Originally Posted By: ttvr4
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Know the engine well. Written about this engine and its problems recently on here. The dark one is the vvt-i cam gear. Prone to deposits with the wrong oil which is a bad thing. The picture shows the cover of the gear picking up oil/blowby vapors (close to PCV valve outlet), not much flow over it so it doesn't clean easy, some cooked oil from high heat, similar to what you see on the valve cover baffle. Its whats going on inside the gear that matters. The deposit problems with this engine are block level, deeper inside at the pistons. Peeping under valve cover doesn't tell you much about the cleanliness below. Its either burnt/worn valve seals or clogged piston oil return holes causing the consumption. Assume you switched over to PU from another oil for a reason. What was the prior oil brand used? That will help diagnose where the oil consumption problem lies.
I am not sure what conventional oil was used and its OCI prior to taking ownership of this vehicle. I'm more concerned about the car burning oil than anything else. Should I be switching over to a HM oil?
-ttvr4
Alright. No problem with the rings or cylinder bore on these engines. The oil consumption is heat related. Either the valve seals are dry/shrunk/burnt, or the piston oil return holes are clogged from prior dino that flashed off in the holes, or both are contributing. On the 2AZ-FE Camry in my sig I tried just about every additive, every oil trying to clean my way out of oil consumption. From regular M1, to PP and MMO, PU and Kreen, the list goes on and on. For me, on this engine Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w30 by itself is the choice. Its extended interval syn. Has seal conditioners to deal with valve seal issues. Has extra cleaners to deal with clogged piston oil return holes. Consumption diminished, external leaks stopped. Diminished is relative, I was 1qt per 2k, now its 1qt per 4500-5k. Not bias towards M1, like the PU better in the GM in my sig. Quieter. But the GP still has stubborn varnish on the dipstick PU cannot remove. M1 HM made short work of the varnished dipstick in the Camry, may try it on the GM. Also, a high efficiency filter is helpful to keep the holes clear of the smaller deposits, keep the oil looking cleaner for the 8-10k intervals I go with M1 HM. Something extended interval, 99% efficiency. I use the Fram Ultra XG4386 because its cheap at walmart where I buy the oil, but there are other options out there.
