Is it possible that the shop wasn't actually using Valvoline? For instance, some of the Jiffy Lubes were using something other than Pennzoil for their entry level oil change.
Varnish and sludged 2.4 ecotec
- Thread starter Orangepeel
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Yeah....if it's entered every 3k miles like clock works it's not going to be a fluke. Laugh all you want. That's just facts.
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It was done at Valvoline instant oil changes.
Oil was not changed. I would say probably closer to 7500+ miles
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Yeah I agree that's what it looks like. My guess is she went and they just didn't do the job.
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14 with 99k
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I'm not used to seeing them this dirty..most of the engines we tear into are fairly clean.
welcome to the great white north i guess, months of cold temps and short trips or insane highway miles and extended oil changes.
least it seems for my customers , i mostly service the used and older machinery/vehicle market these days
The sludge isn’t *bad* persay - I have owned far worse. But it would irk me at 14k per year with 3.5k changes, something is not right there at all. I too question PCV BUT there’s no evidence of moisture sludge coloration. I hate to say it, but I’m questioning the oil changes. BUT, how would the quick lube business know when to skip and when to change? “Yeah we skip it this time, but not the last?” I mean?
Doesn't look that bad to me I seen much worse.
Record keepers can and do lie.Records on car fax like that don't lie. Someone entered it in.....she took it in whether they did the job or not who knows
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You think that Carfax would consistently put oil changes on a random cars record repeatedly and consistently? I've seen it be wrong in one-off situations. I've never seen it be off every 4 months 3,500 mi recording oil changes consistently.
Sludge? I'm learning that most folks have no idea what sludge looks like. 
Timing chain already? Like I say these newer engines and vehicles don't last any longer than the old stuff in the 1950's did.
Timing chain already? Like I say these newer engines and vehicles don't last any longer than the old stuff in the 1950's did.
No way is this related to oil that is too thin, similarly no chance that thicker oil plays into the solution.They should have used a thicker real syn oil instead of their left-over shop dino.
Just to process this interesting situation: I am guessing that we would all agree that underneath the valve cover is far more sludgy, varnishy, dirty than it should be. I think that there is some thought that the oil change frequency was not as purported, which is possible, but still would not explain the situation. My immediate thought was that the PCV was plugged, and still think that should be investigated. Then there is the possibility that something mechanical, like plugged up oil control rings, have led to this…. Which seems to be the case in Toyotaland. (Low grade oil degrades, rings clog, cylinder walls score and the process continues until you are burning a quart every 500 miles). One poster suggests overheating as a cause.
If this were mine, I would investigate all of this, and hit the engine with Techron and Liqui Moly flush, or equivalent. Obviously, manual cleaning of the valve train is a no brainer.
I would also go back to the factory specified weight of Dexos oil. The question is whether this engine is damaged, or just a little dirty.
If this were mine, I would investigate all of this, and hit the engine with Techron and Liqui Moly flush, or equivalent. Obviously, manual cleaning of the valve train is a no brainer.
I would also go back to the factory specified weight of Dexos oil. The question is whether this engine is damaged, or just a little dirty.
