Prevent Engine Sludge
We often hear about engines “Sludging Up” or having a buildup of carbon and burnt oil in the smaller areas inside the engine. This can generally be a result of two things – Poor quality oil and/or Extended oil service intervals.
With manufacturers pushing service intervals further and further apart this issue can cause poor driving performance, increased fuel consumption and potentially costly repair bills as the vehicle gets older.
While visiting M Power Automotive, Tom and Paul were servicing this BMW E46 328i. Aside from a regular service, they also had to replace the oil filter housing gasket as it is common for this gasket to go hard over time and leak. Fully expecting the housing to be full of pitch-black old oil and carbon, we were all quite happy to see the photos you will see below. This vehicle has travelled well over 100,000kms and is almost 17 years old! Barley a stain on the alloy housing and no build up what so ever.
What are they doing to keep the inside of this motor so clean? It’s simple – instead of the bare minimum requirements this vehicle is being serviced every 10,000km and they are using a synthetic oil. It is important to remember that Manufacturer recommendations are an absolute minimum in order for a consumer to keep the vehicle’s warranty valid – commonly this is only 3 years, a long way from this vehicles almost 17! This minimum recommendation is not necessarily the best way to keep the vehicle in premium condition for many years to come, something your independent European Specialist knows and cares about.
The next time your mechanic recommends a slightly shorter service interval to what may be recommended by the manufacturer, don’t simply dismiss it as “trying to rip you off” rather ask the question or do some research into the type of issues that arise after poor maintenance at higher kilometre readings.
