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I might be misintrupting that but it sounded like it was changed somewhat in 2001.
As far as what someone told you about changing the oil every 3000 miles that sounds like pure
b.s. to me. I wouldn't change oil every 3000 miles. Granted Floridas heat can be considered harsh, but oil was formulated to handle that. Even in that stupid letter they sent us they said 5000 for harsh and 7500 in normal. If you went by all the literature I've seen, were not even in a harsh climate. I would like to see them wiggle their way out of that 5000 mile statement. In fact the bozos at Toyota that did my oil change this last time put a sticker on that says I should change my oil in 4500 miles. I mean you can go only so far with what you hear from word of mouth. If I were to use a synthetic oil I would probally go with amzoil. But I don't even see a reason to do that.
Needless to say I was not suprised to receive a letter about oil changes from Toyota, they are just trying to cover their asses. But legally they have to standup for what it says in writing. Letting them do the oil changes should keep you guys in good shape.
There has been some speculation that the placement of the Sienna engine could be what makes it more prone to sludge than the other Toyota models (I believe Cliffy pointed this out on this Town Hall or the engine sludge Town Hall).
Another maintenance issue you may want to consider is oil changes. The Toyota manual says 7,500 miles for regular driving and 5,000 miles for severe. Many people on the Edmunds discussion boards and Toyota dealerships are recommending much more frequent oil changes in order to prevent engine sludge/gel. The dealership that I was going to, for example, stated that I should change my oil every 3,000 miles because of severe driving conditions in Florida (neither these conditions nor this oil change interval is in the manual).
If you do have problems in believing what you see here, please contact the person who wrote the article in yotarepair. Following is just a copy of that article, if you care to read.
NOTE: The rest of this msg is QUOTED from yotarepari.com:
I have been getting more and more questions, or concerns from Toyota owners who are experiencing the Oil Sludging problem. My intention is not to blame the owners or Toyota Motor Company for the condition, but merely open a dialogue so that as many people who visit the site will be informed and have an avenue for assistance.
This seems affect mostly Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and most Lexus 300/RX series models with the model years after 1996 thru 2001. Toyota made a change in the engine design that actually attributed to the problem.
The actual cause of the problem is an inability of the engine's crankcase ventilation system (PCV) to move the normal gases from the engine. When these gases stay longer in an hot engine it allows deposits to form on the metal parts of the engine. When enough deposits are present "Sludge" is formed. In my opinion the reduced flow of the PCV is related to the vehicle emissions. This presents a problem since to correct it may require Toyota to recertify the engines, come up with a solution acceptable to the EPA and then they still have to repair or assist in repairing the affected engines. The costs would be staggering but ignoring the problem, in so many of their best selling vehicles, may be worse in the long run. In the various articles I've listed below, if you want, you will learn more about the cause an effect.
The following topics are links to gather more information about what causes the condition, what others are experiencing and how to present a case for assistance from Toyota Motor Company.
As I gather more information this will expand.
I must again inform you that this in no way associated with Toyota Motor Company and any opinions are based on my 30 years of experience and knowledge.
I had made the following observations (Prior to service)
1) When I start the engine it revs at 1200-1400 and after 2-4 minutes comes down to 1000-1200
2) Shift to Drive/Reverse it further moves down to around 800-1000
Last Saturday I took the van for oil change and then explained the engine resonance to the Service Rep
He noted on the work order as "Check Idle Speed"
On the invoice I got the Mechanic has put his comment as "No problem found with Idle speed"
Now the changes in engine rev I am observing is
1) Start the engine it revs at 1200-1000 and finally settles at 1000
2) Shift to Drive/ Reverse it goes down to 600-800
and there is no engine resonance at stop light !! Engine purrs at 600-800!
Sorry for the long post.
John
"The engine spec for 2002 Sienna is the same as that of 2001 model. HOWEVER, there is a design modification on the 2002 engine to take care of the possible sludge problem. Here is the link for this information: http://yotarepair.com/Sludge_Zone.html."
In this link, yotarepair discusses their theory of the PCV system being the possible culprit (as you have quoted above), but says nothing about a design change in the 2002 vehicles. I was just wondering if that information was in another location on that site.
I really would like to know if the PCV system was changed in the 2002. We know that Toyota changed their engine to meet new emission specifications around the time period when we now see engine sludge. The PCV system controls emissions. A change in that component could point to the culprit of engine sludge. Is there anything that specifically says this component was modified in the 2002 vehicles?
