3 Things to Know About Engine Sludge

A person is pouring oil into a car engine.

As you probably know, an automobile suffers a lot of wear and tear as time goes on. Fortunately, you can protect your car from undue degeneration by having it professionally maintained on a regular basis. Those who fail to take their car in for periodic checkups risk their car developing far more costly problems.

One of the most common such problems involves the formation of the destructive substance known as engine sludge. This substance negatively affects your car's performance and may ultimately cause your engine to fail entirely. If you are an automobile owner, you owe it to yourself to understand as much as possible about engine sludge. This article covers three key things that you should know.

1. Engine Sludge Comes From Oil

Your car's motor oil makes up the principal ingredient in engine sludge. Two principal factors can lead to the formation of engine sludge: oxidation and contamination.

Oxidation occurs naturally as oil ages. Heat and internal friction cause the oil molecules to break down into smaller components. Unfortunately, these degraded byproducts lack the high viscosity of fresh oil.

In other words, instead of being slick and fluid, the products of oxidation tend to be sticky and slowmoving. As the oil continues to age, more of this grease-like sludge accumulates inside of your engine, often exacerbating the conditions that led to its formation in the first place.

Sludge also forms as oil accumulates contaminants. Some such contaminants come from the gas you put in your car. Virtually all gasoline contains some percentage of non-combustible contaminants, which often slip past the pistons in your engine and mix with the oil. Another common contaminant comes in the form of water, which often gets into an engine through the process of condensation.

Sludge also forms more rapidly for those who don't stock their cars with high-quality motor oil. This is because lower-quality oils contain more contaminants, causing engine sludge to form more quickly than it would if you used a higher-quality oil.

2. Sludge Leads to Serious Engine Damage

As sludge builds up in your engine, it leads to greater and greater problems. Most of these problems stem from the fact that sludge decreases the rate of oil circulation. This lack of circulation can lead to engine starvation, a condition in which your engine doesn't receive an adequate supply of oil.

Without adequate oil, your engine generates more friction than usual. This friction increases engine heat, which can damage sensitive components. Excess friction also reduces the amount of power generated by your engine. As a result, you may find that your fuel economy has begun to suffer.

Sludge deposits also make it more difficult for your car to start up by increasing the amount of resistance to your oil pump's efforts at circulation. If not addressed, sludge can ultimately cause your engine to critically overheat and fail altogether.

3. Serious Sludge Requires a Mechanic's Intervention

The solution to engine sludge depends on how severe the problem has become. Car owners can remove relatively minor sludge buildup through the use of a chemical sludge remover. Simply add this substance to your oil supply, allow your engine to run for several minutes, and then drain the oil and replace it with fresh stock.

Unfortunately, this solution won't work as well for more serious sludge deposits. In that case, you may need to have a mechanic partially disassemble your engine and manually remove the built-up sludge. If you believe your car has developed a sludge problem, have it inspected as soon as possible. For more information, contact the engine professionals at German Car Care.

< Older Post

A woman is driving a car with her hands on the steering wheel.

3 Causes of a Vibrating Steering Wheel

April 18, 2025

Historically, driving a car took a lot of muscle. Drivers had to wrestle with their steering wheel in order to turn their wheels in the desired direction. Fortunately, the power steering systems found in most modern cars allow drivers to control their car with a great deal less effort. Yet problems can still lead to increased difficulty in controlling your car. One of the most common steering-related issues involves a steering wheel that seems to vibrate excessively beneath your hands. Such vibrations make it harder to control the wheel and can soon lead to fatigue in your hands and arms. If you would like to learn more about this worrisome issue, keep reading. This article delves into three common causes of a shaky steering wheel. 1. Failed Wheel Bearings Each of your car's wheels contains a set of bearings. These hard, steel balls allow the wheel to rotate with a minimum of friction. In addition, the snug fit of the bearings ensures that your wheel maintains an optimal position relative to the roadway. While wheel bearings can easily last for many years, over time they accumulate wear and tear. Eventually, wheel bearings begin to break down, developing corrosion, pitting, and loss of surface material. Such wear leads to excessive looseness in the bearing hub, allowing the wheel to move more freely than it should. Early signs of such problems often involve alignment problems and abnormal tire wear. Likewise, you may hear strange grinding and/or roaring sounds coming from the affected wheels. This sound indicates that your wheel hub has lost its lubrication, resulting in damaging metal-on-metal contact. Finally, loose bearings allow the wheel to jostle more on its axle, leading to vibrations that often travel back up the steering column to your steering wheel. 2. Bad Shocks All cars contain shock absorbers, which reduce the jostling produced by potholes and uneven roadways. As a result, you can enjoy a smoother and less bumpy ride. In addition, your shocks make it easier to remain in full control of your car. Yet as shocks age, they can no longer protect your steering column as effectively as they should. All steering wheels may exhibit some vibration when passing over particularly rough or uneven patches of road. Yet if your steering wheel has begun to vibrate whenever and wherever you drive, you may need to replace your shocks. You may notice that such vibrations become even more intense when travelling at higher speeds. If worn shocks lie at the root of the problem, you may notice some other symptoms as well. Uneven tire wear and a tendency to veer from side to side ay also indicate shock problems. Additionally, you may find that your car's stopping distances have increased. In fact, worn shocks may increase stopping distances by as much as 20 percent. 3. Warped Brake Rotor Pay close attention to when your steering wheel vibrates the most. Vibrations that occur primarily when braking may indicate that your car suffers from warped brake rotors. The brake rotor consists of a flat metal disc attached to your wheel. When you press your brake pedal, a pair of calipers equipped with brake pads close tightly around the rotor. The resulting friction causes your car to slow. In the process, the friction often generates large amounts of heat. Over time, this heat may cause your brake rotors to become warped. A bumpy, uneven rotor becomes harder for your caliper to grip. You may feel your brake pedal pulsing each time you press it down. The vibrations caused by uneven rotor contact often travel back up the steering column to your steering wheel. You may also find that your brakes produce unusual squeaks and squeals. Increased stopping distances may also stem from warped rotors. A vibrating steering wheel can make driving more stressful than usual. Meanwhile, the underlying problem may lead to more serious issues if not attended to quickly. For more information on how to keep your steering system in good working order, please contact the auto pros at German Car Care.