Camry ran low on oil, what do you suggest?
- Thread starter tpattgeek
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Make sure that the drain plug isn't plugged by sludge, sometimes you have to stick a screwdriver in to poke through the sludge if it's bad to get it to drain.
Fill it with Maxlife and give it a quart over fill
Fill it with Maxlife and give it a quart over fill
if i understand , it was a parts store that misread the oil level in the first place
i would have walmart or a quick lube place check it for her
it needs to be determined if it is a serious leak or just a minor drip that got out of hand due to the oil not being changed or checked
i would have walmart or a quick lube place check it for her
it needs to be determined if it is a serious leak or just a minor drip that got out of hand due to the oil not being changed or checked
So she's fairly impecunious yet she considers an eight year old car with 178K to be old and she can't be bothered to check the oil level?
There is obviously nothing you can do to fix any damamge done, but chances are that the engine will be okay for a long time to come, although there may have been some excess wear to the main and rod bearings as well as to the cam or its bearings.
If there are no bad noises, probably no serious harm was done.
Based upon miles since new, assuming that she's still driving the car at the same rate of use, she drove about 15K in nine months, a lot for any oil in city use.
If she really needs the car, cannot afford to replace it and therefore needs it to last, she needs to learn to check the oil and add a quart as needed.
A few short drains might be in order, along with frequent level checks just to develop an idea of the rate of consumption.
If you lift the valve cover, you can see just how bad deposits might be.
They might be minimal.
Finally, if the car is using oil and you don't see any large leaks, a new PCV valve might be in order.
OTOH, if the car has long been subjected to overly long OCIs and low oil levels, there could well be some deposit accumulation, along with stuck rings.
There is obviously nothing you can do to fix any damamge done, but chances are that the engine will be okay for a long time to come, although there may have been some excess wear to the main and rod bearings as well as to the cam or its bearings.
If there are no bad noises, probably no serious harm was done.
Based upon miles since new, assuming that she's still driving the car at the same rate of use, she drove about 15K in nine months, a lot for any oil in city use.
If she really needs the car, cannot afford to replace it and therefore needs it to last, she needs to learn to check the oil and add a quart as needed.
A few short drains might be in order, along with frequent level checks just to develop an idea of the rate of consumption.
If you lift the valve cover, you can see just how bad deposits might be.
They might be minimal.
Finally, if the car is using oil and you don't see any large leaks, a new PCV valve might be in order.
OTOH, if the car has long been subjected to overly long OCIs and low oil levels, there could well be some deposit accumulation, along with stuck rings.
In and engine, engine oil can only "disappears" in 1 or the other forms:
(a) form of external leak
(b) form of internal leak or oil burn (in the combustion chamber).
or, in worse case scenario: both (a) and (b) combined.
If you cannot see (a), then oil disappears in (b), simple as that.
Lastly, unless you are well-trained and knowledgeable about (b) type of issues (and able to identify it); otherwise, to most avg joes eyes: they cannot tell if (b) is happening unless a massive quantities of oil is being burned at a rapid rate, and passed through the catalytic converter.
Q.
(a) form of external leak
(b) form of internal leak or oil burn (in the combustion chamber).
or, in worse case scenario: both (a) and (b) combined.
If you cannot see (a), then oil disappears in (b), simple as that.
Lastly, unless you are well-trained and knowledgeable about (b) type of issues (and able to identify it); otherwise, to most avg joes eyes: they cannot tell if (b) is happening unless a massive quantities of oil is being burned at a rapid rate, and passed through the catalytic converter.
Q.
I see this daily.
Oil lite on and practically empty.
Many engines will never recover, but as mentioned above, the Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
A mild overfill might be helpful, but not a qt.
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
Oil lite on and practically empty.
Many engines will never recover, but as mentioned above, the Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
A mild overfill might be helpful, but not a qt.
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
As mentioned above, there are a few options and only one that I would pursue:
1. Check for sludge. Too expensive. Did you ever check the dipstick before you opened the oil drain? I had an old Ford LTD that read full on the dipstick but only 2 quarts of oil would come out. I bought it 178,000 miles and sold it with 198,000 miles. Never could figure out where all the oil went. Didn't care as long as it got me to work and back home.
2. Sell it. I'm too ethical for that. I'd have to disclose any/all issues with the car.
3. Keep up the oil changes and drive the car until it dies. You might get another 100k miles on the car. If not, according to your aunt, it's an old car and lived a good life.
1. Check for sludge. Too expensive. Did you ever check the dipstick before you opened the oil drain? I had an old Ford LTD that read full on the dipstick but only 2 quarts of oil would come out. I bought it 178,000 miles and sold it with 198,000 miles. Never could figure out where all the oil went. Didn't care as long as it got me to work and back home.
2. Sell it. I'm too ethical for that. I'd have to disclose any/all issues with the car.
3. Keep up the oil changes and drive the car until it dies. You might get another 100k miles on the car. If not, according to your aunt, it's an old car and lived a good life.
