What is oil burn off?

Posted by John Wells on 6:41 am. Filed under Cars, Photo Gallery Category. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Oil burn off is what happens when motor oil enters the combustion chamber of the engine where it is burnt. In a new engine this does not happen because the seals and piston rings allow the oil to work all around the combustion chamber but not actually enter it. But deteriorating seals, brittle gaskets and ageing piston rings wearing out can allow oil to seep into the chamber. This type of problem usually occurs in older engines, as the miles take their toll but could also be a problem if you’re unlucky enough to have a faulty part.

If you are losing oil because it is entering the combustion chamber it can lead to a costly chain of events. Because oil is used to act as a cushion between moving parts, allowing them to work together by gliding over each other rather than abrasively coming into contact with each other, falling oil levels decrease the effectiveness of the oil to protect and therefore increase the wear and tear on the engine. Engines that have suffered damage in this way actually need more oil to lubricate them effectively therefore oil consumption goes and has an unfortunate side-effect on engine efficiency, meaning, performance and power are reduced.

One of the ways you can tell if you are suffering from burn off is that the smoke coming out of the exhaust will have a blue tint to it. You should always closely monitor the low pressure gauge on your dashboard. As soon as the oil lamp comes on it’s time to check the oil levels, don’t wait too long before doing so as we’ve seen reduced oil levels can be very damaging to an engine.

It’s also important to use oil which is specially formulated for cars with high mileage. These often include extra additives to keep seals conditioned to prevent or reduce leaking and extra detergents to counteract the buildup of black sludge in the engine. Oil is an essential component in your car’s engine, learn more about it at the oil pressure gauge guide website.


Comments are closed

Photo Gallery

Log in |