Sludge

[Merc]

Hi

What is the "stuff" that I found inside and underneath the air filter cover on the foam part.
This is a kind of greyish/yellowish coloured oily sludge,I thought it was some other kind of filter also but when I touched it with my fingers it was just "breaking up".
Is that something else thats nackered,or is it meant to be like that,anyone help.

 

[dave elcome]

Merc.

First, start with basics, i know i keep on in this vein, but thats the way to tackle things.

Check the oil level first, i seem to recall somewhere else you said it was overfilled, this certainly won't help, as its a new car to you, why not change the oil and filter, thats what i do when i get a new car, at least you know where you are starting from.

Check the breathers, make sure they are not blocked/faulty, if they are clean or replace as required.

Then leave the ****** thing alone, make a note of the mileage and use it, see if the oil/water consumption is high, compared to mileage driven,  if it is then you have got to look further, but we'll tackle that another day.

 

[fuzzer]

Is overfilling the oil not really bad ?

Does it not damage the engine and the cat?

 

[dave elcome]

Fuzzer.

Obviously manufacturers know how much oil the engine will need to operate correctly, if you have got to much in there all kinds of strange things start happening.

Example. A few years ago, my nephew asked me to look into what appeared to be a misfire, on his mk3 Escort, the thing drove like a pig, but everything settings wise was ok.

Upon further questioning, it became apparent that the "misfire" had started directly after he had put oil in the engine, when i investigated this poor little 1.3 had about 2 gallons of oil in it, i drained this, and put the right amount back in, all was well. Someone had told him that you need to top your oil up, so he had bought a 5ltr can, and put it in, thinking he was doing right.

Overfilling to this degree caused a situation called "Hydraulicing". You can't compress oil, which is why you can pump it, there was so much oil swilling around in the sump, that when the poor old pistons tried to come back down, the oil was compressing and preventing their movement.

If you look at your dip stick, it has 2 marks, one for max, the other for min. It is obviously preferable to keep it topped up to the max, but they are what they say, max and min, and anywhere in between is perfectly ok.

 

[fuzzer]

I find my Car does not use any oil at all .. but dads diesel uses oil as have all his diesels .

You learn somthing every day ..

 

[Anonymous]

Dave's just showing off now with his Technical terms!!!!!

 

[Merc]

Dave

I said that in another letter about changing the oil,as in I couldnt,not today!.
I have put new plugs in it,but I cant really do anything to it just now cause' of the weather,y'see I'd like to whats wrong (if possible),even when I cant work on it,so that when it clears up I can get "stuck in" and get it fixed,thats all.

Regards

ps.Yes he is showing off isnt he,!!  (he,he)

 

[Merc]

****!!,

I knew there was something,no one has said if the piece of foam inside the cover of the air filter stays on (all the time) or should come off to enable it to be cleaned.
Cause' like I said previous it was breaking away when I touched it.

Regards

 

[Matt Crooke]

not too sure about that, when i take my air filter cover off, there is only the filter in there.nothing else (apart from a few dead flies)

 

[white190]

Some models of cars at Ford (where i used to work) had foam in the air box to muffle Induction roar. BUT is was dropped  Because if the Car back fired onto the foam it could catch fire!! and did a few times , though only on cars with realy dirty /oily air boxes ...
(usually means the cars breathing badly , which sometimes means the Piston rings are on the way out or a slight leek in the head gasget which presurises the crank case more than normal)...