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
2007 camry 4cyl is 2AZ-FE series, meaning it's 2.4L 4cyl, not 2.2L.
Q.
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
2007 camry 4cyl is 2AZ-FE series, meaning it's 2.4L 4cyl, not 2.2L.
Q.
You really need to scare her. I had a roommate with Passat 1.8T. She asked me what kind of a car to buy, I said: Toyota, knowing her knowledge of cars, how she maintain car etc. She of course bought Passat because it looks good.
Anyway, I would change her oil, and was using GC 0W30. Of course, engine was using oil since it was poorly maintained before. I would find sometimes impossible to see a drop of oil on stick. Still not sure how Turbo survived all that.
I switched to Rotella T6, which was better solution in her case, but still was using some oil. I manage to scare her explaining her in detail how much it would cost because she "cannot find time to check oil." Now after 5 years, Passat is still somehow running, and she actually goes to Wal mart, buys T6, and takes it to mechanic to change it.
Anyway, I would change her oil, and was using GC 0W30. Of course, engine was using oil since it was poorly maintained before. I would find sometimes impossible to see a drop of oil on stick. Still not sure how Turbo survived all that.
I switched to Rotella T6, which was better solution in her case, but still was using some oil. I manage to scare her explaining her in detail how much it would cost because she "cannot find time to check oil." Now after 5 years, Passat is still somehow running, and she actually goes to Wal mart, buys T6, and takes it to mechanic to change it.
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
I see this daily.
Oil lite on and practically empty.
Many engines will never recover, but as mentioned above, the Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
A mild overfill might be helpful, but not a qt.
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
the 2.2 is one of Toyota's best engines.
I see this daily.
Oil lite on and practically empty.
Many engines will never recover, but as mentioned above, the Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
A mild overfill might be helpful, but not a qt.
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
the 2.2 is one of Toyota's best engines.
Originally Posted By: Quest
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
2007 camry 4cyl is 2AZ-FE series, meaning it's 2.4L 4cyl, not 2.2L.
Q.
Yep, and the 07-08 2az-fe was known to consume oil. Mine does at a rate of 1 quart every 2,000 miles using m1 0w-20. 5w-30 hardly burned anything for me, though. I'm surprised it didn't run out of oil quicker than it did with that kind of neglect.
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
The 2.2L is a hardy engine and can usually take a lot of abuse.
2007 camry 4cyl is 2AZ-FE series, meaning it's 2.4L 4cyl, not 2.2L.
Q.
Yep, and the 07-08 2az-fe was known to consume oil. Mine does at a rate of 1 quart every 2,000 miles using m1 0w-20. 5w-30 hardly burned anything for me, though. I'm surprised it didn't run out of oil quicker than it did with that kind of neglect.
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
Actually, I believe the check engine light does come on pretty freqently for her which has led to delayed inspection stickers. I can't recall what the code was when she had that checked.
Thanks again for all of the information, everyone.
Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
Actually, I believe the check engine light does come on pretty freqently for her which has led to delayed inspection stickers. I can't recall what the code was when she had that checked.
Thanks again for all of the information, everyone.
As one person said earlier "CHECK PCV". At 178k and poor maintenance I bet it has a bad/stuck PCV.
Originally Posted By: tpattgeek
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
Actually, I believe the check engine light does come on pretty freqently for her which has led to delayed inspection stickers. I can't recall what the code was when she had that checked.
Thanks again for all of the information, everyone.
in my state check engine light has nothing to do with a state inspection
Originally Posted By: Ursatdx
Camry may be just fine. Is the check engine lite on?
Actually, I believe the check engine light does come on pretty freqently for her which has led to delayed inspection stickers. I can't recall what the code was when she had that checked.
Thanks again for all of the information, everyone.
in my state check engine light has nothing to do with a state inspection
Originally Posted By: tpattgeek
Hi everyone, it's been a while since I've visited the forum which I guess is a good thing, right?
Well, I recently changed my aunt's oil in her Camry and thought I may need to ask for some advice on which oil she should use...
The vehicle in question is a 2007 Toyota Camry 4 cylinder with 178k miles. She's obviously not very good with maintenance. Her last OC was 9 months ago and I don't even want to know how many miles that was. When draining the pan, literally a half quart came out. She then said "you know, the oil light started blinking last week but I just thought it was because the car is old". She got it checked by two people who both said the oil level was fine. One was at an undisclosed auto parts store. There was no clear leak at the time although there was some residue of what looked like a possible slow leak. Also, the valve cover gasket was very moist as if it may have a slow leak as well. That, along with some probable burn-off from the mileage.
My question is, what oil and OCI do you recommend for the future? This is her daily driver for getting to work which means 90% city driving every day. Ignoring any leaks (which will be addressed as needed), I suggested maybe using a high mileage oil and more frequent OCI. Which ones would you recommend for this application and should I do any "damage control" for what has already happened? Does it even matter at this point? Thanks!
Sounds like a great educational opportunity. Although it may be unusual for her to go under the hood, checking the oil is a very simple activity that she can easily do once per fill up, as is adding oil.
