beep-beep! sludge detected!

[dharry]

Hello, I have a 2001 petrol smart car. Engine's almost gone, drinks about 1L oil every 1000kms, then I thought there was no need to change the oil, just the filter every now and then... well, yesterday I pulled out the filter, and it was full of sludge... oil was dark black with bubbles of gasoline in it... horrible!
What would you do? I was thinking of changing immediately the oil, then after only 2000-3000 kms change again oil and filter, so that it could get cleaner... but this stupid car has no sump plug, and I fear that all the sludge would remain at the bottom.
Any better idea?

thanks,

DH

 

[demarpaint]

Gasoline bubbles in the oil? Are you sure it is gasoline, if so I'd find the cause and fix it along with changing the oil and filter. No sump plug? That's interesting.

 

[Hyde244]

Sludge isn't going to just be at the bottom of your pan, it will be everywhere throughout the engine.

Changing the oil and filter on a regular interval going forward will be the easiest bet of cleaning out sludge.

Did a quick google search, here is a "How-to" with youtube videos on changing the oil, as well as locating the oil drain plug.

http://www.america-smart-car-guide.com/smart-car-oil-change.html

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: dharry
Hello, I have a 2001 petrol smart car.

Well, there's your problem.

Seriously, though, how many miles/kms are on it?

 

[Kuato]

How about some pictures?

Yes, how many kms/miles has the vehicle been driven, and in what conditions?

 

[accent2012]

Not every owner of a smart car reflects the name... You were better off with a VW since they can withstand that abuse better in Italy.

Good luck! I hope you can resurrect that car, but if it's consuming a liter of oil per 620 miles, then that will never go away.

 

[Donald]

What is the history of the vehicle?

 

[dharry]

Originally Posted By: Donald
What is the history of the vehicle?


bought used by my girlfriend when we still didn't live together, then used 10 years for short city trips... now with only 70.000kms on the clock engine already seems in need of a rebuild... cheesy design, they all fail around that mileage. Since the car is old and wrecked, the plan is to run it until it dies... but sludge wasn't meant to be there, with that high oil consumption I figured that oil was nice and clean. I'm going to change the oil and see if it gets a little better... that tiny oil pan holds just 2-3 liters, it won't be that expensive.

thanks,

DH

 

[dharry]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Gasoline bubbles in the oil? Are you sure it is gasoline, if so I'd find the cause and fix it along with changing the oil and filter. No sump plug? That's interesting.


Traces of gasoline should be normal, since the car is being used for city commuting. Last 2 years I stopped changing oil because of the high consumption, I thought that by topping up constantly, the oil would have been always fresh. The sump plug simply isn't there in this stupid engine... oil must be sucked with a pump form the dipstick pipe: that's why I fear that changing the oil in this way will never take the sludge away, what do you think about it?

thanks,

DH

 

[dharry]

Originally Posted By: Hyde244
Changing the oil and filter on a regular interval going forward will be the easiest bet of cleaning out sludge.

Did a quick google search, here is a "How-to" with youtube videos on changing the oil, as well as locating the oil drain plug.

http://www.america-smart-car-guide.com/smart-car-oil-change.html


Thank you for the link, but I have the old 600 turbo, where there's no sump plug. Do you think that a couple oil changes at very short interval can somehow help cleaning that mess, or it's too late?

thanks,

DH

 

[Falcon_LS]

Couple of questions:

1. What is the recommended weight and oil specification?
2. What is the recommended service interval?
3. What oil were you running and how often were you changing it before you started topping up the oil?

 

[Falcon_LS]

I think the best way forward would be to get hold of some Liqui Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush (500 ml can) and pour it in with the old oil, then let it idle for 25 minutes. Get some cheap store brand oil meeting ACEA A3/B4 and run it 1,000 km before flushing again. Depending on how bad it is (if you don't need to pull the oil pan off to clean the oil pick up), 4-5 times would do. Your oil consumption could be stuck piston rings, which the flush would cure.

 

[dharry]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
1. What is the recommended weight and oil specification?
2. What is the recommended service interval?
3. What oil were you running and how often were you changing it before you started topping up the oil?


recommended oil is 10w40 or 5w40 100% synth, to be changed every 10.000 kms/1 year. I used mobil 1 until 60.000 kms, then total full synth, and after that I only kept topping up with elf syntech (1L every 1000 kms).

thanks,

DH

 

[Falcon_LS]

Did the consumption start after switching to Total?

 

[dharry]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
Did the consumption start after switching to Total


no, it was already high... this engine is really bad, no matter how do you drive it, after only 50.000kms it starts drinking oil from piston rings, valve seals, turbo seals, vapour check valve, ecc., until a valve melts and the thing goes boom. It's considered normal to rebuild the engine within 100.000 kms.
Machinery shops here are very happy with that

thanks,

DH