Like jj35 said - this is a theory. I'm not saying he's wrong but also I don't see any hard evidence. There are many more theories out there and this is just one more.
As I had just brought it in a few weeks ago and had the rear brakes cleaned, I wasn't happy. The same mechanic who had worked on it the 1st time brought me over to explain the cause. The rotors were "hazed" (mirror like) and because, by law, they are required to use non-asbestos pads, it creates a squeek. He was nice but adimant that it was not a safety issue and to basically deal with it. He tried to aleviate the squeek by roughing the rotor surface but on my way home it was obvious this did nothing.
My choices are: 1) Deal with it, and since my wife drives the van and hates the squeek I'd rather deal with a rusty nail in my eye, 2) At a cost of about $200 havethem replace the pads (which don't need it) and have them resurface the rotors, all with no guarantee it won't occur again OR 3) Take it to a brake shop and have them put asbestos pads on.
Does anyone of any suggestions or has eliminated this problem successfully with their Sienna?
my personal opinion is to clean it and basically live with it. why waste the money if you dont really need to replace the parts.
i remove the rear drums myself and clean it about twice to 3 times a year. i do it when i swap tires in the winter/summer. another person on the SIENNA board did the same thing, just removed drums and cleaned it.
/direct/view/.ee93e90/1565
replacing the pads may or may not solve your problem.
good luck.
most of the time it's the rear drums that gives u the squeak as you slow down to a complete stop. roll down your windows and listen yourself.
if you dont own a compressor, use a big wet/dry vacuum to clean your drums/shoes. i have a compressor that i use to blow out the dust from the rear brakes as well as the front brakes. be careful if you blow out the dust, it's a good idea to wear protective gear for eyes/nose.
Years ago when I bought one of my first Toyotas, the salesman said to me that it was important to follow the book on maintenance and that the dealer would do the first year's maintenance for free and had a clinic for new owners, etc. The reason for this (he said) was that Toyota felt that anytime anybody saw a broken down Toyota on the side of the road - for any reason at all - it was an ad for their competition. I believe this philosophy has served them well over the years.
In your case, the squealing brakes is the same thing - a rolling ad for the competition. My dad's Lexus had the same problem and ultimately he had to call a regional rep to get the problem fixed. Oftentimes a local dealer doesn't remember the philosophy - and you have to go to regional or national to get the dealer to do you right. Why the dealer would let one of HIS $50K vehicles cruise the LOCAL roads - with HIS dealer name right on the back (!) with squealing brakes, is beyond me.
I hope LOTS of dealers are reading this thread right now!
because they are cheap, i change mine annually.
are you sure your lube shop checks your pcv valve each time? reason i ask is because the pcv valve is located near the firewall, while it's easy to replace - it's definitely NOT easy to get at!
stand in front of the van - facing the front passenger.
the pcv is located on the valve cover on the rear bank. follow your radiator hose to the filler neck then behind the filler neck, you will see this shiny round diaphragm. in front and sort of below is the PCV valve. it's a small plastic piece shaped like a letter "L" that is upside down. one end of this valve is inside the valve cover and the other end is hooked up to a rubber hose.
pull the valve gently and once it's out, squeeze the ring on the rubber hose so u can pull the valve out of the hose. u may need pliers to do this. be careful not to damage the hose. if you want to check the valve, blow air into the end that goes into the valve cover and place one finger at the end that plugs into the rubber hose. when u blow, the air should go out the other end easily/freely. it's best to do this with a cold engine or u will end up with some burns on your arm/hand! since the pcv valve is fairly cheap, i dont bother to check it and just replace it annually. if your pcv is not working properly, you will see oil deposits around the hole where the pcv valve goes in.
why the pcv valve service is not mentioned in the manual? i really don't know. in canada, we get a "owners manual supplement" which is a book where the dealer signs and puts down the mileage of each service. in this book, it says "pcv valve or pcv orifice" is covered "against defects for 36mo. 60,000kms or 24mo. 40,000kms."
yes the pcv valve you can check and replace yourself - just like what i did. like i said, its fairly cheap so i replace it annually. if your dealer did replace that part, it should show on your invoice because they are supposed to charge you for that part and by law, parts replaced have to be itemized on the invoice.
whew! i hope i answered both your questions!
Is the problem as small as Toyota says it is (only 3,000 cases) are as large as it seems from all these posts and complaints on yotarepair?
Help!!!!
