Smoke

[45Logic]

Hey, guys..I just had another question:

We're having some pretty bad forest fires here in interior Alaska, and I was wondering just how bad the smoke is for your oil. I'm running Amsoil Series 3000 5w-30 HDD right now, so it should be able to take some ash from the air, right?

The smoke is thick enough that I can't see to the end of my driveway and it's raining ash...Do I need to avoid driving?

 

[Gary Allan]

Hmm..I guess the ash could be equivalent to dusty conditions. Your air filter should take care of it to a point.

Good question. I hope someone has an experienced answer.

 

[TC]

You know the old saying..."Where there's smoke, there's farts."

Living in So Cal, every 10 years or so I go through the same thing. My thoughts were the same as Gary's. However much you drive through the ash, imagine driving that same time/distance along a dusty dirt road and act accordingly. It gets subjective at that point, but I'd agree that the primary issue is your air filter. My suggestion is to replace or maybe vacuum the filter AFTER all the ash is gone from the roads. As for the oil, I wouldn't worry about it. It's much like a few drives along dirt roads, as opposed to a rural or desert resident who ROUTINELY encounters dirt roads. The latter would be Severe Service, the former would not.

 

[Frank D]

Never mind what that smoke and ash is doing to your car, what is it doing to you, especially your lungs?

 

[Matt_S]

quote:

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The smoke is thick enough that I can't see to the end of my driveway and it's raining ash...

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It seems to me that this would clog an air filter in a real hurry. If this were me, I'd drive no more than necessary and check the air filter frequently, especially if you notice a power loss.

As for the oil, I wouldn't worry too much as long as the air filter is doing its job. I would, as others have said, treat it like a severe dusty condition.