Here are some pictures of my '01 ES300 with 121k. I popped off the valve cover because I had an engine rattle and my oil pressure light came on. Any opinions would be appreciated.

Baller

 

you sit.. just found sludge + gunk

NOW CLEAN!

 

How did you take of the valve cover? Sorry if it is a stupid questin i am just very confused once i open the hood

 

what? lol.
the valve cover gasket should be rather easy. its just amatter of removing all that junk stuff on top of the motor, and unscrewing the valve colver bolts. all you really need is just a new gasket.

to the OP, sorry, i really dont know. cant say ive ever seen sludge, but my guess, is that it may just be.

 

that kinda looks like the beginning of sludge. clean that out and just slap on the valve gaskets and u good.

 

He's also got to deal with the rear bank, not just the front one. I might have been inclined to run some engine flush through it.

 

Thanks for the replies. I am inclined to let the dealership deal with it, because if this is the residue on the head, I wonder what the oil pan looks like. Also the oil pressure light came on, so I want to be sure there is no sludge blocking the oil pickup, or damage waiting to be found.

 

Also this should be covered under the sludge warranty.

 

If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it must be sludge... wait thats not how that saying goes, but whatever yeah man you've got sludge. It should be covered under the extended warranty that toyota issued after taking heat just make sure you have all of your service records on hand.

 

I hate to be a messenger of doom, but if the engine was rattling and the oil pressure light came on, then that engine is likely hosed. I'd want to get my service records in hand and tell them I wanted it replaced. It's one thing to have the oil light flash on, but when it's been rattling you've got stuff that's been starved of oil and anything they do to it is just a band aid on a terminal wound.

 

I agree I have already talked to Lexus corporate and after looking at the picture they offered to pay for 1/2 of the repairs without inspecting the car. I declined and I told them they will have the car on Wed. I want them to pay 100% of it. A Lexus does not give up at 121K. this is a 1 owner car all Lexus service records up to 95K.

 

Good for you! Make them pay! If that isn't sludge in the pic, then someone must have snuck into your garage and shoved a whole chocolate cake down your oil top-up port....lol

 

Frankly, I don't think their offer is that unreasonable. It's hard to argue that you deserve a free engine rebuild on a 7 year old car with 121k and incomplete service records. If you can't show that you've changed the oil since 95k, then you can't really blame them for not wanting to foot the whole bill.

 

I recently purchased the car, it was in the inventory of, and maintained by a large dealership for about 5k-10.

 

That looks pretty rough in there...good luck with the dog fight.