If she's not interested and you're going to be changing her oil from now on, then maybe a quick visit once a month would be a good idea.
Hi everyone, it's been a while since I've visited the forum which I guess is a good thing, right?
The vehicle in question is a 2007 Toyota Camry 4 cylinder with 178k miles. She's obviously not very good with maintenance. Her last OC was 9 months ago and I don't even want to know how many miles that was. When draining the pan, literally a half quart came out. She then said "you know, the oil light started blinking last week but I just thought it was because the car is old". She got it checked by two people who both said the oil level was fine. One was at an undisclosed auto parts store. There was no clear leak at the time although there was some residue of what looked like a possible slow leak. Also, the valve cover gasket was very moist as if it may have a slow leak as well. That, along with some probable burn-off from the mileage.
My question is, what oil and OCI do you recommend for the future? This is her daily driver for getting to work which means 90% city driving every day. Ignoring any leaks (which will be addressed as needed), I suggested maybe using a high mileage oil and more frequent OCI. Which ones would you recommend for this application and should I do any "damage control" for what has already happened? Does it even matter at this point? Thanks!
Sounds like a great educational opportunity. Although it may be unusual for her to go under the hood, checking the oil is a very simple activity that she can easily do once per fill up, as is adding oil.
If she's not interested and you're going to be changing her oil from now on, then maybe a quick visit once a month would be a good idea.
You should look into the oil consumption thread on these engines in the correct sub-forum at Toyotanation.com. There is an active TSB on oil consumption in this engine and dealers are testing and repairing (new pistons and rings, I believe) from (I think) 2007 to 2011 models.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/104-5th-6th-generation-2002-2006-2007-2011/
If she had registered the VIN at Toyota as the owner, she'd eventually receive a letter. I don't think it is restricted to original owners (I am not part of the class, but aware of it as I am a moderator on that forum).
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/104-5th-6th-generation-2002-2006-2007-2011/
If she had registered the VIN at Toyota as the owner, she'd eventually receive a letter. I don't think it is restricted to original owners (I am not part of the class, but aware of it as I am a moderator on that forum).
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Or
You should look into the oil consumption thread on these engines in the correct sub-forum at Toyotanation.com. There is an active TSB on oil consumption in this engine and dealers are testing and repairing (new pistons and rings, I believe) from (I think) 2007 to 2011 models.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/104-5th-6th-generation-2002-2006-2007-2011/
If she had registered the VIN at Toyota as the owner, she'd eventually receive a letter. I don't think it is restricted to original owners (I am not part of the class, but aware of it as I am a moderator on that forum).
She's not the original owner. In fact, it had over 100k on it when it was given to her with an unknown maintenance history. I'm definitely showing her how to check it and will look into the PCV. Thanks.
You should look into the oil consumption thread on these engines in the correct sub-forum at Toyotanation.com. There is an active TSB on oil consumption in this engine and dealers are testing and repairing (new pistons and rings, I believe) from (I think) 2007 to 2011 models.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/104-5th-6th-generation-2002-2006-2007-2011/
If she had registered the VIN at Toyota as the owner, she'd eventually receive a letter. I don't think it is restricted to original owners (I am not part of the class, but aware of it as I am a moderator on that forum).
She's not the original owner. In fact, it had over 100k on it when it was given to her with an unknown maintenance history. I'm definitely showing her how to check it and will look into the PCV. Thanks.
Originally Posted By: tpattgeek
She's not the original owner. In fact, it had over 100k on it when it was given to her with an unknown maintenance history.
Again, that does not appear to be a restriction. This is considered a warranty extension from what I have read, and warranties are transferrable.
She's not the original owner. In fact, it had over 100k on it when it was given to her with an unknown maintenance history.
Again, that does not appear to be a restriction. This is considered a warranty extension from what I have read, and warranties are transferrable.
Originally Posted By: Or
You should look into the oil consumption thread on these engines in the correct sub-forum at Toyotanation.com. There is an active TSB on oil consumption in this engine and dealers are testing and repairing (new pistons and rings, I believe) from (I think) 2007 to 2011 models.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/104-5th-6th-generation-2002-2006-2007-2011/
If she had registered the VIN at Toyota as the owner, she'd eventually receive a letter. I don't think it is restricted to original owners (I am not part of the class, but aware of it as I am a moderator on that forum).
Not quite, the 2010 Canmry used an entirely different engine, I have never seen anything beyound 2007 and a few 2008s affected/
You should look into the oil consumption thread on these engines in the correct sub-forum at Toyotanation.com. There is an active TSB on oil consumption in this engine and dealers are testing and repairing (new pistons and rings, I believe) from (I think) 2007 to 2011 models.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/104-5th-6th-generation-2002-2006-2007-2011/
If she had registered the VIN at Toyota as the owner, she'd eventually receive a letter. I don't think it is restricted to original owners (I am not part of the class, but aware of it as I am a moderator on that forum).
Not quite, the 2010 Canmry used an entirely different engine, I have never seen anything beyound 2007 and a few 2008s affected/
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