Oil sludge or black sludge is a solid or gel in motor oil caused by the oil gelling or solidifying, usually at temperatures lower than 100 degrees Celsius.
Oil sludge can be a major contributor to internal combustion engine problems, and can require the engine to be replaced, if the damage is severe. Sludge is usually caused by the presence of water in the oil, and can accumulate with use. Ways to minimize sludge production and accumulation includes performing frequent oil changes, performing mechanized engine flushing, or de-sludging, using synthetic oil, and following the manufacturer's engine maintenance routine.
Engine sludge that causes an engine to run poorly or even seize is a rare occurrence and typically happens only when oil changes have been neglected or if the car has been driven a lot with an extremely low oil level.
Famous quotes containing the word oil:
“I became increasingly anarchistic. I began to find people of my own class vicious, people in clean collars uninteresting. I even accepted smells, personal as well as official. Everyone who came to the studio smelled either of machine oil or herring.”
—Margaret Anderson (1886–1973)