Originally Posted By: highmilegeguy
Sounds like 1) your friend is lying about the OCI for that vehicle.
2) someone used a bulk oil wrongly marked. Maybe heavy machine metal cutting oil was marked as 10w30.
3)the mechanic is lying to generate more work.
Oil doesn't just sludge up because of normal use and life span.
I smell a rat in here somewhere. Lets just say things don't lie but people do.
My friend isn't exactly a car guy, although he is very organized and keeps receipts, even for fill ups.
Looking at his maintenance records, the car has had nothing but routine engine oil and filter changes, a transmission fluid change and a coolant flush so far, all at the dealer. The filters (air and fuel) have also been replaced.
Whilst I haven't seen the engine because I was not there when the valve covers were taken off and the mechanic claims to have cleaned it up, I am just passing on what he has told me and what I have advised him to clean up the engine.
Whether this is due to a PCV related problem, or an oil related problem, I cannot tell for sure. But I do know lubricants sourced in the Middle East are garbage at best. I know this from personal experience, because my Montero had the 'nothing but 5,000 km oil changes' yet when I pulled off the valve covers at 284,000 km, there was heavy varnish and chunks of sludge in there. And this was after a couple of Auto-Rx runs, too. So I'm leaning more towards the oil being bad based on that.
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I would question if the oil was even changed at some of those 3K intervals. Also, what they put on paper may not be what they installed. Did you see the recent thread about SA and SB oils?
I haven't seen that thread, but...
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Like many here, I agree there is 'more to this' than what we are being told.
If the oil really was API SL, engine would not have sludged up with 3k intervals - engines didn't sludge up on 3k intervlas with API SE/SF oils 30 years ago!!!
The oil is not API SL rated. It meets the requirements of API SL. This is classic for many lubricants sold in this region and why I only buy lubricants sourced from North America or Europe:
Originally Posted By: Quest
(3 ) dealership quoted Castrol GTX but maybe cheated by using some crrapy domestic blender/supplier oil (or even bulk oil). Don't forget that may shady oil suppliers/oil blends in developing countries such as certain underdeveloped Asian countries, African or even middle-East countries, etc. where oil certification was "fake" (obviously, it's not even seriously up to API standards that they claimed to be at). As a result: oil breaks down ever so quickly that it isn't funny anymore. (seen that happened to domestic oils that claimed meeting certain latest API specs but starts to break down waaay sooner than the oil should have, in Malaysia, etc.)
I think this is exactly the case here.
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Modular's are not known for sludge at all, even with lack of maintainence. Check the gasket where the oil filter adapter meets with the block. Both oil and water pass through there and those gaskets are a common leak point.
Thanks! Will take a look at that when I see the car.
Originally Posted By: Nick R
There is another option that people aren't considering. Unless he saw under the valvecover himself, it is possible that the independent shop made up the story about the sludge in order to increase billable hours for "cleaning". Not saying that this is the case, but it is possible.
Highly possible!
Sounds like 1) your friend is lying about the OCI for that vehicle.
2) someone used a bulk oil wrongly marked. Maybe heavy machine metal cutting oil was marked as 10w30.
3)the mechanic is lying to generate more work.
Oil doesn't just sludge up because of normal use and life span.
I smell a rat in here somewhere. Lets just say things don't lie but people do.
My friend isn't exactly a car guy, although he is very organized and keeps receipts, even for fill ups.
Looking at his maintenance records, the car has had nothing but routine engine oil and filter changes, a transmission fluid change and a coolant flush so far, all at the dealer. The filters (air and fuel) have also been replaced.
Whilst I haven't seen the engine because I was not there when the valve covers were taken off and the mechanic claims to have cleaned it up, I am just passing on what he has told me and what I have advised him to clean up the engine.
Whether this is due to a PCV related problem, or an oil related problem, I cannot tell for sure. But I do know lubricants sourced in the Middle East are garbage at best. I know this from personal experience, because my Montero had the 'nothing but 5,000 km oil changes' yet when I pulled off the valve covers at 284,000 km, there was heavy varnish and chunks of sludge in there. And this was after a couple of Auto-Rx runs, too. So I'm leaning more towards the oil being bad based on that.
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I would question if the oil was even changed at some of those 3K intervals. Also, what they put on paper may not be what they installed. Did you see the recent thread about SA and SB oils?
I haven't seen that thread, but...
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Like many here, I agree there is 'more to this' than what we are being told.
If the oil really was API SL, engine would not have sludged up with 3k intervals - engines didn't sludge up on 3k intervlas with API SE/SF oils 30 years ago!!!
The oil is not API SL rated. It meets the requirements of API SL. This is classic for many lubricants sold in this region and why I only buy lubricants sourced from North America or Europe:
Originally Posted By: Quest
(3 ) dealership quoted Castrol GTX but maybe cheated by using some crrapy domestic blender/supplier oil (or even bulk oil). Don't forget that may shady oil suppliers/oil blends in developing countries such as certain underdeveloped Asian countries, African or even middle-East countries, etc. where oil certification was "fake" (obviously, it's not even seriously up to API standards that they claimed to be at). As a result: oil breaks down ever so quickly that it isn't funny anymore. (seen that happened to domestic oils that claimed meeting certain latest API specs but starts to break down waaay sooner than the oil should have, in Malaysia, etc.)
I think this is exactly the case here.
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Modular's are not known for sludge at all, even with lack of maintainence. Check the gasket where the oil filter adapter meets with the block. Both oil and water pass through there and those gaskets are a common leak point.
Thanks! Will take a look at that when I see the car.
Originally Posted By: Nick R
There is another option that people aren't considering. Unless he saw under the valvecover himself, it is possible that the independent shop made up the story about the sludge in order to increase billable hours for "cleaning". Not saying that this is the case, but it is possible.
Highly possible!
