Black Sludge and Toyota/Lexus

[OldSchoolHack]

While trying to decipher if it matters if I use 5W30 over 15w40 for my next engine oil change I got this in http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html.

Toyota sludge problems.
For their part, Toyota have the dubious honour of having the most complaints about sludge buildup in their engines - 3,400 at the last count. At the time of writing there is a class action suit going on against them. Details can be found at www.oilgelsettlement.com

Toyota seems to have lost the case. Since the cars cover older models (pre-2007) then it would be of interest only to owners of older Toyotas and Lexus.

Kung 2007 or mas luma toyota mo it would be a good idea to be diligent in changing your engine oil. Unless interested kang makita ang "black death" or sludge.

[niky]

You have to be diligent in changing oil on the Altis... as the engine is one of those included in the complaints.

I've seen one here which has died the black death. Pero poor maintenance yung cause (missed oil change). As long as you follow the short local oil change schedules (5000 kilometers), there should be no trouble.

From reports from the US, even using synthetic oil will not protect the engine if you go to a long-change interval... so it's advisable to stick to the short interval, whatever oil you're using.

[tidus1203]

How about the 1NZ-FE engine (Vios/Yaris) affected din ba?

[s_quilicot]

I use 5w-30 Royal Purple synthetic oil on our altis (1zzfe) and at 9000kms there's a visible sludge at the oil filler.

I'm back again to the 5 kms change oil.

[meledson]

I am using RP din sa ZZ namin. Migs suggested to use Diesel oil for about 500 to 2000Km before the next change oil to clean the possible sludge. Diesel oils has the most detergents. Might try this. currently about 3,700 km from the last change oil.

[niky]

The Vios engine... unknown... personally... unless the VCP (vios club philippines) can confirm whether this happens with them...

Again... it's not just the oil that determines the change interval... it's the engine itself. If the engine has a recommended 5,000 kilometer interval on mineral oil, that doesn't mean that switching to synthetic will double that. At the very least, you will have to change your filter at 5,000 and check for oil contamination before deciding to keep your oil for another 5k.

*[/b]s_quilicot[/b]: ouch. Engine still runs okay, I hope?

[number001]

What if 5,000 kms can't be reached very quickly? In other words, what is the M.O. for low mileage cars using Toyota's mineral oil? Is it every 3 months (regardless of kms reading)?

[niky]

What if 5,000 kms can't be reached very quickly? In other words, what is the M.O. for low mileage cars using Toyota's mineral oil? Is it every 3 months (regardless of kms reading)?

Depends... is that 3 months and just a thousand or two kilometers on the highway? Or 3 months and 3,000 kilometers spent sitting for hours in traffic?

If it's the latter, you might want to follow the 3 month sked to a T.

[number001]

Depends... is that 3 months and just a thousand or two kilometers on the highway? Or 3 months and 3,000 kilometers spent sitting for hours in traffic?

If it's the latter, you might want to follow the 3 month sked to a T.

Roughly 8xx kms covered for every 3 months. Mostly city driving. 95% city + 5% highway (Skyway, SLEX, EDSA, C5). City speed is 40 kph max, avg 30 kph. Typical city traffic (avg. 1X mins standby) but not monster traffic jam (x hrs. standby).

[speed unlimited]

I see one on a Corolla Altis when they open the valve cover its full of build in sludge .I dont know if the owner dont know how to do proper maintanance in changing oil. My friend use shell 20w-50 on his car and change oil every 3000.km When we open the valve cover no sludge build up and clean including the cams .

[aejhayl17]

ako, i follow the 5km intervals to avoid this sludge build ups and alaga na din makina.,and the manual also says it, awa ng panginoon ng mga sasakyan, ala pang sludge 3zzfe ko, kaka valve adjustment lang nung 80k km and malinis pa naman (87k currently)... balik ako sa redline 10w30 this 90k km, mas ok takbo ng zz ko sa oil na yun kesa sa toyota syn oil.

hindi ba isang sign na hindi nag ssludge ang engine is sobrang itim ng langis habang nag chachange oil(i mean alaga sa change oil yung makina, hindi nag papa long intervals)? because the oil is really getting dirty and slimy cleaning the internals of the engine itself? tama po ba?

