burning oil = sludge?

[rich mds]

So I see some cars burn oil while others burn very little.

It has always been in the back of my mind, does burnt oil just blow out the exhaust or is it actually cooking and leaving that caked on sludge behind?
Because not to long ago I saw some pictures on the internet of sludged up engines and the first thing it reminded me of was coffee machine that was sitting over the weekend with the machine still on and that caked on stuff on the bottom of the pot.

 

[G-MAN]

If the engine is "burning oil" in the sense that oil is getting by the rings and/or valve seals and being burned in the combusition chamber, then, no, the product is not "sludge" inside the engine. Increased combustion chamber deposits and smoke out the tail pipe are what you get.

 

[Ken2]

Rich, "sludge" is not the right term for burned oil. Call it "carbon" or "combustion chamber deposits." Sludge will be more like mud.


Ken