As well as selling our unique key finder system, when we fix something or discover a solution, we like to share - here is another page to help out. DJM.  All material here - Copyright (C) 2005,2006,2007 Melbourne Designs, LLC. OK, so it's also a cheap plug to advertise FOFA - please forgive us! Also, if you add a link to this page, other owners can share this too.

Use at your own risk - we bear no responsibility for any injury or damage caused by the use of this information.

2001 Toyota Sienna 1MZ-FE Engine Sludged!
(other years 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005  unknown if applicable - anyone?) Do you have a Toyota Sludge Problem? What is the Toyota Sludge recall deal? Read On!

For help with Toyota Sienna Knock Sensors click here 

For help with Toyota Sienna Oxygen Sensors click here. 

For help with Toyota Rear Door Handle Broken Click Here. 

Our 2001 Toyota Sienna 1MZ Oil Sludge Story. 

At Christmas last year, I noticed the oil light coming on at idle- Bad Sign! I tried all the normal things - Oil Level, Oil Change, Oil Pressure Sensor / Switch. After dismissing those, I dropped the pan and saw BLACK. There was this black crusty stuff everywhere SLUDGE? Well no I thought, so I got a new oil pump, cleaned the pickup strainer and added an oil pressure gauge (+ $10 brass parts from hardware store - another story) Since the timing belt had to come off, I went ahead and replaced all the timing components and water pump. Great oil pressure now - maybe too much?

Mistake #1
The hydraulic belt tensioner looked different and needed longer bolts but I just thought "aftermarket" and went with it . I should have known better. Now YOU do too.

Mistake #2
Put engine cleaner in, managed to get a whole bunch of black stuff out (Toyota Sludge).  NEVER do this to a high mileage engine! (I know now) Why? You are mobilizing all the Toyota sludge to get jammed in oil returns and seals, the automotive equivalent of a blood clot moving causing a stroke/heart attack.  

2 Days later. Knocking sound like crazy. Decided time to yank engine out. After investigating the Toyota Sludge Recall  www.oilgelsettlement.com from Toyota (law suit) found out our dealer had only actually replaced ONE engine in a YEAR, so did not hold much hope. They do NOT rod the engine oil returns, so they would not have discovered our problem anyway.. If you don't have hundreds of receipts for oil changes (I change my own oil) or know somebody in a dealership, you are pretty much OUT OF LUCK. The law suit covers certain vehicles from 1998 to 2002 for only seven years, so all you 1998, 1999, 2000 owners may already be in trouble. Does not seem fair.

Pulled Engine & Tranny. (What a chore that is, BTW) Took to shop.Automotive Machine & Supply  Took them 4 days to scrub the sludge out with brushes and vatting. I had caught it just in time! No damage to crankshaft, or block. While I was there, they said they found the noise, I had damaged the new tensioner? Well, they put another similar one in. I figured I was just ham-fisted. They got all the crud out and $1800 later, I put the engine back in (with the help of every guy in my street!)

Ran great for about a week, then knocking again! Took van back to Automotive Machine & Supply (engine rebuilders). These guys are absolutely the best. They reset all the valves and ran all kinds of tests. Also noticed the engine "hunting" with the RPM going up then back down. Started getting codes which suggested that the timing belt was stretched! P1531 P1490  While at the shop the guys at Automotive Machine & Supply noticed the excess play when rotating the engine by hand. The sound seemed to be coming from the front WTI Variable valve assembly, which just goes to show how difficult pinpointing engine sounds can be, even for professionals. 

I limped the van home. (And I do mean limped) Would not go up a hill on the freeway without a struggle! Took the timing belt cover off AGAIN. The belt was loose and OFF 2 TEETH! HOW???? I took the new tensioner off and put in a hand vise (a simple way to test them). Instead of retracting very slowly, it went in far too quickly (about 1 second).  It was BAD!!

I started to have a good look at these replacement tensioners. The diameter of the shaft was smaller than the NTN Toyota original. The machine guys felt terrible about the problem, ordered me a Toyota part and refunded me on the defective ones. Completed the replacement today and, of course, it appears fixed! Will let you know.

Why do these Toyota 1MZ engines sludge up? Well apparently the PCI venting system is easily blocked and not really sufficient for the amount of gases put out. If the baffles inside each rocker cover or the PCV valves get blocked, the gases cannot get out and form sludge in the engine, blocking the already narrow engine oil returns. (Short trips don't help BTW) Toyota designed the top of the engine to run hot, to meet stricter emissions. The "hot spots" that develop can reach 260degF, also causing sludge. The cure? CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 3000 miles or SOONER. Use SYNTHETIC OIL - Does not sludge as badly apparently. As for me, I am changing my oil every 2,000!

