Why did my 1997 Toyota Camry throw a rod?

Steve D · 09 Mar 2011, 04:10 am

i had a 1997 Toyota camry with 220,000 miles on it, it was running great, and well maintained,

one day i went and did an oil change, the next day it threw a rod? any ideas?

Paul · 09 Mar 2011, 05:09 am

The most common reason is when the engine is loaded with sludge, which is the result of poor maintenance habits, the plugged oil passages don't allow the engine to get lubrication where it counts.

My guess is that when you changed oil, the detergents in the oil loosened up enough sludge to COMPLETELY block the oil passages.

P.S. my daughter always claimed HER car was "well maintained" too, but she managed to ruin TWO engines with sludge.

SKRATCH · 09 Mar 2011, 05:24 am

Had an old FORD pickup throw two rods one night. It was attributed to bottom bearing clearances opening up which denied proper oil delivery to the top rod bearing. It happens on high mileage engines sometimes.

tim · 09 Mar 2011, 05:40 am

The Camrys of that era had a sludging problem with oil left in the engine for extended periods. The actual mechanism for failure, appears to be blocking off of the oil-pump pickup in the sump/pan. If there was a build-up of sludge in your sump or pan, then draining the oil may have allowed the sludge to slide under the oil-pump pick-up with the consequences you describe i.e. no oil-pressure and failed big-end bearing(s). Rod failure follows fairly quickly, dependent on luck and driving conditions. On the freeway, things would happen quickly, around town a little slower.

Tim

Why did my 1997 Toyota Camry throw a rod?

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