I got my oil analysis back today, and according to them the potassium indicates a coolant leak, I have noticed any milkshake or "mayo" and I see no missing coolant..there was a minor leak around my water pump but it stopped.
Oil analysis indicates coolant leak?
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I got my oil analysis back today, and according to them the potassium indicates a coolant leak, I have noticed any milkshake or "mayo" and I see no missing coolant..there was a minor leak around my water pump but it stopped.
The jeep has never been ran hot. It used primarily on dirt roads and traveling a short distance to town in rural Missouri, prior to this year I drove it 75 miles a day on interstate 4 in Tampa.
You should indicate year and engine; a lot of people know exactly which ones are problematic and the ones that aren't.
Engine and year also may indicate likeliness. 08 wrangler?
Engine and year also may indicate likeliness. 08 wrangler?
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I'm thinking you caught it nice and early....while it is a slow leak. You could try another 4k run and see what it looks like then.
MolaKule
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Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
You should indicate year and engine; a lot of people know exactly which ones are problematic and the ones that aren't.
Engine and year also may indicate likeliness. 08 wrangler?
And oil type.
I would change the oil and filter now and take another sample at say 3500 miles.
You should indicate year and engine; a lot of people know exactly which ones are problematic and the ones that aren't.
Engine and year also may indicate likeliness. 08 wrangler?
And oil type.
I would change the oil and filter now and take another sample at say 3500 miles.
It's an 08 wrangler running mobile 1 full synthetic
Any idea of where to look for the leak?
Any idea of where to look for the leak?
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Originally Posted By: Viking1313
It's an 08 wrangler running mobile 1 full synthetic
Any idea of where to look for the leak?
My first thought would be head gasket. Has this Jeep ever been over heated?
It's an 08 wrangler running mobile 1 full synthetic
Any idea of where to look for the leak?
My first thought would be head gasket. Has this Jeep ever been over heated?
Originally Posted By: Viking1313
It's an 08 wrangler running mobile 1 full synthetic
Any idea of where to look for the leak?
Sodium can be present in some oils, but not M1.
I guess seeing potassium is a pretty sure sign of coolant, but just wanted to pipe in and say seeing sodium in that brand of oil is not right, either.
It's an 08 wrangler running mobile 1 full synthetic
Any idea of where to look for the leak?
Sodium can be present in some oils, but not M1.
I guess seeing potassium is a pretty sure sign of coolant, but just wanted to pipe in and say seeing sodium in that brand of oil is not right, either.
Never
Do a search for jeep 3.8 head gasket...sems to be a common issue, along with the possibility of tthe oil pan gasket.
So, I have a coolant leak leaking down the front of the engine and pooling up on my oil pan gasket before dropping to the ground. This may be the cause
Root Causes of Sodium and Potassium in Engine Oil
Noria Corporation
Tags: oil analysis
The oil analysis report we received from our lab showed elevated levels of sodium and potassium in our engine oil. This oil has also become significantly thicker. What could be causing this to occur?
There are multiple sources for the sodium found in your diesel engine oil. Based on your operational environment and equipment type, you should be able to narrow this down to a smaller list of causes. Potential sources of sodium include coolant, salt water, additives, grease thickener, base stocks, dirt and road salt.
On the other hand, potassium has only one real major source when found in engine oil — antifreeze. Other key elements that you will want to look for are boron, chromium, phosphorus and silicon. All of these elements are associated with antifreeze and, if found in engine oil, can be an indicator that you have a coolant leak.
The causes of this coolant leak will take some investigation. Trouble areas include defective seals, electrochemical erosion, cavitation erosion, corrosion of the liners, a damaged cooler core, a blown head gasket, or a crack in the cylinder head or block. The effects of antifreeze contamination are a rise in the oil’s viscosity or a thickening of the oil (as witnessed), the formation of gels and emulsions, acid formation leading to corrosion, premature filter plugging and all-around poor lubrication. In fact, glycol contamination is reported to be the No. 1 cause of premature filter failure in a diesel engine and overall poor lubrication.
Another potentially huge problem to be aware of is the reaction of calcium sulfonate (engine oil detergent) with ethylene glycol (engine coolant). When these fluids are mixed, a chemical reaction ensues that produces small abrasive balls as a byproduct. These "oil balls" are between 5 and 40 microns in size. The significance of the size is that this is also the size of the fluid film. In essence what is produced is a sandpaper ball that fits perfectly into the clearance between the engine’s internal components. The results are severe wear and eventual failure.
There are a few ways to test for this mixture. The three basic field tests for antifreeze in oil are the blotter spot test, the patch test and Schiff’s reagent method. If you have access to a lab, you also will want them to run Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography to confirm a coolant leak.
Coolant leak = sandpaper in the oil. Really bad. I would follow MolaKule s advice here.
Noria Corporation
Tags: oil analysis
The oil analysis report we received from our lab showed elevated levels of sodium and potassium in our engine oil. This oil has also become significantly thicker. What could be causing this to occur?
There are multiple sources for the sodium found in your diesel engine oil. Based on your operational environment and equipment type, you should be able to narrow this down to a smaller list of causes. Potential sources of sodium include coolant, salt water, additives, grease thickener, base stocks, dirt and road salt.
On the other hand, potassium has only one real major source when found in engine oil — antifreeze. Other key elements that you will want to look for are boron, chromium, phosphorus and silicon. All of these elements are associated with antifreeze and, if found in engine oil, can be an indicator that you have a coolant leak.
The causes of this coolant leak will take some investigation. Trouble areas include defective seals, electrochemical erosion, cavitation erosion, corrosion of the liners, a damaged cooler core, a blown head gasket, or a crack in the cylinder head or block. The effects of antifreeze contamination are a rise in the oil’s viscosity or a thickening of the oil (as witnessed), the formation of gels and emulsions, acid formation leading to corrosion, premature filter plugging and all-around poor lubrication. In fact, glycol contamination is reported to be the No. 1 cause of premature filter failure in a diesel engine and overall poor lubrication.
Another potentially huge problem to be aware of is the reaction of calcium sulfonate (engine oil detergent) with ethylene glycol (engine coolant). When these fluids are mixed, a chemical reaction ensues that produces small abrasive balls as a byproduct. These "oil balls" are between 5 and 40 microns in size. The significance of the size is that this is also the size of the fluid film. In essence what is produced is a sandpaper ball that fits perfectly into the clearance between the engine’s internal components. The results are severe wear and eventual failure.
There are a few ways to test for this mixture. The three basic field tests for antifreeze in oil are the blotter spot test, the patch test and Schiff’s reagent method. If you have access to a lab, you also will want them to run Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography to confirm a coolant leak.
Coolant leak = sandpaper in the oil. Really bad. I would follow MolaKule s advice here.
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