My aunt got the car, with 153,000 miles on it and the 3.0 toyota V6. this engine is known for sludge. Checked her oil today, it had maybe a dot of oil on the dipstick, way below add, but it was running fine. added a quart and ill change it out tomorrow. When i pulled the fill cap, it wasnt sludge, but more a hard gritty substance resembling sludge. i added a quart of 10W30 and 8 ounces of MMO. thinking of changing it out with 4 quarts of rotella 10W30 and a quart of MMO. does that sound like the best option? should the pcv valve be changed also?
'99 lexus ES 300 sludge
- Thread starter mobilaltima
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Sounds like a good idea. Yes, would change the PCV too.
Keep an eye oil the oil level.
Keep an eye oil the oil level.
Some toyota v6s have a hard porous baffle that many mistake for sludge. make sure it is indeed sludge before you attempt to remove it.
There are lots of options. I would choose a synthetic oil over a dino/MMO mix for the best cleaning results. Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w30 cleaned my sludger out in 2 oil changes. I like that oil because in addition to its cleaning power, it conditions the seals, helps with any leaks that may be exposed during cleanup. I also used Kreen for additional varnish removal.
Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
Some toyota v6s have a hard porous baffle that many mistake for sludge. make sure it is indeed sludge before you attempt to remove it.
It's a baffle, I'm sure of it.
The only way to know for sure is to pull the valve cover for a peak.
Some toyota v6s have a hard porous baffle that many mistake for sludge. make sure it is indeed sludge before you attempt to remove it.
It's a baffle, I'm sure of it.
The only way to know for sure is to pull the valve cover for a peak.
We are using M1 5-30HM in my grandsons 2002 Toyota Camry V6 with 121K. He bought the car last summer and is on the 2nd OC with this oil and it seems to be doing a good job. We last changed it a couple of weeks ago and the old oil looked good with 10K on it.
No it's metal, covered with a gritty-like substance. Time and time again people here and elsewhere mistake the appearance of the baffle as a sludged or gritt-ed up engine. Like is mentioned here you have to pull the cover to see anything.
Originally Posted By: beast3300
That thing under the oil cap is like cardboard or something dumb Toyota uses. I have used Rotella, MMO and a combination of the two. The best cleaning I had in person experience was with Pennzoil Ultra.
Originally Posted By: beast3300
That thing under the oil cap is like cardboard or something dumb Toyota uses. I have used Rotella, MMO and a combination of the two. The best cleaning I had in person experience was with Pennzoil Ultra.
Its a metal screen there is no baffle. Good for catching any foil from those 5qt walmart jugs. Bad because it gets clogged with oil and fuel blowby vapors which carbonize from heat into a hard gritty gunk thats hard to pour through. Unfortunately you have to remove the VC and drill out the rivets fastening the screen to the VC...or clean it, even then you need to remove it so the abrasive carbon doesnt fall into the engine possibly getting hung up in the oil galleys.
Starting in 02 they replaced the screen with a baffle. And it has its own set of issues, can bend and break off into the engine. If a quick lube blasts it with pressurized oil or you balance a funnel on it Danger! Danger!
Look close at the chain..hung up with a chunk of baffle
Look close at the chain..hung up with a chunk of baffle
xylenator has a LONG thread in the additives section on a super-sludged V6 Camry he worked to revive a while back. Lots of info there. Kreen was his primary treatment, IIRC.
Removing the valve covers is the only way to know for certain how bad it is (or isn't).
Good luck!
Removing the valve covers is the only way to know for certain how bad it is (or isn't).
Good luck!
it has crud on the fill cap also. would it hurt to run Rotella T5 10W30 or should i just stick to the regular rotella 10W30?
Originally Posted By: mobilaltima
it has crud on the fill cap also. would it hurt to run Rotella T5 10W30 or should i just stick to the regular rotella 10W30?
Wouldnt hurt, no. I'm running the Rotella T6 5w40 in a Corolla because of oil consumption. So far so good, its never run better. Unless you have a reason to go thicker than spec, would stick with a synthetic 5w30 though. Are you burning oil?
it has crud on the fill cap also. would it hurt to run Rotella T5 10W30 or should i just stick to the regular rotella 10W30?
Wouldnt hurt, no. I'm running the Rotella T6 5w40 in a Corolla because of oil consumption. So far so good, its never run better. Unless you have a reason to go thicker than spec, would stick with a synthetic 5w30 though. Are you burning oil?
Originally Posted By: yesthatsteve
xylenator has a LONG thread in the additives section on a super-sludged V6 Camry he worked to revive a while back. Lots of info there. Kreen was his primary treatment, IIRC.
Removing the valve covers is the only way to know for certain how bad it is (or isn't).
Good luck!
Yeah, I've used Kreen too! I bet just pouring it through the filler screen will clean it out some, then the vapor as it flashes off will get even more.
xylenator has a LONG thread in the additives section on a super-sludged V6 Camry he worked to revive a while back. Lots of info there. Kreen was his primary treatment, IIRC.
Removing the valve covers is the only way to know for certain how bad it is (or isn't).
Good luck!
Yeah, I've used Kreen too! I bet just pouring it through the filler screen will clean it out some, then the vapor as it flashes off will get even more.
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