I’m planning to check out a 2009 Camry with 155k km, and I know the 2AZ-FE engine has a reputation for burning oil. What are the best ways to check if this one already has the issue? Would soot in the tailpipe be a clear sign? What about bluish smoke when accelerating? Any other things I should look out for?
If it had the repair done under Toyota’s service campaign, there should be a record of it. If not, I’d walk away unless they’re selling it for dirt cheap. These engines can burn so much oil that you end up just topping off instead of doing oil changes.
It’s not a lost cause. A piston soak has helped some people reduce oil consumption.
A lot of folks have had success with this method.
Bright said:
It’s not a lost cause. A piston soak has helped some people reduce oil consumption.
A lot of folks have had success with this method.
Good to know. I also noticed that most reports of oil burning start around 100k-150k miles, which is quite a bit higher than the mileage on this car. The process seems pretty simple, and I’ve read a few cases where it worked.
@Marcell
That’s fair, but if you’re in Canada, I’d be more worried about frame rust. If you really want a Camry from this era, the 2005-2006 models are usually the safest bet.
They had fewer issues with head bolt stripping and didn’t get the updated piston rings that caused the oil burning problem.