From: nm5k on
On Oct 24, 9:23 pm, "mark hoffman" <betrti...(a)windstream.net> wrote:

>
> Mike, what brand of synthetic do you recommend? this car will be an around
> town use, with an occasional 2 hr round trip to Texarkana, etc.
>
> thanks

I use the Castrol Syntec blend. Not as pricey as the full synthetics,
but has the anti sludge qualities. Even that stuff is about $5 a quart
now.. It was $3.89 two years ago. I change every 5k.
My 05 Corolla is not really considered one of the highly sludge
prone years due to a supposed head design change, but I'd rather
play it safe with the better oil.





From: JoeSpareBedroom on
"mark hoffman" <betrtimes(a)windstream.net> wrote in message
news:37t2cb.ibk.19.1(a)news.alt.net...
> Mike Hunter wrote:
>> Did you have it checked for Toyotas engine sludge problem?
>
>
> I know there is lots of regular oil change receipts in an envelope in the
> glove box. I love buying a car that has some documentation of servicing.
>
> In the envelope, is the sales contract when she bought the car, a check
> stub that indicates she was a traveling nurse, etc, and a warning ticket
> from the highway patrol.. couldn't make out what the ticket was for
> though.
>
> Mike, what brand of synthetic do you recommend? this car will be an around
> town use, with an occasional 2 hr round trip to Texarkana, etc.
>
> thanks
>

Hunter might be correct about Toyota recommending synthetic oil, but he is
also an alcoholic, so if he *is* right, it's due purely to luck. Don't
accept ANY car care advice from him. You should check the manual, and ONLY
the manual for this information. Also have your mechanic check for any
Toyota service bulletins which may have been issued for your car.


From: Mike Hunter on
You should take your car to a Toyota dealership for the free sludge
inspection to be certain it is actually not building up sludge. Dealers
are authorized under that warranty to "Inspect, clean, repair or REPLACE as
needed for any engine INDICATING Gelling," as Toyota refers to its problem.
That is why the shark lawyer can not win any litigation over their sludge
problem

At least you can get the engine cleaned before that extended warranty
expires, shortly. The mileage is unlimited but the term is only ten years.
Seems Toyota is willing to pass on the problem to the next owner(s), after
ten years by "cleaning" them "as needed," before the engine NEEDS to be
"repaired or replaced." ;)

"01 Camry" <oceanmountain47(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:73319398-9db4-4524-946e-e0d516659cc7(a)m25g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
> On Oct 24, 7:36 pm, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B <Tru...(a)e86.GTS> wrote:
>> On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:18:42 -0500, mark hoffman wrote:
>> > I just bought a 1998 Toyota Avalon, 163,000 miles, cold air, all the
>> > power
>> > stuff works, good headliner, 3.0 L v-6, 24 valve engine.
>>
>> > Drives and rides nice, got it for an "around town and short trips" car.
>> > First 30 miles was getting it home from the dealer I bought it from.
>>
>> > Any advice, words of wisdom, etc? I have already ordered an owners
>> > manual
>> > and a dealer brochure from Ebay.
>>
>> > Thanks
>>
>> Change the oil. I think these were the sludge prone engines, and regular
>> oil changes (no more than ~5,000 miles or less) will keep it from
>> sludging.
>>
>> Other than that, with 163K on it, it's still a baby.
>>
>> These are pretty nice cars. I think they are prettier than the later
>> models.
>
> My camry is supposed to be of the 'sludge prone' models and I even
> got an extended warranty for that in the mail from toyota. I never did
> anything special for it and never had a problem..


From: Mike Hunter on
You have said that over and over but that is not fact. The fact is Toyota
extended the warranty AFTER the sludge started to be discovered in engines
that were serviced at the proper intervals, using the proper oil, at Toyota
dealerships and the shark lawyers learned that fact. Do a search for the
pending litigation at the time, for the truth, WBMS.



"Scott in Florida" <MoveOn(a)outa.here> wrote in message
news:2c3be557fscvg2ibjc4dc6l3ab9c56lqsd(a)4ax.com...
> On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:22:21 -0700 (PDT), 01 Camry
> <oceanmountain47(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>On Oct 24, 7:36 pm, Hachiroku ???? <Tru...(a)e86.GTS> wrote:
>>> On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:18:42 -0500, mark hoffman wrote:
>>> > I just bought a 1998 Toyota Avalon, 163,000 miles, cold air, all the
>>> > power
>>> > stuff works, good headliner, 3.0 L v-6, 24 valve engine.
>>>
>>> > Drives and rides nice, got it for an "around town and short trips"
>>> > car.
>>> > First 30 miles was getting it home from the dealer I bought it from.
>>>
>>> > Any advice, words of wisdom, etc? I have already ordered an owners
>>> > manual
>>> > and a dealer brochure from Ebay.
>>>
>>> > Thanks
>>>
>>> Change the oil. I think these were the sludge prone engines, and regular
>>> oil changes (no more than ~5,000 miles or less) will keep it from
>>> sludging.
>>>
>>> Other than that, with 163K on it, it's still a baby.
>>>
>>> These are pretty nice cars. I think they are prettier than the later
>>> models.
>>
>>My camry is supposed to be of the 'sludge prone' models and I even
>>got an extended warranty for that in the mail from toyota. I never did
>>anything special for it and never had a problem..
>
> but you changed your oil.
>
> No one that changed their oil on time got sludge.
>
> It was a problem of owners not changing their oil......
>
> --
>
> Scott in Florida


From: Mike Hunter on
OIC. It will run fine on regular. The microprocessor adjusts for the fuel
octane rating


"mark hoffman" <betrtimes(a)windstream.net> wrote in message
news:37vo1g.gor.19.1(a)news.alt.net...
> Mike Hunter wrote:
>> 50,000 miles? In your first post you said it had 163,000 miles??
>
> yes, Mike
>
> 163,000 now
> 105,000 when she bought it
>
> 58,000 or so miles she drove it.
>
> so, I want to gas it up tomorrow.. regular or premium?
>
>