Copper colored flakes in engine oil

[silversapphire]

Hi everyone,

I've had some very thin, shiny, copper colored flakes in my engine oil for the past 50 or 60 thousand miles. Internet consensus from a quick google shows this might be from bearing wear (engine: 2006 QR25DE), and the engine is ready to explode at any time, but as mentioned before the oil has been this way for the past 50k+ miles. Don't have any pictures, but will take some on the next oil change.

All UOA oil analyses have shown less than average wear metals for the most part.

Edited to add link to recent UOAs: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2006-sentra-spec-v-168k-3-8k-uoa-fuel-additive.335601/

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[RamFan]

Definitely take some pictures next OC.

I may be going against the grain here, but at times I have seen totally healthy engines with a slight, very slight, amount of flake in oil. I think we sometimes forget that all engines will wear and not everything will be caught by the filter. Not saying that's the case with your vehicle, but I do believe it's a possibility.

 

[JC1]

Can you filter some of that oil through a coffee filter after you drain it to see how bad it is?

 

[Trav]

I suspect with wear metals being as low as they are and has gone so many miles that it is not engine bearings, I would think the piston pin bushings are a possible area for this or possibly some other copper/brass lined bushing that may be in the cam phasers, tensioners, etc.
If it is not a recurring issue forget it until it does become an issue or not.

 

[Kira]

"Copper flakes" which are not caught by the filter must be heavy enough to resist agitation in the pan or they'd be drawn into the oil pump, no?

Yo silversapphire, is your car "50 to 60 thousand miles" old? Maybe it's some kind of assembly lube residue?

 

[spasm3]

Have you owned it since new? Any chance someone used "restore" additve?

 

[PimTac]

Have you owned it since new? Any chance someone used "restore" additve?

This.

 

[silversapphire]

Hi all, sorry for the confusion, I'll hope to clear it up.

I acquired the car used with 101k miles. It currently has 178k miles, however as far as I can remember those flakes have been present since I've been doing oil changes on it, so it's been this way for at least 50k miles. I haven't added any engine restore in the time that I've owned it, or any oil additive for that matter.

According to records at Nissan, the engine was remanufactured at 99k miles by Nissan.

Thanks for all the responses so far.

 

[PimTac]

I think the additive was put in prior to you getting the car.

 

[zrxkawboy]

I think the additive was put in prior to you getting the car.

Why would he still be seeing the flakes 50k miles later?

 

[Trav]

That is the right question IMO. 50K and numerous oil changes, I am thinking this is recurring wear for some part not from an additive possible use over 50K ago.

 

[RateNate]

Get a report on the oil analysis asap, and go from there. I would probably get it looked into.

 

[bbhero]

Yeah I agree with Trav... If this was bearing ware... You'd have blown up that motor long ago.

What he said is a very likely possibility here.

I wonder if this copper could be from the oil cooler ?

My VQ has a oil cooler.... I am not sure about the 2.5 L motor though.

 

[silversapphire]

Get a report on the oil analysis asap, and go from there. I would probably get it looked into.

Have multiple oil analyses here: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2006-sentra-spec-v-168k-3-8k-uoa-fuel-additive.335601/

Thanks for all the responses so far everyone, indeed hopefully is not bearing wear.

 

[bbhero]

Interesting how low the copper is on those UOAs... Which is what people say routinely on here. Pieces too large a UOA will not be Indicated on the analysis.

 

[silversapphire]

Hi everyone, an update. I just changed my oil the other day, but I only saw one large flake in the oil. Also cut open the oil filter and it looked clean inside.

Photo attached of the drain pan, centered around the flake.

 

[tasch72]

That's not bad. It looks like there was a copper shed back in 2018 and prior based on your UOAs but that has sorted itself out.

It also looks like you can run 5,000mi+ OCI's safely.

What oil filter do you use?

 

[silversapphire]

I use oil filters all over the place. The one I used last was a Wix filter (99% filtration at 20-ish microns)

sometimes I use the super tech filters because they are so cheap and still filter 30 microns at 99%.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I use oil filters all over the place. The one I used last was a Wix filter (99% filtration at 20-ish microns)

sometimes I use the super tech filters because they are so cheap and still filter 30 microns at 99%.

The best WIX gets is 95% @ 20μ, but that's acceptable.

Looks like whatever the copper source was straighted itself out with mileage.