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http://www.Auto-Rx.com -> Auto-Rx Plus Comments-Questions -> Auto-Rx Plus For Engines -> Help! '02 Toyota Highlander turned into oil-sucking monster!
Post Info TOPIC: Help! '02 Toyota Highlander turned into oil-sucking monster!
brent olsen


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RE: Help! '02 Toyota Highlander turned into oil-sucking monster!
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I would go with the GM Top Engine Cleaner over the Seafoam.

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kbrubach


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Update on my Highlander
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Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know how I came out with my Highlander. When I went to the shop to see everything, it looked quite a lot like all the other pictures I've seen posted of the 1MZ engines. The valve covers weren't as bad as 'Bloody Knuckles' HL, but the oil pan, oil pickup screen, etc. were just filled with sludge. There was barely any oil flowing in the back bank of cylinders.  Most of the piston rings were fried as well. The shop offered me 3 options. I went with the medium level "intervention", which was basically getting the cylinder heads redone, replacing all the gaskets, new rings, and while they were in there, a new timing belt and spark plugs. They put the redesigned valve cover on the back bank, as well as the "improved" PCV valve (Toyota changed the design in '03 I think?). I hope I'm explaining all this correctly. It's all been a bit overwhelming, as I've never needed major engine work done on any of my Toyotas before. One of the reasons I went with this shop is they have a 3 yr./36,000 mile warranty on all their repairs. That's more than I would have gotten if I'd purchased a whole new engine. I just got the car back two days ago, and will be going on a test trip this weekend. I wish so much I'd discovered Auto-RX earlier. I think if I'd started using it when I purchased the HL, it would have saved me. I will definitely be using the maintenance program, for the rest of the time I have the car! Anyway, thanks to everyone who responded to my questions! You guys are great!

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BloodyKnuckles


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RE: Help! '02 Toyota Highlander turned into oil-sucking monster!
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kbrubach,
Sorry to hear about your hl.

I just came back to the site to say that I'm toward the tail end of the first cleaning (600mi to go), and everything has been as fine as it was right after my first few flushings. That's somewhere around 4000 miles ago. (Recall I drive for incrementally longer distances, before putting in ARX, 50mi, 500mi, 1000mi between flushes - something like that.)

I did not get pics after I put on 1500 mi, and before ARX, so the eventual photos will be the collective result of the early flushes (with diesel) and 6000 mi clean/rinse with arx. The reason I didn't get pics is that my wife needed to take the car to NY (from Boston) in a pinch, and I felt better changing the oil, in which case I figured it was a good time to start the treatment. So, oh well, no true "pre-ARX" photos. Sorry folks.

For now, though, everything is running just great. The manual cleaning no doubt saved the engine, the diesel probably further cleaned things, and I'm sure the ARX is really adding to the regimen. I did change the filter half-way through the cleaning &, man, that oil was thick! Glad I'm changing it soon.

More later - BK

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bmwtechguy


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Bloody KNuckles-Hopefully while you were in there, you found and cleaned the 3 drainback holes on the rear bank. I believe that one of the reasons they get stopped up is the small diameter and the increased horizontal angle that these tubes have, causing the gravity flow back to the sump to be slower as a result. When we were cleaning the Avalon, we got out as much as possible from the top, then just pushed the rest of the crud down the tube and out the bottom drain holes that exit between the webbing on the side of the block. We then sprayed/poured solvent down these holes to flush them out thoroughly. From the pictures, it looks like you did a great job cleaning that mess up. I would have to say it was one of the most difficult repairs I have tackled recently due to the use of strong solvents and just all the meticulous cleaning required. On the downside for me, my nephew totaled the Avalon just a few weeks after we finished it, and big surprise, his dad does not want to pay for the other half of the repair he owes for!

Did you really find that the diesel fuel actually cleans much? I used kerosene as a rinsing agent, but had to use carb cleaners to actually cut the hard stuff loose.

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BloodyKnuckles


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Yep, I found the drainback holes. What a royal pain to do that w/o pulling the engine. I couldn't get the rear cover off without disconnecting the entire wire harness and loosening those bracket things that hold up the air intake. Unbelievable pain. I thought the cleaning was easy compared to the dissassembly.

Like you, I scooped out as much as I could from the drainback tubes using a long tongue depressor. At a certain point, I felt my scooper break through & I know I knocked some crap back down the wrong way.

Regarding diesel, I used it for the manual cleaning & it worked wonders. For instance, I simply soaked the oil uptake in diesel. The next morning, it looked new (see pics) without any scrubbing. I don't know what the diesel did as part of my first flush, since I didn't remove the valve cover again. But, when I looked into the oil fill hole after the first flush, what was previously black and kind of gunky, was now clean metal.

Sorry to hear about the accident.

As an aside, I have a '94 BMW 525iT with 130k miles, and will be starting ARX any day now. Any hints for a bimmer?

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bmwtechguy


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Nothing notable except as Sprintman says, run it hot and hard. You will get much better results if you remember his advice. Longer highway trips whenever possible. On and off the throttle at times can assist in the ring cleaning.

Also, remember to add at least 2 oz per quart for a cleaning dose. Many times on a bimmer this will be more than one bottle.

Let us know how it goes for you on your BMW.

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