Oil thread (vehicles)

[Accy cyclist]

I keep getting an electrical fault, burning type smell from My Fiat 500. I don't think it'll be a lack of oil in the engine as the oil was changed a month or so ago. I looked under the bonnet as I parked up 20 minutes ago, but I didn't check the dipstick as you have to check when the engine's cold and the oil has settled, I've always been told. Maybe it could be the radiator instead? 🤔 The thing is when I looked I couldn't find the radiator! I looked online at videos of 'under a Fiat 500 bonnet', but I still couldn't see a radiator. When I drive the car there isn't a low oil pressure warning light coming on and the temperature gauge is in the middle, not on high or anything. Any ideas as to what that smell could be?🤔

 

[gbb]

Very interesting, where I feel long oil changes can cause problems is the actual fleet lease companies themselves, how can I trust that they haven’t insisted that the dealer doing the service must put cheap oil that’s not right for the engine in the sump, the same people that will not allow a garage to replace the diesel fuel filter, only for the vehicle be brought back a week later as the filter was clogged causing a lack of acceleration, or only willing to replace one shock absorber that’s leaking fluid, not the pair, or telling tyre retailers to fit the spare and put the worn, illegal one back as a spare, all true experiences, this is the biggest problem to me.

My SIL works at an independent garage who have fleet customers. They do indèd drive cost down , expect a very low labour rate etc...but this is countered by the garage not prioritising their work, a vehicle in for a service or something more major like a gearbox change will simply go to the back of the queue, waiting for a gap where they have no higher paying work. Some vehicles can be in for days, weeks, waiting, given no priority.

The oil ?. I havnt asked that one, there's two possible outcomes...they buy the proper spec each time, or they have a 45 gallon barrel of generic say 5w30 and it, as you suspect, goes in most cars that take that, irrespective of particular API/ASEA spec. Would it honestly do any harm over one oil change interval ? I don't know....

 

[Moodyman]

Interesting stuff. @figbat question for you…

Should one move to a thicker oil when the car gets old?

Car 32 years old, manufacturer recommends, 5W30. Couple of mechanics suggest moving to thicker oil to account for engine wear and gaps in seals.

 

[figbat]

Interesting stuff. @figbat question for you…

Should one move to a thicker oil when the car gets old?

Car 32 years old, manufacturer recommends, 5W30. Couple of mechanics suggest moving to thicker oil to account for engine wear and gaps in seals.

It would seem prudent, but then it depends so much on how the engine has fared. I have seen engine strip downs that have done hundreds of thousand of miles and still within, or close to, acceptable tolerances. If the engine is treated well it will wear very little. If you have symptoms of a worn engine - maybe blue smoke or reduced power or low compression or something then it can help, but ultimately thicker oil won’t rebuild a worn engine.

 

[figbat]

Would it honestly do any harm over one oil change interval ? I don't know....

There are very few instances where the ‘wrong’ oil will cause any catastrophic problems, although over time it could cause suboptimal performance and reduce the long term performance and life.

The VW PD diesel engines are very particular about their oil, as the unit injectors put a lot of load on the camshaft lobes so they need an oil that will protect them. These are old units now though. These days it’s more about protecting DPF/GPFs and increasing fuel economy. Also engines have been downsized and boosted for efficiency and power so put a lot of stress into the oil, of which there is often less than there used to be and it is expected to last longer.

 

[DRM]

There are very few instances where the ‘wrong’ oil will cause any catastrophic problems, although over time it could cause suboptimal performance and reduce the long term performance and life.

The VW PD diesel engines are very particular about their oil, as the unit injectors put a lot of load on the camshaft lobes so they need an oil that will protect them. These are old units now though. These days it’s more about protecting DPF/GPFs and increasing fuel economy. Also engines have been downsized and boosted for efficiency and power so put a lot of stress into the oil, of which there is often less than there used to be and it is expected to last longer.

This last part is also a concern, my current van (leased) is on 25,000 miles or 2 years service intervals, it recently went in for the 2nd service at 51,000 miles, when I collected it I checked the oil level, the oil was half way between the min & max indicators when it was dropped off, it was at the max line on collection, yet it was black, I’ve done enough oil changes in my time to know that fresh oil in a diesel is not as black as coal, you would expect it to be dark/clear with a bit of black cloudy streaks in there, I swear the leasing company have made them top it up and not change it, and it stinks that there was no service tick sheet handed over either.
This means if they bother to change it next time it will be 2 years old and have done in excess of 50,000 miles between changes! disgusting imho if it goes bang they’ve only themselves to blame

 

[figbat]

