Black Death of Engines: Sludge

Engine sludge is a very common and also very costly problem. Many automotive mechanics call this the Black Death of Engines. Engine sludge forms equally in both gasoline and diesel engines!

What is Engine Sludge?

Engine oil sludge is actually the natural thickening and breaking down of the engine oil. Once the oil starts to break down, it’s increasingly unable to do the hard work of lubricating and cleaning the engine. As the oil ages, it loses its ability to do this critical job, and the debris settles onto internal engine components. When this happens, the engine will be exposed to the risk of clogging and contamination.

The result? A dangerous mix of oxidized oil and engine-destroying contaminants. This thick, tar-like substance is a far cry from the pure oil that belongs in your vehicle’s engine. This problem can happen to both synthetic and conventional oils, and in both gasoline and diesel powered engines.

An engine that has any amount of sludge comes with some serious risks. The least of these is decreased efficiency, the worst is a destroyed engine.

How does engine sludge form?

Engine sludge is the natural result of a series of chemical reactions within the oil, which degrades it as it is exposed to oxygen and changing temperatures. This type of degradation is called oxidation. The by-products of oxidation react with other contaminants, causing a chain reaction leading to the formation of the insoluble product known more commonly as sludge.

What begins as a thin film of lacquer or varnish builds up on hot or cold metal surfaces and bakes into a gelatinous gooey mess, which often then becomes solid, restricting or blocking vital oil passages. This predicament causes increased engine wear, or worse, complete engine failure.

What can cause engine sludge?

• Excessive idling and/or numerous short trips, which prevent the oil from fully cycling, cleaning, and cooling.
• Infrequent or extended oil change intervals
• Environmental contaminants in the oil like dust and other air-borne particulate matter, and gases.
• Condensation, which contaminates the oil with moisture.
• Bad vehicle service history
• Hot spots, which bake contaminants and oil firmly onto the engine components.

What to look for

• You experience low oil pressure in your engine (oil pressure check light comes on or gauge reads low).
• Excessive engine oil use as the oil-control ring segments are blocked with baked-on sludge
• You hear clicking/tapping sounds from the engine, or the engine sounds more noisy than usual.
• The engine temperature is running hotter than normal.
• Draining the engine oil takes a long time.
• There is visible greasy or gritty substances inside the oil filter.

How to fix the Black Death problem

The solution to this problem is to use Flushing Oil Concentrate at every oil change. Flushing Oil Concentrate safely and effectively dissolves and suspends all sludge deposits (even the hard, baked-on type) within the engine. Wherever the lubricating oil touches, the specially formulated detergents (not abrasive and corrosive solvents) of Flushing Oil Concentrate act to effectively break down, dissolve and suspend damaging deposits, allowing them to be drained out with the oil at time of oil change.

This important procedure restores the internal engine components to pristine cleanliness, allowing the new oil to work effectively throughout the whole lubricating system. Existing sludge, which has built up over the life of the engine and has clogged filter screens, oil galleries, oil pump pressure regulating valves, pressure solenoids, and piston oil-control rings is effectively removed. Using Flushing Oil Concentrate at every oil change, modern engine or not, gasoline or diesel, is a very small cost compared to the costs of engine damage due to inadequate lubrication caused by sludge and other contaminants in the engine oil.

For detailed information on how to achieve the best result using Flushing Oil Concentrate, click HERE.