Suspected sludge 97 camry 92K miles

[kkeb]

(Note: 99 Camry, not 97)

Sorry if I"m beating a dead horse here, but I strongly suspect that sludge is the cause for the oil leak and knocking in our Camry. It has not been properly diagnosed yet, but I'm just preparing for a fight with Toyota. I took the car in last Thurs because of knocking and a recent oil leak development. All Toy did was say "no oil on dipstick, varnish on stick and oil in very poor condition. internal engine noise." They did not do further diagnostics, but promptly recommended replacement of the engine (4200 to 5200 dollars). Trusting Toy to have told us the truth about the need for replacement, we promptly went out and found ourselves a Honda Accord to replace it (not actually purchased yet). I could not comprehend a Toy engine dying at such a young age. It just did not compute. So, I started thinking, and recalled hearing of a sludge issue. Internet searches led me to many places (including here) and I've learned much over the last couple of days. Because we have moved four times since purchasing the car, we have managed to lose some of our oil change records, but know we followed the 7500mi schedule. We do have receipts for the last two changes, but knowing we could not prove the rest, we had decided to not fight it and buy another car (hating to sink that kind of money into a 6-year-old car). Husband mentioned sludge to the manager at Toy, who rather than say they suspected it, asked if we'd noticed blue smoke and what were our oil change intervals? Husband told him last change at about 8000mi. He then said we should change it more often (3-5). Well, we followed the intervals we had been told in our manual. Also, when picking up the car, Husband asked "what could have caused this?" The guy just said he did not know, and read the notes saying that this oil condition suggested poor maintenance. We both said, No, that's not it. We just left. We have not treated this car any worse than any others we owned (maybe better), a couple of Toys included (kept for way longer that six years!)

So anyway, I corresponded with my sister the night after picking out the new car, and she informed me her 97 camry had developed a leak and smoke, and the Toy place where she lived gave her a similar story about replacing it. She took it to another mechanic who found sludge and flushed the engine. The sludge was causing the leak, and all is well again. I also want to mention that my sister is one to change the oil every 3000 miles without fail. I KNOW that in her case there is no way it was the maintenance that was the cause.

We decided that it's best to have another mechanic look the car over, and that will be done tomorrow. I hope he will be able to fix the engine, but if not, I'm so attached to my baby I just don't want to lose her. I may just get the engine replaced and not buy the Accord for now (Honda has been very understanding through this ordeal....Kudos to them). They are holding the car for a couple of days for me to get proper diagnostics and make my decision.

I have read the FAQ, but am confused about this quote:

"Toyota notified 3.3 million owners of the affected engines that sludge-related repairs would be covered for one year, as long as they proved the oil had been changed at least once in the previous year. "

I have read the letters sent out in 2002, and do not see any mention of proving the oil had been changed once in the previous year. Is this mentioned in any other Toy correspondences? Consumer reports states that Toy will pay for repair if you can prove oil changes at least once per year. We can prove only the last couple of years, and intermittent ones from early in the car's life. We realize the loss of receipts is our fault, but we did not realize there was an issue until relatively recently. We assume the letters missed us due to our moves. I can find no absolutes from Toy about what they will accept, but their website does indicate they will treat each case individually. Any specific info that you have regarding Toy's policies other than the ones from 2002 would be appreciated.

I'm sorry this is so long, but this is a big decision for us. If we have to pay for a replacement engine, is it worth sinking that kind of money into a car this old? Is it possible we could get Toy to pay for repairs if we prove the past couple of years' oil changes? Do you have more info that I could use in my case?

Thanks in advance,

kkeb

[Brian R.]

Welcome to the AF.

Sorry to hear about your engine. Remember, they are responsible as long as you followed the maintenance recommendations.

Do your best to convince Toyota to give you a new engine with what you have - Be indignant, not resigned to replacing the car. They will never give in if you are going in with a give-up attitude. You better fight hard because you are borderline in their eyes. Dig up every bit of proof of your conscientiousness that you can.