You probably have heard about oil sludge but are not sure what it is. Oil sludge is a mechanical condition in the engine which results from oxidation or contaminated engine oil that occurs when moisture or high heat is introduced to the engine oil.
The engine oil thickens into a gel that sticks the engine parts and blocks or hampers oil flow through the engine. Since the oil is responsible for lubricating and cooling the engine, increased friction and reduced oil circulation can harm your car, as discussed in the following sections:
Blocks the engine's lubrication system
The lubrication system distributes oil to the engine's moving parts to prevent frictions, resulting in wear out of these parts. Oil sludge will block the lubrication systems making oil distribution a challenge, exposing the engine to friction and wear out, reducing the engine lifespan.
Reduce the lifespan of your engine
When oil sludge is present, oil is not properly lubricated around the vehicle's moving parts, which causes the build-up of engine sludge. Wearing out of your engine parts harms the engine and reduces its life span.
Cause the engine to seize
Oil sludge can make your engine fail to turn over, even though other electronic components may work. The sludge may make your engine overheat, parts melt, damaging your car engine.
Increase friction and even cause your engine to overheat
Frictions increase in your engine when the engine has Oil sludge. The increased friction increases the engine's heat, causing your engine to overheat. Increased engine temperature makes the engine parts swell, warp, expand and even crack, harming your engine.
Moving parts of your engine wear out more rapidly.
Oil sludge reduces oil circulation, increasing friction in the moving parts of your engine, exposing the engine to adhesive wear, abrasive wear, corrosive wear, and fatigue wear. Wearing out the engine parts has negative impacts on the function of your engine.
Since you are now familiar with how oil sludge can harm your car, it is advisable to seek help from a professional mechanic for the sake of your car's engine. If your vehicle's engine is due for an oil change, you are welcome to bring it to Protech Automotive Services today and have a stress-free ride home afterward.