The lessons - If a third party part looks really different  - don't accept it! RESEARCH!

                        Use a great shop - Mine really came through.

The Synopsis ... or Oil Sludge Post Mortem (Your Choice)

So what really happened was.... The new oil pump added some extra pressure and made the oil light go away, but the sludge problem still existed. Only the fact that the new tensioner went bad made me pull the engine. The knocking sound was the tensioner vibrating against the belt swing pulley/wheel at the bottom of the engine - it sounded like it was everywhere though! 

Either way, we ended up with a better van that may last now!

Do you have a question about how we did it? Drop me a line (See Contact Us- above), I love to share information on fixes I am involved in.

Good luck! Comments welcome!

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Find One, Find All and FOFA are Registered Trademarks of Melbourne Designs, LLC Arlington Texas USA. 76001 
PATENTED.

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Another piece I have been working on..... nothing to do with above though. Remember USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
We cannot be held responsible for anything that happens to you using this information.

Key in the ignition, turn......nothing! Maybe just clicks, just spins, or not a sound at all.

Mechanics will then start talking to you like this.... "your diff nerd spring is baffled, this particular engine has a stingle blimp valve which rubs on the sprange bracket and kerbluee!  Then he says something you do understand "It will run you about $600" or, $700, $800, $900 - take your pick. Help! What now? Relax. Read some of this

What to do when your car won’t go.

1) Engine turns over very fast but will not fire, no spark at all - timing belt is gone, top end of engine not spinning. Serious? See engine list below. IF your car is NOT on list then not too bad. Belt is less that $100. Labor will vary. Fixable at home by most home mechanics. If your car is on the list, it could be VERY bad indeed, bend valves, damaged pistons.
etc. New engine time usually. List is incomplete! - Please check with a mechanic about your car! 

2) Engine will not turn, just clicks. This can be many things. Bad Battery, bad connections to battery. Alternator not charging battery properly, Bad starter, Bad connections to starter. Bad solenoid (may be included in starter) Try jumping with another vehicle. If it starts and voltage across battery rises to 13+V then battery or connections are bad. If voltage stays low, alternator no good. Remember however, battery can be so bad, it can prevent jumping from working.

Yep, it seems to be turning over real fast but won’t fire! If my “timing belt” is broken like you say, is it all over for my ride? Will it cost a million dollars to fix?
Will I have to sleep with my mechanic?

A: Depends on which Make and Model you have!

Good:
On some engines, when the timing belt brakes, the bottom of the engine is still spinning and nothing bad happens, it just quits. These engines have “Valve to Piston Clearance” sometimes called "Non Interference Engines"  The Fix is New Belt -Re-time, GO!

Bad:
If your engine is on the incomplete list below, the design relies on the valves being retracted (by the timing belt turning the bit that lifts them out of the way) when each piston comes to the top. When this timing belt breaks – Whammo!  Any valve that is stuck open is hit really hard by it’s piston. The result of this impact is too horrible to describe.. start drinking now.,

The next time you are looking to buy a car, forget the color, CD player, DVD player, sunroof, opposite sex attraction, and ask “DOES THE ENGINE HAVE VALVE CLEARANCE?” If your salesperson doesn’t know – RUN!

Here’s a very incomplete list of those "Whammo" Engines - Engines with NO Valve to Piston Clearance.

Valve Clearance. Pistons hit valves. Timing belt failure.

Acura 4 cylinder, 5 cylinder and V6 engines Audi 1.6L and 2.0L diesel engines Buick Skyhawk 1.8L and 2.0L engines Chevrolet Geo Metro 1.0L three cylinder engines Chevrolet Geo Spectrum  Prism 1.5L and 1.6L engines Chevy Luv pickup truck 2.2L diesel engines Dodge and Plymouth Colt 1.5L and 1.6L engines Eagle Summit and Vista 1.5L and 1.6L engines Eagle Talon 2.0L engines 1981-85 Ford Escort (and Mercury Lynx) 1.6L engines 1985 Ford Tempo and Ranger pickup 2.0L diesel engines Ford Probe 2.0L engines All Honda four cylinder engines All Hyundai four cylinder engines Infinity 3.0L V6 engines All Isuzu four cylinder engines Mazda 2.2L four cylinder and 3.0L V6 engines Mitsubishi 1.5L, 1.6L and 2.0L engines All Nissan engines Porsche engines Suzuki 1.3L engines Toyota Tercel 1.5L engines Toyota pickup 2.2L and 2.4L diesel engines Volkswagen 1.5L and 1.6L diesel engines Volvo 4 cylinder engines Yugo engines

Another List

Inspected your timing belt periodically and replace it at the recommended intervals!.

Interference engines .....