Oil Sludge?
 

When I went to add some oil the other day I noticed what appeared to be a layer of built up oil. I ran my finger inside the valve cover and came back with a small amount of what I would call built up sludge.
I am getting ready to change my oil, so I am wondering if there is a product(not snake oil) that you all use to reduce/eliminate the build up of oil film/sludge just before changing the oil?

if its like this:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...&highlight=oil

Than you have nothing to worry about.

If its yellow gunk stuff that almost looks like mayo, than you have something to worry about.

...no

"yellow gunk stuff" on your oil cap is normal if you do alot of short trips. Few nice 20-30 min hwy runs will get rid of that. This happens on all cars.

It was on the internal engine metal I could reach with my finger, not the cap itself. It came off like a paste more than a lite film of oil. I cannot say it looked like mayo, but lets assume for the moment it is. What do you guys use(if anything) to loosen or break it down right before an oil change?

What is there to worry about as you put it if it is more like mayo, and what is typically done to get rid of it?

Sounds like standard gunk. I'd change the oil more often, consider running a cycle of AutoRX, but that's about it. I'd run a synthetic that is a little more detergent heavy. BMW's oil is not... it likes to leave red staining behind, or worse.

If you're really concerned, pop the valve cover off and post pics. Some of us really get off on valvetrain pohrn

no, its not normal in the sense of what normal is. Its just a sort of common issue, normal would be if there was gunk crap.

If its just that redish/brownish paste, thats "normal". Thats regular deposits that have built up, not an issue at all....unless its some damn thick layers. Get a pic.

If its the yellow gunk crap, its most likely due to condensation; can also be a variety of other issues such as a bad/clogged ccv (crank case vent valve), cold temperatures are the main issue of this yellow gunk, you have nothing to worry abt since you're in FL

Ditto. :eeps:

Nothing like a few pairs of sexy rocker arms to ogle!

many on the E38 boards have reported luck with this stuff:

http://www.auto-rx.com/

Reading through their site a little... One thing that jumped out at me is that they do not recommend using synthetic oil while using autorx. Is this safe with our cars?

You have to use an estoril free oil.......is it safe for our cars? I will only say it is not the BMW approved oil.

Do I think it will cause damage if you do use it for a short period of time? No. How long does Auto-Rx take to work? A long time. Quite a cunundrum isn't it?

My recommendation would be this...

1. Make your trips a lil longer to ensure your car reaches normal operating temp.
2. Replace your ccv.
3. Change your oil with the BMW approved Synthetic oil.....but decrease the frequency of filter changes. Meaning....if you go 7500 miles in between changes.....maybe change out your filter every 1500 miles.....just for this periodicity.
4. Evaluate oil condition by all available means...including sending off an oil sample to Blackstone labs (Do this at your next oil change-after doing the elevated filter changing). They will tell you if you are good to go or not.

Last year I ran with 2/3 of a can of SeaFoam (basically a solvent) in the the crankcase for about 2500 miles. It really loaded up the oil filter with flaky crap, and caused the filter pleats to distort, as though they were under a lot of backpressure.

Long story short, it loosened a lot of garbage and sent it to the filter, which is what we want. But I'd probably only run it for maybe a thousand miles at a time. Maybe do that a few cycles with a cheaper dino oil.

The issue here is you want a sloooooooooooow breakdown of the sludge. I fear this method (above) my clog a small oil passage port to a vital area of the engine. That would be my only concern with Kerosene or Seafoam.

I'm not asking because I have any issues right now, I'm just asking because I'm curious. If it is a viable solution, it might help out quite a few people.

Ive heard Sea Foam is all placebo.

thats very bad, Instructions clearly say drive 100 miles than change oil

You might be thinking of the induction cleaning, which is what most use it for. It's a solvent, and the problem is that it works too well. I posted an oil analysis about a year ago that showed how it lowered my oil's flashpoint and viscosity.

Can't say what it does in the fuel, and the induction cleaning might be nothing but a smoke show. But it certainly loosens stuff up when it's in the oil.

Yeah, Im just thinking of the induction and smoke screen.

I'd still question though, the effect that these particles one poster mentioned in his filter. Sounds like risky stuff to find large particles in your filter and enough to distort the filter pleats. Personally, I'd be wary of running anything in my oil.

Well, I don't think the crap in the filter was life or death... here's a pic:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

I just wouldn't leave it in for 2500 miles like I did.

Auto-Rx is the only thing I add. 2 1/2 bottles in my sump right now with a Group III 5W40 oil..

Not sure what Group III is, maybe an Aussie designation/measurement?

What about the earlier comment about not running it with synthetic oil?