1999 Toyota Camry CE oil pan and valve cover gasket replaced 170K.
Asked by steveb65 Dec 09, 2015 at 07:50 PM about the 1999 Toyota Camry CE
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
After shop replaced gasket and pan, drove 100 miles. Checked oil, none. Filled with 4 quarts. Drove 5 miles and then intermittent white smoke out of tail pipe, light engine knocking, smell of burned oil. Got home and checked again, no oil on dip stick. Checked anti-freeze and it's full. Chocolate sludge on underside of oil fill cap. No warning lights on. Did the repair shop do something wrong?
11 Answers
Unless you see the valve cover or oil pan leaking,then probably not,this sounds like a blowed head gasket,or issues with the head,usually from running car hot.
It sounds like they forgot to put oil back in after replacing the oil pan gasket, and now it sounds like the rings are bad, having the white smoke out of exhaust after putting in oil after 100 miles. Question is how did you not notice the engine making noise? And a oil light not come on? Engine had to be just a knocking.
Both of those guys make valid points. But Steve, it only holds 4.2 quarts and in 5 miles that would be billowing white/blue smoke that could not go unnoticed. And no knocking/tapping?
Good answer rowefast,did not think of no oil to start with.
Your engine is TOAST if you drove it for 100 miles with no oil. I am amazed you got that far. I suspect you will have to sue to get a new engine.
And good evening gentlemen TST and Rowefast
But no oil for 5 miles,no way,it would have been knoking time you cranked it up.
And FoR. Really, 100 miles with no oil? Something is getting past me
Maybe they put a quart or two in. The damage over a 100 miles of driving would have caused the car to use up what little oil that was in it. With zero oil it could not have gone more than a mile or so.
Either that or it all leaked out along the way. I would have another mechanic check the work that the other shop did.
