Sugar in engine

[Dr Mahalingam]

My dealer says there was sugar in my engine sump and that's how my engine seized (S320, diesel, 2011).

Apart from how any sugar got into the oil sump, does sugar crystals dissolve in synthetic oil? If so, what quantity is required to affect an engine? And will not the oil filter catch the crystals?

Thank you

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

Sugar won’t dissolve in oil and makes a good grinding paste (I use sugar in fairy liquid as an effective hand cleanser)
Sounds malicious, anyone really really really upset at you?

 

[sausage]

^ Exactly what Blobcat said.

 

[Tony Dyson]

Ooh dear! a fellow I knew once had sugar poured into a fuel tank but that just clogged and gummed up the filter and injectors but I've never heard of sugar in the engine? And they must have had access under the bonnet to do this?

 

[Jason63]

Sugar in the oil. How on earth did the dealer figure that out. What made them check for sugar in the black oil of a diesel engine. That's the first question.

The second one is, as mentioned above, someone must have opened the bonnet and poured it in the oil filler cap, how did that happen?

 

[Dr Mahalingam]

Jason, the engine seized, and when it was stripped open, there was some sugar near the dipstick opening.

Blobcat, is there a tech sheet or spec to show that in court?

The question is, can sugar in the engine sump dissolve, and how much would be required to do damage! The sump capacity is 8.5 litres.

Thank you very much

 

[sausage]

Just thinking aloud: I would say no it will not dissolve - just a hunch because sugar is water soluble and my instinct suggests that oil would not be able to dissolve it, and oil would only coat the sugar granules.

Sugar in engine is a widely known revenge technique, like a banana up the tail pipe only far more fatal to the engine.

How much required to do damage ? A tea spoon? Who would know the answer? Are there studies of sugar in the engine? I don't think so, it's a bit like asking how many marmots can you fit in a saucepan. It doesn't really come up for scientific validation. Probably best to just assume "any sugar in the oil can be fatal".

 

[sausage]

After a few minutes of searching I got bored about reading about sugar in the fuel tank, so I changed my search query to be specifically about sugar in engine oil. The internet gave me the answer to someone else's question.

The question is specific to engine oil. The answer is specific to a fuel tank. The internet is rubbish these days.

 

[bembo449]

Ive heard subaru imprezza owners using sand in the engine to stop the bottom end knocking but this is a bizarre read

 

[Larkone]

The internet is rubbish these days.

That's like saying its roads that are the cause of bad driving

 

[M80]

Ive heard subaru imprezza owners using sand in the engine to stop the bottom end knocking but this is a bizarre read

I've heard of sawdust.
Sand sounds more extreme.

By now the op must be considering who has access to his bonnet pull and also has reason to enjoy revenge.
If the possibles are many he really needs to emigrate.

 

[LostKiwi]

Easy way to find out if it will dissolve is to gently heat some oil in a tin can and add a spoonful of sugar to see if it dissolves. My guess is it will and will then circulate as a sticky mess that congeals once cold.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

I want to know how sugar got in to the sump oil .Only way in is through the engine oil filler cap . Who would have been able to put this sugar in there,, its not as if the oil fill cap is out on show ..

 

[Blobcat]

After a few minutes of searching I got bored about reading about sugar in the fuel tank, so I changed my search query to be specifically about sugar in engine oil. The internet gave me the answer to someone else's question.

The question is specific to engine oil. The answer is specific to a fuel tank. The internet is rubbish these days.

Reading online there appear to be quite a few incidences of sugar in engine oil - I agree in many respondents confuse it by thinking it was added to the fuel tank as they didn't read the post correctly...

All appear to result in a totally cream crackered engine

 

[Botus]

if it was visible on the dipstick tube - then they had to have the bonnet open - so either it was unlocked, some really nasty people, or the person is known to you and has access to the keys

Sugar needs to get over 110C then it will melt, but sitting at the bottom of the sump it won't get that hot, but it would go in the strainer, round the pump and clog the oil filter. But they'd have to have tried with most of a bag of sugar

the damage and cause is obvious, who is the issue

 

[bembo449]

My dealer says there was sugar in my engine sump and that's how my engine seized (S320, diesel, 2011).

Apart from how any sugar got into the oil sump, does sugar crystals dissolve in synthetic oil? If so, what quantity is required to affect an engine? And will not the oil filter catch the crystals?

Thank you

Have you seen this with your own eyes , is it a main dealer , is the car under any kind of warranty? 320 cdi engines do seize so its not unusual, its just the reason they are stating thats odd

 

[LostKiwi]

if it was visible on the dipstick tube - then they had to have the bonnet open - so either it was unlocked, some really nasty people, or the person is known to you and has access to the keys

Sugar needs to get over 110C then it will melt, but sitting at the bottom of the sump it won't get that hot, but it would go in the strainer, round the pump and clog the oil filter. But they'd have to have tried with most of a bag of sugar

the damage and cause is obvious, who is the issue

Most filters have a bypass mode where if the filter is clogged a valve opens to bypass the filter to prevent immediate damage.

 

[Tony Dyson]

Too many bizarre claims from the OP for this to be a true reflection of real events, there's more to be revealed, the OP is being very shy about at the moment.
I am willing to wager good money that if anyone attempted to pour sugar of any description other than liquid i.e. caster, powdered, granulated, crystallised, palm? down a dipstick tube, it would clog up before it reached the sump!
What idiot, with malicious intent would 1, attempt to pour sugar down a dipstick tube when there is a much larger oil filler opening within easy reach and 2, leave evidence all around the dipstick for others to find?
It's nothing more than a product of someone's fertile imagination.

 

[Botus]

engines can breath a bit with odd stuff down below it might throw a bit up the tube - and or we don' t know who put it in, if it was an unskilled person that was informed its a great way to spoil someone's day they might have tried that idea before finding the big hole

 

[Submariner1]

Too many bizarre claims from the OP for this to be a true reflection of real events, there's more to be revealed, the OP is being very shy about at the moment.
I am willing to wager good money that if anyone attempted to pour sugar of any description other than liquid i.e. caster, powdered, granulated, crystallised, palm? down a dipstick tube, it would clog up before it reached the sump!
What idiot, with malicious intent would 1, attempt to pour sugar down a dipstick tube when there is a much larger oil filler opening within easy reach and 2, leave evidence all around the dipstick for others to find?
It's nothing more than a product of someone's fertile imagination.

i have heard if your cylinder head gasket blows water can get in the oil, and you can see white gunk in the oil filler cap.
Thankfully never seen it myself.
If its true, white gunk might end up in the dipstick tube top?? And thats what screwed the engine and they thought it was sugar.

But as many say it needs access to the engine bay. ??