Toyota Starlet (valve cover/filter pics)

Joined
Mar 15, 2019
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14
Location
New Zealand
First post here... From way down in New Zealand.
This is my wife's 97 Toyota Starlet with a 4efe 1.3, we've had it a year or so. Bought for stepdaughter to drive with 160000km, now it's at 170000km.
Does not appear to have had much love over the years, have replaced the radiator and heater core due rust in the system so that's good now. The valve cover pics were taken at about 165000km, since purchase I've done 2x2500km runs with Nulon 5w30 diesel (sn/cf) and 1x5000km run with the same, all with Ecogard x4476 filters from Rockauto.
The filter shots are from today at 170km, a fair bit of muck coming loose and getting caught so am curious to take another look under the valve cover, probably won't be much difference but it's had to come from somewhere!
Today's change was with Delvac mx 15w40 to see if it'll use a little less oil, and because the price was right when I bought it... New filter is an Ecogard s4476.
Thanks.

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Welcome to BITOG, and thank you for the pictures.
I'm sure next pictures at 180k with the Delvac will look much better, it just needs some TLC (tender loving care)
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Welcome to the forum. There's quite a bit of varnish there.
 
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Kia ora Bro !

The Delvac MX will be perfect for it...depending on where you live. I haven't seen those Ecogard filters before....and where is Rockauto ? Online ?
 
Doesn't look loved to me. If it was stateside I'd think of doing some shorter oil change intervals, just for a couple, until the filter isn't catching so much crud. That's its job in life I know, but oil's cheap here.

I have about the same varnish on my 5S-FE, and I suspect Toyota's of this vintage "just do that". I wonder if the last oil change or two on this car were long, but the rest weren't quite so long. Lots of junk in the filter but not much baked on under the valve cover. Makes me think it was taken care of until recently.
 
To silk:
RockAuto is online, yes.
They ship internationally.
The website has built in currency selections.

Keeping an order sourced from one warehouse keeps shipping charges down.
Little truck icons appear aside part listings which come from the initial warehouse.

Remember to use a discount code in the "How did you hear about us?" box.
People post 'em in the sales and rebates section here.

Parts which require return of a core are often better sourced locally.

The beige gunk on the filter pictured above would concern me.
 
Looks like the filter is doing it's job.
I'd run a couple short oci's and cut open the filter's and see if there's anymore sludge.
 
Nice filter pics. Glad to see the filter is working. Did you change the pcv valve yet? I know my 98 Sienna looked about the same under the valve covers.
 
Originally Posted by Kira

........The beige gunk on the filter pictured above would concern me.


I agree..........looks like there may be coolant/ water mixed in with the oil.
 
Originally Posted by incognito_2u
Originally Posted by Kira

........The beige gunk on the filter pictured above would concern me.


I agree..........looks like there may be coolant/ water mixed in with the oil.
Possible head gasket issue, but it could be as simple as a weak thermostat or short tripping not burning off condensation. I'd be watching coolant level like a hawk, though.
 
It sounds like a smaller displacement engine so the oil should not be more than 4 qts or 1 liter.
I will change the oil more often that recommended at least for the next year or so.

The car should outlast the need anyway.
 
Starlet - I haven't seen one in a long time in the US, Toyota stopped selling those in favor of the Tercel.

That engine does look almost like the predecessor of the Prius/Echo/Yaris/Scion 1NZ-F(X)E with a timing belt and no VVT.
 
Small Toyota engines, like the 1.5 in the Tercel and this 1.3, tend to work very hard, and as such are hard on oil.

They use/gunk up oil more, but the engines run forever. We had a 1989 Tercel that used a lot of oil, but never lost a beat.
 
Originally Posted by addyguy
Small Toyota engines, like the 1.5 in the Tercel and this 1.3, tend to work very hard, and as such are hard on oil.

They use/gunk up oil more, but the engines run forever. We had a 1989 Tercel that used a lot of oil, but never lost a beat.

I think it's a common theme in the E/NZ/ZZ/ZR series of engines. I would think the Tercel with the 5E-FE and the Scions/Echo/Yaris with the 1NZ-FE(the 2nd gen xB got the Corolla's 2ZR-FE) aren't as worked as the 1NZ-FXE equipped 1st and 2nd gen Prius. The Tercel/Scion/Echo/Yaris aren't having to move a extra 900lbs of body, batteries and hybrid system gear.

Granted, the hybrid system is providing 40-60% of the car's propulsion but batteries do drain.
 
Just to confirm the filter photos were on a filter (and oil) that had done 5000km. The previous 2 had done 2500km but didn't show hardly anything when cut open. I can't recall if I cut open the filter that came off at purchase time, maybe it would have been interesting. I'm guessing the shortish intervals have started loosening muck and it's just now beginning to come out and get to the filter.
The car epitomises short running, plenty of 2 minute drives and not many 15 minutes or more so hopefully that is the reason for the moisture in the filter. Coolant level is constant (since I replaced the radiator etc) so at this stage I assume the head gasket is intact.
Silk: I live in Christchurch so mid winter may see a couple of mornings at -5C, no more than a month below 0C and summer highs only occasionally above 30C. I've got 3 cars that use the same filters so buy several at a time from Rockauto and they work out cheaper than the local places. Whereabouts are you located?
I've ordered a PCV valve for it, and a thermostat too. The pan would be pretty easy to drop and I haven't totally rejected that possibility. For the moment I was planning on seeing what I find in the oil and filters, if they appear to be making some headway (the filter above certainly collected a bit) then I'll continue with the softly softly approach. But it's a very valid suggestion.
The valve cover pics were from August last year (roughly 5000km ago), I had another look under there this morning and the difference is negligible, but the goo in the filter had to come from somewhere! I'll post the newer pics tonight.
Thanks for the comments.
 
Pictures from this morning.
Hard to see any change from 5000km ago, but then it isn't a lot of km either.

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Originally Posted by Hohocc
Pictures from this morning.
Hard to see any change from 5000km ago, but then it isn't a lot of km either.

Thanks for the follow up. To me eyes it does look a bit cleaner.
 
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