Anyone know what causes oil in the engine to go all sticky and thick (not sure how else to describe it). Take sump plug out and no oil falls out, so thought it might be dry. Took sump off and oil is stuckk all round it but doesnt fall out when tipped over. Seems likes it dried out a bit and turned into gunk ! Not just in the sump but when removing the head as well, so all through the engine.

Luckily not the Z but the girlfriends car - just asking here as need an answer quick !!

 

Thanks

possibly water in the oil, that will cause it to go gunky,

 

could mean the heads are cracked

only way I could think of to make oil go that way is to heat it so that the lighter "oils" in the mix, distill away, but if that is what is happening I would have expected the engine to seize.

 

Water in the oil will cause it to emulsifiy, and it will be white and creamy.

 

However, there is an old trick to sell a dodgy car (with a noisy engine for instance) of adding either porrige oats or some tights into the oil, the oats turn the oil into a very thick sludge, the tights beak down and coat the engine in a very fine layer of nylon sludge, both quieten down a noisy engine. When did you buy the car, and when did it last have an oil change?

Had the car about 6 months, no history either.

Forgot to say that engine didnt seize, but the car ended up only just being able to turn over by theignition. When push starting the car it would catch and thendie immediately...

Try adding a flushing oil, it is very light oil.Follow the instructions carefully, IIRC you should not drive the car whilst you have it in the engine, it will lubricate the engine while not under load, but will not handle load.

It may dillute whatever is causing your oil to gunk up, and allow you to clean all the old oil out. This may reveal the issues that someone was trying to hide tho.

sounds like its carboned up.

 

lack of oil changes, breathers blocked, excessive crankcase blowby all can cause this.

 

if its really bad then youre looking at an engine rebuild :( as the oilways can get blocked/restricted.

 

if its not too bad, then as jock says, a couple of flushes may sort it

what car is it?