My E46 323i using non-synthetic: sludge fest 2010!
- Thread starter oliverr871
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This is sad. My semi-professional opinion is that the oil pickup is mostly clogged. There is enough flow when the oil is cold to keep the oil light off, but when the oil warms and thins there isn't enough added flow on the oil pickup side to satisfy the increased demand on the pressure side. I would pull the oil pan and clean it and the pickup. If the pickup was not terribly expensive I'd replace it rather than clean it. If nothing had been done other than regular oil changes it's much less likely the junk would have clogged the pickup. If the engine has not been operated for too long without oil pressure it may not have serious damage. Pull the pan and clean it. Replace the oil pickup. Install a new filter and refill the crankcase without adding any additives or detergents. Let us know what's going on could ya?
I think you mean pressure, not flow.
Originally Posted By: glxpassat
I would pull the oil pan and check the oil pump, the screen may be clogged.
I completely agree with this. I desludged an engine too quickly not too long ago by running PP and MMO and this was the cause of engine failure on mine. Completely clogged oil screen led to oil pump failure. My car was also ticking. Though completely different car and engine, I think you should do this as soon as you can. As a failsafe. Since you work at BMW now perhaps you or someone there can do it cheaply.
I would pull the oil pan and check the oil pump, the screen may be clogged.
I completely agree with this. I desludged an engine too quickly not too long ago by running PP and MMO and this was the cause of engine failure on mine. Completely clogged oil screen led to oil pump failure. My car was also ticking. Though completely different car and engine, I think you should do this as soon as you can. As a failsafe. Since you work at BMW now perhaps you or someone there can do it cheaply.
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
I think you mean pressure, not flow.
No, I meant flow. If there is inadequate flow there will be inadequate pressure. If there is not enough flow into the pump there will not be enough flow on the output of the pump to develop adequate pressure through in the lubrication system.
I think you mean pressure, not flow.
No, I meant flow. If there is inadequate flow there will be inadequate pressure. If there is not enough flow into the pump there will not be enough flow on the output of the pump to develop adequate pressure through in the lubrication system.
Skip the ATF or flush, or AutoRX or MMO, they are too weak for these kind of things.
You bought the car knowing this and I'm sure you got a good deal, what's there to complain right? Just scrape as much as you can manually and wipe with a towel soaked with solvent, then run some HDEO oil with short interval (1k-2k miles) with frequent filter change. Inspect filter load for a few OCI and call it done when the filter looks fine.
You bought the car knowing this and I'm sure you got a good deal, what's there to complain right? Just scrape as much as you can manually and wipe with a towel soaked with solvent, then run some HDEO oil with short interval (1k-2k miles) with frequent filter change. Inspect filter load for a few OCI and call it done when the filter looks fine.
You said:
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
There is enough flow when the oil is cold to keep the oil light off
It's an oil pressure light.
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
There is enough flow when the oil is cold to keep the oil light off
It's an oil pressure light.
I guess I was lucky, I bought used, not certified, 2002 BMW with 82K. I changed the oil as soon as I got it home. The oil was like tar, the hot oil Plopped out of the pan, under the cap was visible sludge. The previous owner either used the wromg oil with long intervals or never changed the oil. She was an elderly lady so either could be the case.
Anyway, I put in 0w-40 and new filter. changed at 500 miles. the oil was dirty but it flowed out of the pan pretty nice. changed again in 500 miles. changed at 3000 miles. from 86,000 miles til now knock on wood the engine with 124,500 miles is as clean as a whistle with 7500 mile oci. At 7500 miles the oil comes out transpareent and a little dark as opposed to dark as tar.
The engine runs like brand new but, I realize I could have clogged the oil pump screen. I guess I live right or got lucky!
Anyway, I put in 0w-40 and new filter. changed at 500 miles. the oil was dirty but it flowed out of the pan pretty nice. changed again in 500 miles. changed at 3000 miles. from 86,000 miles til now knock on wood the engine with 124,500 miles is as clean as a whistle with 7500 mile oci. At 7500 miles the oil comes out transpareent and a little dark as opposed to dark as tar.
The engine runs like brand new but, I realize I could have clogged the oil pump screen. I guess I live right or got lucky!
Last edited:
Is it possible this car might have a headgasket issue where coolant has contaminated the oil?
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
You said:
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
There is enough flow when the oil is cold to keep the oil light off
It's an oil pressure light.
And? The point you are missing is that it takes flow to produce pressure. When the oil is hot it requires more flow and a plugged pickup screen will not allow sufficient flow.
You said:
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
There is enough flow when the oil is cold to keep the oil light off
It's an oil pressure light.
And? The point you are missing is that it takes flow to produce pressure. When the oil is hot it requires more flow and a plugged pickup screen will not allow sufficient flow.
Originally Posted By: EricJRoy
Is it possible this car might have a headgasket issue where coolant has contaminated the oil?
Yes, and I wondered the same thing. I had an engine that lost coolant and I could never find the source. Turns out there was a casting flaw in between cylinders at the bottoms of the bores. Lost a little coolant into the crankcase, but the water evaporated away. UOA would have told the tale, but this was the mid 1990s and I was ignorant of UOA.
Is it possible this car might have a headgasket issue where coolant has contaminated the oil?
Yes, and I wondered the same thing. I had an engine that lost coolant and I could never find the source. Turns out there was a casting flaw in between cylinders at the bottoms of the bores. Lost a little coolant into the crankcase, but the water evaporated away. UOA would have told the tale, but this was the mid 1990s and I was ignorant of UOA.
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
it takes flow to produce pressure
Bzzt.
it takes flow to produce pressure
Bzzt.
WOW, that looks awful! I am guessing that the CCV system has not been working properly either.
http://www.diymybmw.com/e46/ccv-disa-icv-oil-separator/
I did my vc gasket a few months ago and it wasn't too bad at all, spotless for 150k miles. I just did another valve gasket last night on a '00 323i for someone and it was not as clean as mine but still decent.
Here is my '01 with 150k on it.
http://www.diymybmw.com/e46/ccv-disa-icv-oil-separator/
I did my vc gasket a few months ago and it wasn't too bad at all, spotless for 150k miles. I just did another valve gasket last night on a '00 323i for someone and it was not as clean as mine but still decent.
Here is my '01 with 150k on it.
Hello all! I am back after missing in action for a bit. So, as I had said earlier, we just swapped engines out for a clean rebuilt engine that we had taken apart, machine shopped clean, and then put back together.
We had taken apart the original engine. I don't think all the solvent etc. in the world would have cleaned it off. Take a look for yourselves and enjoy! It's pretty clear that the oil passages of the oil pickup and the oil filter passages were totally clogged. Hope you guys enjoyed this thread!
We had taken apart the original engine. I don't think all the solvent etc. in the world would have cleaned it off. Take a look for yourselves and enjoy! It's pretty clear that the oil passages of the oil pickup and the oil filter passages were totally clogged. Hope you guys enjoyed this thread!
I'd say that engine never had an oil change. It's criminal...
All I can say is "Wow"...
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
what a crime to "ruin" a nice engine like that.
Agreed, the person who neglected it should be shot!
what a crime to "ruin" a nice engine like that.
Agreed, the person who neglected it should be shot!
Sick! Ugh!!!
man that aint nothin! PYB would have got 40% of it out first oil change
thanks for the thread!!
thanks for the thread!!
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