This last part is also a concern, my current van (leased) is on 25,000 miles or 2 years service intervals, it recently went in for the 2nd service at 51,000 miles, when I collected it I checked the oil level, the oil was half way between the min & max indicators when it was dropped off, it was at the max line on collection, yet it was black, I’ve done enough oil changes in my time to know that fresh oil in a diesel is not as black as coal, you would expect it to be dark/clear with a bit of black cloudy streaks in there, I swear the leasing company have made them top it up and not change it, and it stinks that there was no service tick sheet handed over either.
This means if they bother to change it next time it will be 2 years old and have done in excess of 50,000 miles between changes! disgusting imho if it goes bang they’ve only themselves to blame

Modern diesels put quite a lot of soot into the oil, meaning it goes black very quickly. When you change the oil there is still some used oil left in the engine and this leftover oil can darken the fresh oil quite effectively. It shouldn’t be jet black though.

 

[DRM]

Modern diesels put quite a lot of soot into the oil, meaning it goes black very quickly. When you change the oil there is still some used oil left in the engine and this leftover oil can darken the fresh oil quite effectively. It shouldn’t be jet black though.

I would expect it to be clear "ish" with some darkening, even the day after a service, but this was as black as tar, The dealership are pretty good, but if the lease firm won't pay for 6 or 7 Litres of oil & a filter, they aren't going to give them away, I think I will try to have a look at the filter tomorrow, that will also be a pretty good tell tale if it's had an oil change or not too, as it wil be filthy after 25.000 miles on the van, the other thing is, I would also expect a brake fluid change at 2 years old, they won't have done that either, I believe they've refused it as it's gone 10 months between services, well if the engine does go pop, they only have themselves to blame, in this instance a filter & 7 litres of oil is a damn sight cheaper than an engine, and probably recovery from the North East, back to West Yorkshire too

 

[Adam4868]

I'm not too sure about newer diesel engines but my diesel oil is black by the time I've run the engine for half a minute to let it circulate after a oil change.
Allways has been with my cars,vans

 

[All uphill]

I keep getting an electrical fault, burning type smell from My Fiat 500. I don't think it'll be a lack of oil in the engine as the oil was changed a month or so ago. I looked under the bonnet as I parked up 20 minutes ago, but I didn't check the dipstick as you have to check when the engine's cold and the oil has settled, I've always been told. Maybe it could be the radiator instead? 🤔 The thing is when I looked I couldn't find the radiator! I looked online at videos of 'under a Fiat 500 bonnet', but I still couldn't see a radiator. When I drive the car there isn't a low oil pressure warning light coming on and the temperature gauge is in the middle, not on high or anything. Any ideas as to what that smell could be?🤔

An electrical smell is unlikely to originate in the oil or water, Accy, but could come from a hundred other places.

Why not start a new thread and see if you can get it to go for 100 pages?

Whatever you do, don't ask your local garage; they might quickly solve the puzzle and where's the fun in that?

 

[tyred]

I'm not too sure about newer diesel engines but my diesel oil is black by the time I've run the engine for half a minute to let it circulate after a oil change.
Allways has been with my cars,vans

Always been the case for any of my diesel engines over the years.

 

[Profpointy]

At least in the numerous online oil debates in which I have participated over the years, nobody has presented "no oil at all" as an option! In this regard, everybody is agreed that some oil is better than no oil.

There was a thread on here where someone, and it was only one person, was seriously proposing not oiling chains at all. I think the argument, specious as it may be, was it was cheaper to replace rusty chains than pay for the oil.

 

[Adam4868]

Used to chuck some two stroke oil in the diesel tank on one of my old vehicles....I'd swear it quietened it down 😁

 

[All uphill]

Years ago we bought a Volvo S60 diesel. Fsh and 110k miles. We took it to 195k using cheap oil and filters annually. The next owner took it to 240k, without servicing at all, at which point the cam belt broke.

I guess the point is that a low stressed engine, well run in, can then go a long time with minimal servicing.

 

[Accy cyclist]

An electrical smell is unlikely to originate in the oil or water, Accy, but could come from a hundred other places.

Why not start a new thread and see if you can get it to go for 100 pages?

Whatever you do, don't ask your local garage; they might quickly solve the puzzle and where's the fun in that?

I checked the oil level today. The level on the dipstick was spot on, so it's not an oil problem. As I looked at the oil on the dipstick I thought to myself "Heck, that oil's nice and golden clear for oil that's been in an engine for a month or so". "From what I've experienced diesel engine oil is usually black". 🤔 Then about an hour later after still thinking about it, It hit me that I've had a petrol engine car for over a year now!