My other $0.02 would be to disconnect the hose from the valve before removing the pcv valve from the cylinder head cover (for better leverage). And, don't suck air in thru the valve to test it!
if you ask will i buy another sienna? my answer would be a big YES, YES, YES! it's toyota for me all the way!
if you have any more questions, just post it and i'll try my best to find the answer for u.
As jeprox says - and I agree - my opinion is that the Sienna is an excellent vehicle. With proper maintenance, you should be ok.
This is an excellent vehicle with lots of power, is comfortable and well built. It loves interstate cruising!
My wife and I test drove all the minivans in December. The Toyota stood out for quietness and sophistication. BTW, the Odyssey had zero front-passenger legroom, and was noisy.
the 3 plugs in the front are easy. if you look at your engine, below the plastic cover with the toyota logo are 3 square looking boxes - sort of greenish or dark colored. that's where your plugs are. you'll see the high tension wires coming out the side from each one. the 3 plugs in the back are the hardest to get at. from my shop manual, it states that you have to remove the wipers and the big plastic cover that hides the wiper motor to get easy access to the rear plugs!
sienna uses platinum plugs so they dont need replacement until you reach about 96,000kms. i still have a long way to go before it needs replacing. my dealer wants to charge over C$200 to change the plugs! when the time comes, i'll do it myself! i figure it's a 1-1.5hr job.
The reason I purchased the "Extended" Warranty was so I could have Warranty work done at my local repair shop instead of driving (or being towed) for 3 hours to my closest Toyota dealership.
Time will tell how well they back the warranty. I haven't needed it yet. Has anyone else?
my van is still under warranty and i used to take it to the dealer but after i was cheated on this one particular service - i only go to dealers for services that i can't perform myself which so far is zero! performing services on your own while your vehicle is still under warranty is always risky coz' the dealer/manufacturer may not honor the warranty if something goes wrong and they will blame you for it! its a risk that you have to decide on your own.
between myself and my 7 siblings in the family, we have owned over 18 toyota vehicles in the past 19yrs and none have had any sludge problems or defects. i have complete confidence with toyota products. as the early toyota commercial says, "OH WHAT A FEELING!"
just my $0.02
Mine is a 2000 sienna with 47K kms. and what is the cost of this. TIA
John
Oh what a feeling from my gelled engine!
Oh what a feeling!
On the other hand, the Platinum warranty covers your power doors, CD (and if you have the 6 disc, it WILL break in 7 years), the moonroof including cables, every wiring harness and ground line, your lock set, security system, keyless entry, thermostat and a bunch of other stuff. In 7 years or 100K miles, it wouldn't take too much for this warranty to pay for itself.
Would anybody know what is the typical maximum number of days you could leave an engine idle without at least a warm up period?
I understand that at least warming the engine daily keeps its parts lubricated.
Thanks.
If you warm it up every few days without driving it, you're likely going to wear the battery down.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
cause of sludge? depends on who you talk to. some people say it's engine design, defect, etc. some people say it's improper/lack of maintenance, plain and simple. sludge didnt happen on 2002 models only, it happened to different model (year).
if your daughter can wait, 2003 sienna's should be out in another 7 months or so. new model is supposed to be bigger/new design and perhaps some changes in the engine department.
goodluck
apparently, this system is already in place in 3 provinces in canada and one more province to follow around june (B.C.).
i just want to know if you folks in US of A have this type of system at your toyota dealers. if so, which state and are prices more expensive than dealers without this system?
thanks.
In looking at the plastic retainer that was supposed to keep the door from opening like that, I see that its a very thin, cheap looking piece of plastic, not metal like all the other cars I've had.
Anyway, I need some advice. Has anyone else ever had this problem with their Siennas'? Do you think Toyota is responsible for the damage done since they used such a cheap piece of plastic in a critical area? I wonder if this falls under the warranty? Of course, they'll probably try to blame it on abuse or neglect. Should I just take it in and see what they say?
San Jose, CA
Its interesting to note that Toyota continues to use this design in their current models. I wonder how many others have experienced this?
As to your case at the dealer - well, good luck. But this stands as much chance of getting sympathy at the dealer as a shopping cart ding (they should make their bodies out of something that withstands a shopping cart hit!).
Jeff
http://cgi.latimes.com/class/highway1/yourwheels/20020313/t000018575.html
Take a good look at the arm. It is a piece of dimpled molded plastic encasing a thin metal shank. The weak point is at the pivot mount attached to the body frame. It broke at that location. This happened when my wife closed the door. I would be interested to know if you have something different. Our Toyota parts man said the factory never updated this assembly.
Thanks