toyota oil sludge

[marty31]

Bought a Toyota corolla 6 months ago,a 2002 1.4 vvti engine with 120 k on the clock.

I changed the oil and filter when I got it and all seemed fine.However last week driving home the oil light flickerd on....I went to stop when the car lost power and just stopped.

Tried to start it and nothing....the click like when the starter motor goes it sounded like.

Got the car towed home....pulled the plugs...number 1 plug had a bent electrode. Pulled the sump off....what a mess....sludge everywhere....oil pick up tube completely blocked.

The crankshaft seems ok....it will turn for a while ...and then jams..ie:wont turn anymore.

I am thinking a bent valve ...hopefully.

What is the worst case scenario?

Appreciate any help or info.

[S0 What]

If the belt hasn't snapped or jumped (if it has a belt?) i doubt it's a bent valve, if it has a chain with a tensioner presurised from the oil pump it may well have bent a valve, otherwise big end bearing may have picked up on the crank and is causing the tight spot ?

[andyiley]

In other words, you need another engine.

[marty31]

Cheers for the replies lads, taking it to the garage weds, hopefully its not terminal.

[sospan]

Got the car towed home....pulled the plugs...number 1 plug had a bent electrode. Pulled the sump off....what a mess....sludge everywhere....oil pick up tube completely blocked.


Oil starvation if pickup tube blocked.
That suggests some nasty issues in the engine.
The mangled plug could be result of jacketed valves due to oil failure, possibly cam/ crank.
Brace yourself!

[sospan]

Jacketed should be jacketed! Typo.

[andyiley]

At least that cleared the typo up?????

[steve6304]

This is not un-common, I have seen 2 in the last month. The exhaust cam seized on one, shearing the cam drive and bending the valves. The other seized the inlet cam and the chain drive on the crank sheared, again bending valves. both caused by blocked oil strainers.

[eltax91]

steve6304 said:

This is not un-common, I have seen 2 in the last month. The exhaust cam seized on one, shearing the cam drive and bending the valves. The other seized the inlet cam and the chain drive on the crank sheared, again bending valves. both caused by blocked oil strainers.

Ooh ek! I've just bought my mother in law a 2005 1.4vvti on the basis its a toyota and can take abuse and soldier on forever.

Having suffered timing chain stretch on a previous almera, we've bought her a full toyota history example and will keep on top of the oil changes annually.

So, anything I can do to avoid this? What causes it to happen? Is it a faulty pick up that's been rectified or anything? Any preventative maintenance I can do to reduce the risk?

My car buying reputation is testing on this!

[Evoluzione]

eltax91 said:

Ooh ek! I've just bought my mother in law a 2005 1.4vvti on the basis its a toyota and can take abuse and soldier on forever.

Having suffered timing chain stretch on a previous almera, we've bought her a full toyota history example and will keep on top of the oil changes annually.

So, anything I can do to avoid this? What causes it to happen? Is it a faulty pick up that's been rectified or anything? Any preventative maintenance I can do to reduce the risk?

My car buying reputation is testing on this!

You won't know unless you take a look, either shove a borescope in there or drop the sump.

[eltax91]

Evoluzione said:

You won't know unless you take a look, either shove a borescope in there or drop the sump.

Fair point. I have just done an oil change and the oil came out golden as if new. It also came out in just about the expected quantity.

Surely if it was sludgy I'd have noticed when I dropped the oil?

[Evoluzione]

eltax91 said:

Fair point. I have just done an oil change and the oil came out golden as if new. It also came out in just about the expected quantity.

Surely if it was sludgy I'd have noticed when I dropped the oil?

It's certainly a good sign and would indicate everything is likely to be ok, but sludge does cling.
Borescopes which you plug into a laptop are dirt cheap on Ebay from China, there was a thread on here some time ago.

[eltax91]

Evoluzione said:

It's certainly a good sign and would indicate everything is likely to be ok, but sludge does cling.
Borescopes which you plug into a laptop are dirt cheap on Ebay from China, there was a thread on here some time ago.

I've just bought one! Will see what it looks like next oil change.

[powerstroke]

My experience of this problem in petrol engines is missed services cause a build up of hard carbon rather than just sludge then a new owner changes the oil which loosens but not desolves this junk and it makes its way into the sump and blocks the stainer/pickup !!!
A simple check can identify possible trouble
Look at the oil, should be brown not black and look into the can cover should be easy to see metal surfaces brown staining is OK but if its thick with black gunge then its a danger sign!!!! And removing the can cover and sump would be advisable IMHO!!

[Mr2Mike]

sospan said:

Jacketed should be jacketed! Typo.

andyiley said:

At least that cleared the typo up?????

[VinceM]

powerstroke said:

My experience of this problem in petrol engines is missed services cause a build up of hard carbon rather than just sludge then a new owner changes the oil which loosens but not desolves this junk and it makes its way into the sump and blocks the stainer/pickup !!!
A simple check can identify possible trouble
Look at the oil, should be brown not black and look into the can cover should be easy to see metal surfaces brown staining is OK but if its thick with black gunge then its a danger sign!!!! And removing the can cover and sump would be advisable IMHO!!

This. If the oil hasn't been changed, and the car uses oil when being run, then there will be less oil circulating. The engine still produces heat which will cook the reduced amount of oil and cooked oil will form sludge. Sludge then blocks the oil pathways in the engine causing it to seize. No engine, Japanese or otherwise, can survive a lack of oil. Regular oil changes AND checking the oil level can help prevent this.