QuestionMy check engine light and trac-off light turned on about a week ago. Immediately i felt a jolt and took it to the a garage. The garage told me that i had oil gel in the VVT Solenoid that was stopping oil from reaching 3 cylinders and this is why the engine shut those 3 down. After towing it to lexus they said that there is no problem and that it is an eletrical malfunction. Also, i know that the valve cover gaskets are leaking, the oil has been changed every 3k miles, and the car has always been services at lexus. What am i to do? I want to push the issue because i think lexus is lying to me about the oil gel, chiefly because they were very vague and really had no idea what was wrong with the enigne. What do you think?
AnswerThe oil gel issue is total crap. The only issue is owner / maintenance. If you change the oil & use the specified oil. It will never sludge. 3.3 million "affected" engines under the goodwill extended warranties in the US alone. They've changed only afew hundred...
Of the majority they *have* repalced. Almost all of those don't even QUALIFY for the extended warranty in the first place!? Toyota is just the kind of big company that has the historical track record of if they can give you a break & you desirve one... They'll normally do it at the corperate level. Not always... But history shows they normally do.
Look, people think it takes an arm & a leg to get major replacement stuff done under warranty. All any dealer is looking for is documentable proof that there is an issue. Regardless of what dealer it is & who makes the car - the dealers don't care if it's warranty, or owner paid. They get the exact same either way. In your case, if it was damaged, Toyota corperate (Lexus Corperate) would front the supplies from the supply chain & pay the dealer their labor rate. The dealer doesn't care where the money comes from.
In your case with gelling, all the dealer is concerned with is PROOF of damage. The reason is because when it comes to changing engines... Toyota/Lexus is good about doing it, but EVERY engine that's changed under warranty isn't sold for a core fee. It's sent back to f'ing Toyota & they tear the thing apart. Making sure it's really broken & seeing what really happened to it.
I digress. To the point. Your garage mechanics are giving you a load of crap just to front a $1500-2000+ replacement engine + labor to change it. They heard of an "issue" & they're trying to capatalize on it.
For starters, the VVT doesn't work a manner even *remotely* like they've described.
Secondly. There are only two ways to determine if the oil is sludging:
1) Change the oil & keep a sample of the new oil. When the oil has afew thousand miles on it, send it to an oil anylisis lab like Blackstone. That normally costs $20-40 & takes a week+ for them to mail/fax/email you the results.
2) Remove the upper intake air chamber, the valve cover gaskets & visually inspect the interior of the heads.
Only #2 is feasable & guess what!? Had they done all that, they would have changed your leaking valve cover gaskets & it would have taken your normal mechanic a couple of hours to do it. That would have been a $200-300 bill. If they would have re-used your leakin gaskets, subtract about $25 for the cost of the gaskets...
If Lexus says that there is an electrical malfunction. There is most likely an electrical malfunction, but I won't stand by every dealer, or mechanic out there either...
You can verrify what they said by simply going to somewhere where they will scan the codes for free (Autozone, or a parts store) & bring them back to me. I'll tell you about the the problem<s>, and their most likely causes.
You wouldn't qualify for the extended warranty anyway. There has to be irreperable DAMAGE to the engine. You'd have to blow it up (sieze the bearing surfaces from a lack of oil), or kill off the rings (no oil to seal the rings on the cylinder walls, causing them to wear down & drop compression).
Simply having built-up oil in an engine is meaningless.
If you're concerned about the engine having sludge in it. About all it takes is a 10mm socket, small allen wrench & a pair of pliers to remove the front valve cover gasket so you can get a visual look in it.
And if it does have sludge... All you have to do is flush the engine afew times to remove it. Don't think that's some "special" flushing machine that does it either. It's nothing more than adding whatever you yourself, the mechanic, or the shop's favorite solvent addative is to dissolve it compeltely, or enough so it fall into the oil-pan to be evacuated at the next oil change.
I preffer stuff called Seafoam & susing it by the directions. Also doing an old school diesel fuel flush by dropping in a quart of fresh diesel in with the oil. The latter works better than anything else you'll ever run across, but you can only do it for about 10 minutes, and the engine can do nothing but sit & idle in park, or neutral. Passed that & you're going more towards killing bearings than you are flushing it while it idles.
Not to make a big thing about it... But the "oil gel" issue is a non-issue. There is no issue if you maintain the vehicle as you're suppose to. It's just basically Toyota (yet again) sorta being nice & giving some people a break. That's why it's offered in "goodwill", and you actually have to prove yourself to get it! Everytime I see an engine that has been sludged, Toyota, or otherwise, it's always the same thing. The owner never maintained it. Most, you don't have a clue when the last oil change was & they've got less than half the specified amount of oil in the pan when you drain it!
Just an FYI to qualify:
You must show documented proof of maintaining the vehicle. At the minumum you must show that you've changed the oil atleast once in the last year, or within the last 10,000 miles. (You know how many people can't do that!?)
There must be actual engine damage present (non damage will simply prompt the engine being flushed & sent on it's way)
It must be within 8 years & 180 days of the original purchase. (Which you qualify for now)
Anyways... Get the code scanned & bring it back to me. I'll go over everything with you. Just make sure it's got oil in it right now.
