To guarantee your car’s good performance, you should consider taking some important and preventative maintenance steps. Regular checking and fixing simple issues as soon as possible helps a lot in preventing the worse from happening.
I want you to remember this: the metal shavings significantly affect the oil and filter replacements. Metal shavings are thin metal debris that mix with the oil that penetrates the engine. When the metal shavings managed their way to the engine, it may struggle to start.
Metal Shavings in Oil Explanation
A lot of drivers usually overlook and ignore the significant maintenance procedures that each car needs to ensure it performs optimally. Replacing and rotating those exhausted tires, replacing the air filters, and doing wheel alignments are just some of the basic maintenance steps one can take.
These procedures seem to be simple, but can contribute more to ensuring the overall function and health of a vehicle. Another crucial maintenance procedure that must be carried out regularly is the oil filter and oil changes.
Changing the oil is crucial because it serves as the lubrication for different systems and parts underneath your car’s hood. When the oil turns contaminated with dirt or debris like metal shavings, expect big problems to occur. Aside from hindering the car’s good performance, it can also indicate other more severe maintenance procedures that should be resolved as soon as possible.
The metal shavings in oil can trigger severe engine damage in the long run. The situation can even go worse if you don’t take your car to an experienced auto mechanic.
It’s necessary to change the oil routinely. When you do, your car will be more likely to stay in good condition. Failure to consider routine car care and maintenance can lead to long-lasting damaging effects, targeting the engine.
Pay close attention to how the car behaves from time to time. This will provide you with some ideas about the exact origin of the issue. It’s true as well, in terms of oil quality.
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Why Do Metal Shavings Exist in Your Engine Oil?
One of the possible reasons behind this is you used cheap engine oil. I don’t mean all cheap engine oils are bad, but you should be extra careful when buying. If you can, you better extend your budget and buy something with a well-known brand. This way, you will be sure of its quality. You’re sure it is safe for your car.
Contaminated gasoline can also be a culprit. In short, I suggest you should avoid settling for the cheapest options for your car. Remember, your car is a big investment. It deserves good engine oil, clean gasoline, and complete regular maintenance.
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Signs to Watch Out If You Suspect Oil Contamination
Your vehicle has been designed to inform and tell you where the problem is. It will let you know why its performance suddenly changed. While your engine oil turns to be less functional, you may notice the warning lights showing up within the dashboard.
Perhaps, you may encounter something like a check engine light. Whatever the warning is, it is a must to keep in mind these warnings and take your vehicle to a good auto mechanic for inspection.
Moreover, you may notice more abnormalities in your car if engine oil contamination occurs. One of these is the annoying sounds you don’t use to hear when driving your car. If your motor oil accumulates debris, particularly metal shavings, it may cause the engine oil not to move flawlessly from point to point. It prevents some parts of your engine from getting the lubrication they need so that they can function well. You can trace engine ticking due to the inability of the motor oil to go freely over the different components.
Another thing is you will find your car vibrating a lot when it is idle. If your car’s engine is not lubricated correctly, that will cause friction between the essential components. When you feel your car is extremely shaking or vibrating while idling, it can be associated with the engine oil’s level of quality.
Before, your car runs well even on tough terrains. In the case of oil contamination, it becomes less powerful than before. Once you notice your car is no longer having the performance and power it used to show, the issue can be associated with different factors. Nevertheless, when you notice any of those symptoms mentioned above, reduced engine power can be a result of its struggle to work under tougher and less-lubricated scenarios.
Expect the abnormal smoke to appear. Under the normal scenarios, the gasoline of your car must not blend with the engine oil. Sadly, it happens. When the oil and gasoline mixture burns, it will produce a cloud of white smoke. The white smoke will indicate the ring seals and pistons wear out. The result: engine oil will penetrate the cylinders.
Burning of motor oil means the engine of your car lacks the required proper lubrication. Once you see a white smoke that comes from the exhaust pipe, you should contact the nearest car repair shop as soon as possible.
Lastly, if the motor oil isn’t correctly changed and checked, it may lead to debris accumulation. The longer engine oil goes with no change. The more debris will gather and build up somewhere in the car engine.
As the chain response to the events takes place, friction leads to faster wearing of the engine components. This will develop into metal shavings in the oil that will consistently deteriorate the engine. Engine knocking has been considered a more serious indication of long-term contaminated oil.
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How to Prevent Metal Shavings in Oil?
Regular Maintenance is Key!
The solution to this problem is pretty simple – regularly changing the engine oil. It is a simple but helpful preventive step to take in preventing many costly problems from occurring. Ongoing maintenance is very important to keep your vehicle in top condition.
An oil change is among the most crucial elements of ongoing car care and maintenance. If you fail to routinely maintain the engine oil, the unreplaced oil will result in severe side effects, such as the changes in the car performance and chronic serious engine damage.
The succeeding steps must entail a comprehensive differential analysis to reject the probable causes of problems associated with a car’s performance. These issues will include the metal shavings in the engine oil. Likewise, you need to determine whether other crucial engine parts incurred damages as a result of improper engine oil care.
Let’s say metal shavings have already accumulated in your engine oil and caused a problem to the engine. It can be tempting to detect and try DIY solutions on the web. I must say you should not take chances and try solving the problem on your own. Entrust the problem to an experienced auto mechanic. It will save you money as it prevents further issues or damages to your car.
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Conclusion
Don’t waste your time and seek help as soon as you see those metal flakes in oil. Just like what I might be doing, your friendly auto mechanic will fix the problem and give you tips on how you can prevent the same issue from happening again.
James is a certified auto technician specializing in commercial vehicles. With 30 years of experience under his belt, James has encountered almost every type of automotive issue there is! Besides his day job at the repair shop, he is also an amateur race car driver.
