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Dipstick not reading oil Smoke Occasionaly


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GreenManWithAxe
New User

Jul 19, 2011, 10:54 AM

Post #1 of 3 (2650 views)
Dipstick not reading oil Smoke Occasionaly Sign In

1998 Toyota Camry 6cylinder 3.0 liter
115,000 miles

Dipstick is not reading oil level. I am checking while the car is turned off and after it has sat along time without running. Sometimes you see a
slight amount read but it doesn't read all over the stick. It is like a slight amount in random spots on the stick. I have checked under the car
after long periods of it sitting with no rain or anything for days and have not seen any oil leaks. Inspected underneath the car to look for a leak
and seen none. I did an oil change today I used 10W-30 Synthetic oil from valvoline. Slightly over 5 quarts with a new oil filter. The oil filter
is a napa brand I just told them I needed a good filter at the parts store for my model of car and that is what I got. After this still no reads on
the dipstick. Just to state I decided to check the oil while the car is running and it will show then it shows way higher then the amount needed
and reads clear.

The other problem is that occasionally the car blows out white smoke. It is not all the time but usualy after the car has been sitting for a while
when I first start it up. Also occasionally when im at a stop light for a while i will see some white smoke come out not alot then It will just stop.
I have even let the car sit for a few hours after noticing the white smoke, then I went out and tried to get it to happen again to show someone, but no
smoke will come out. The smoke is white not blue or black or gray it doesn't smell like coolant.

The advice I have been given on the dipstick is maybe it is not the right dipstick for the vehicle and that a substance can get on the dipstick
causing it to not read accurately, that doesn't make sense because oil gets on there just fine if I check it while it is running. I am going to guess
the reason it reads way over full while it is running is because it has pulled alot of oil from the pan causing the level to rise on the dipstick?
Well if anyone has any advice I don't know what to do. From reading some people have said to check my pcv system? Also they said I may have
engine sludge? I don't know how this would cause the dipstick to not read.




(This post was edited by GreenManWithAxe on Jul 19, 2011, 11:02 AM)


Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Jul 19, 2011, 1:47 PM

Post #2 of 3 (2625 views)
Re: Dipstick not reading oil Smoke Occasionaly Sign In

Well it is possible to have the wrong stick in there. The best thing to do would be to look at another Toyota 3.0 & compare your setup to that one. It doesn't have to be the exact year or model. Those are common engines in Toyotas so something close should have the same set up...

The white smoke could be nothing or it could be signs of major problems. What you need to do is monitor the coolant level. If you aren't having to add any then it's probably not serious. If you are having to add small amounts regularly to keep to it full this is a sign of either a small leak or the engine burning it, either if ignored could be get bad real quick....

If it is the right stick, it's very possible you have some sludge build up blocking the tube. I seen some 3.0s with so much sludge it took 10 minutes just to get oil in it.....But the 1st thing is to make sure you do in fact have the correct dipstick setup for this engine.....


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Jul 19, 2011, 4:39 PM

Post #3 of 3 (2620 views)
Re: Dipstick not reading oil Smoke Occasionaly Sign In

Those are sludge motors, so you might want to pull a valve cover off and check it out. The PCV systems are poor on those and easily clog up and in combination with extended oil change intervals results in sludge build up. The oil may be getting trapped on top of the heads and not draining down giving you an inaccurate reading.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jul 19, 2011, 4:40 PM)






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