L V-6 used in the 1999-2001 Camry/Avalon/Sienna/Lexus ES-300 models and the 2.0L, four cylinder engine using in Camry's of these same model years. From what I've seen the other Toyota engines are fine.

TooSlick

---

Don't you mean the 2.2L 4-cyl? My mom has an 02 Avalon with about 22K miles. Should we switch to synthetic after a dose of Neutra? We have it changed at the dealer every 5K and it still runs great. It was never able to spin tires but it gets up and moves. It sees every type of driving, including the high-speed city driving. My mom used to race cars back in the Philippines and when she's in a hurry, 4K RPM is commonly hit. When i drive it (rarely), its about 3K at the max.

 

[cryptokid]

you know with all this talk about being hard on oil and such, im supprised no one even mentioned installing an oil cooler.

 

[HarleyDude]

You should all become familiar with the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. It is the consumer's protection when it comes to warranties. For example, one very important sections states:

§ 700.10 Section 102(c).
(a) Section 102(c) prohibits tying arrangements that condition coverage under a written warranty on the consumer's use of an article or service identified by brand, trade, or corporate name unless that article or service is provided without charge to the consumer.
(b) Under a limited warranty that provides only for replacement of defective parts and no portion of labor charges, section 102(c) prohibits a condition that the consumer use only service (labor) identified by the warrantor to install the replacement parts. A warrantor or his designated representative may not provide parts under the warranty in a manner which impedes or precludes the choice by the consumer of the person or business to perform necessary labor to install such parts.
(c) No warrantor may condition the continued validity of a warranty on the use of only authorized repair service and/or authorized replacement parts for non-warranty service and maintenance. For example, provisions such as, "This warranty is void if service is performance by anyone other than an authorized 'ABC' dealer and all replacement parts must be genuine 'ABC' parts," and the like, are prohibited where the service or parts are not covered by the warranty. These provisions violate the Act in two ways. First, they violate the section 102(c) ban against tying arrangements. Second, such provisions are deceptive under section 110 of the Act, because a warrantor cannot, as a matter of law, avoid liability under a written warranty where a defect is unrelated to the use by a consumer of "unauthorized" articles or service. This does not preclude a warrantor from expressly excluding liability for defects or damage caused by such "unauthorized" articles or service; nor does it preclude the warrantor from denying liability where the warrantor can demonstrate that the defect or damage was so caused.

Note: The key phrase as it relates to these "oil" discussions is: "This does not preclude a warrantor from expressly excluding liability for defects or damage caused by such "unauthorized" articles or service; nor does it preclude the warrantor from denying liability where the warrantor can demonstrate that the defect or damage was so caused".

 

[RussellA]

quote:

---

warrantor can demonstrate that the defect or damage was so caused.

---

I guess the gray area is what defines the warrantor "demonstrating" that damage was so cause. Initially with Toyota the existance of sludge in the engine was demonstration in itself that proper oil maintenance was not performed.

 

[HarleyDude]

As they say, the devil is in the details!

 

[richard612]

For those of you with the 1MZ V-6 and are fearing the worst:

Remove the forward valve cover and check your engine for sludge before getting your knickers in a knot. It's not hard.

Been there, done that, didn't find any.

[ June 27, 2003, 12:27 PM: Message edited by: richard612 ]

 

[JohnBrowning]

schuey2002, the 2.7 does not seem to be a sludge monster. I have only seen the inside of one of them(my fathers). He uses M1 15W50 almost year round. He puts 7000-9000 miles on his oil and does not have any sludge. We had to change a timeing chain tensioner at something like 120,000-150,000 miles. So we had to drop the pan, timeing cover and yank the head. We changed the main gears, chain and the defective tensioner. The engine had nicotine colored varnish but no visable deposits of sludge. All of the parts looked like they had never touched one another. Other then the varnish everything looked good. The chain's and gears/sprocets looked fine but figured that while we were in their we might as well change them. The 2.7 is chain driven so this probably help a little.