[spyghost]

at 80000 km of mileage in our 2nz-fe 1.3 variant of vios. so far no sludge formation, BUT very noticeable varnishing. i'll open up the valve cover at 85 to assess further varnishing.

[speed unlimited]

ako, i follow the 5km intervals to avoid this sludge build ups and alaga na din makina.,and the manual also says it, awa ng panginoon ng mga sasakyan, ala pang sludge 3zzfe ko, kaka valve adjustment lang nung 80k km and malinis pa naman (87k currently)... balik ako sa redline 10w30 this 90k km, mas ok takbo ng zz ko sa oil na yun kesa sa toyota syn oil.

hindi ba isang sign na hindi nag ssludge ang engine is sobrang itim ng langis habang nag chachange oil(i mean alaga sa change oil yung makina, hindi nag papa long intervals)? because the oil is really getting dirty and slimy cleaning the internals of the engine itself? tama po ba?

Sign kagaya ng binuksan makina noong 80 km kung may nakita ka na parang tutong na maitim ibig sabihin nasusunog iyong langis at tumitigas kumakapit sa valve cover at camshaft at ibig sabihin hindi na maganda ang lubrication ng langis kaya hindi maganda sa makina.

[aejhayl17]

Sign kagaya ng binuksan makina noong 80 km kung may nakita ka na parang tutong na maitim ibig sabihin nasusunog iyong langis at tumitigas kumakapit sa valve cover at camshaft at ibig sabihin hindi na maganda ang lubrication ng langis kaya hindi maganda sa makina.

hehe bute na lang wala pang ganun nung binuksan nung 80k km ang 3zzfe ko

[s_quilicot]

* niky, yes the engine still runs perfect. I think kung parati sa traffic naka babad yung car is most likely magka develop ng sludge.

[niky]

Roughly 8xx kms covered for every 3 months. Mostly city driving. 95% city + 5% highway (Skyway, SLEX, EDSA, C5). City speed is 40 kph max, avg 30 kph. Typical city traffic (avg. 1X mins standby) but not monster traffic jam (x hrs. standby).

You're probably safe with just removing the oil filter every 3 months to check for build-up.

* niky, yes the engine still runs perfect. I think kung parati sa traffic naka babad yung car is most likely magka develop ng sludge.

Yup. That's the official explanation for the US problem. The long-change interval doesn't take into account how long you're sitting in traffic.

I wonder if manufacturers should start installing rev counters and hour counters on the ECU... once you pass a certain number of operating hours and/or revs, you have to change the oil, no matter how many kilometers you've covered.

[sirkosero]

hmmm... baka yun ang reason kung bakit palaging nakalagay ang "flush" sa pms ng toyota manila bay kahit first 5k lang

[tip_tipid]

I have no worry about sludge build up. Never used those fancy branded engine oil on any of my rides, and the internals are looking like they are always new. Also I don't own any Toyota.

[oceanrider88]

I had my oil changed at Caltex today. They now sell "Flushing Oil". They empty your oil pan and air hose out all the old oil. Then they put about 3-4 liters of clear colored flushing oil in your car which you have to run on idle for 10 min. When they opened my oil pan, black oil came out. P160 per liter. Its a new product according to them. I heard about the sludge problems for my 5S-FE engine but i never knew the problem was Toyota wide. Thats why i tried the flushing oil. In the net they say Toyota did something to the engine to make it more fuel efficient - the sludge was the side effect. I guess its not really fuel efficient after all as you have to keep on buying oil at regular intervals.

[jmpet626]

Kasama din po ba dito yung Engine ng 2004 Rav4?