Oil Sludge in ARL Coolant: Causes & Fixes

I know this topic has been discussed about 100 times already, but here's my problem!

There's a significant accumulation of gray oil sludge in the oil catch can (LLK) of my engine. The majority of it is located behind the LLK. I've already cleaned the entire hose system and changed the oil.

Regarding the engine: 118,000 km (according to the odometer), engine code: ARL, manufactured in 2001, and 90% of the mileage is highway driving (500 km at a time)!

Please excuse the quality of the pictures; I only had my phone with me at .

Water-oil mixture.
Given the current (wet) weather, it's nothing unusual. The only thing that seems a bit excessive is the amount. Unfortunately, it's not very clear to see.

As I said, this topic has been discussed many times before. However, it's quite a lot of nonsense.

Is it really just condensation that's settling in the low-temperature coolant?

3 Phasen Biber wrote:

However, there seems to be quite a bit of oil sludge.

Possible... What is the oil consumption?

Currently, the humidity is between 70-80%. During compression in the turbocharger, quite a bit of moisture is released. If some of this remains in the boost pressure system and mixes with the oil, it looks terrible. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be a cause for concern. If the oil consumption is normal, I wouldn't take any further action.

Bertil wrote:

Currently, the humidity is between 70-80%. During compression in the turbocharger, quite a bit of moisture "steams" out. If some of this remains in the boost pressure system and mixes with the oil, it looks terrible.

Absolutely agree. The reason why this emulsion probably doesn't exist before the LLK (Low-Temperature Coolant) is due to the temperature. Under full load, with the charging pressures, temperatures can quickly exceed 100°C, which makes it difficult for condensation to form before the LLK, or for any water to quickly evaporate again.
It's important to consider that most oil consumption is due to the turbocharger and the piston cylinder unit. A thin oil film is normal. However, larger amounts of oil can be drawn into the combustion chamber due to the high flow velocity. The emulsion is somewhat thicker than oil, which requires larger amounts or even higher flow velocities to remove it.

Oil consumption is 100ml per 1,000 kilometers.

I think that's quite a lot .

3 Phasen Biber wrote:

Oil consumption is 100ml per 1 ton-kilometer. I think that's quite a lot

.

Do you consider 1 liter of oil per 10,000 km to be a lot for a turbocharged engine?
Okay, then I can't help you anymore.
That's quite (extremely) little!
Especially with turbo engines that require these low-viscosity oils, like the PD, I would be concerned about potentially higher fuel consumption.

My old ASZ was underneath it!

O.T.

Why would you worry less?

3 Phasen Biber wrote:

... Why would you worry less?

Keyword: Oil dilution.

Hi,

Quote:

Keyword: Oil dilution.

Hmm... and I thought my 500 ml oil consumption per 15,000 km was too much... maybe I should start worrying about something else.

Best regards,

Jan.

I rule out oil dilution when it comes to long distances .

3 Phasen Biber wrote:

I rule out oil dilution for long distances

.

Right... that's why your oil consumption is perfectly within the normal range.

@Jan
Give it more gas .

The oil consumption of a TDI engine is largely determined by the operating conditions.
When I tow my caravan, my oil consumption can sometimes reach as high as 0.5 liters per 1000 km. Normally, I need to add 0.5 to 1 liter of oil every 15,000 km.

Even in vehicles not equipped with a turbocharger, a certain amount of oil consumption is normal. The combustion chamber walls are always lubricated with oil, and some of that oil must be burned during combustion. Even if the amount is small, it should be noticeable over longer intervals.

How about we have the "Gray-Schlamm Golf" team try a more aggressive approach on the course and then see how it goes?

m;

Hi,

Quote:

@Jan Step on the gas.

I've always done that when possible... but it's a very limited pleasure in city traffic and on the city highway.

Quote:

The oil consumption of a TDI engine is largely determined by the operating conditions. "When I tow my caravan, my oil consumption can sometimes reach as high as 0.5 liters per 1000 km. Normally, I need to add 0.5 to 1 liter of oil every 15,000 km."

"I also set mine to 0.5, which corresponds to 15000. And I can confirm that the load profile makes a difference; long-distance trips (where I usually drive around 170-190 km/h) definitely increase it significantly."

Well... it's time for another long-distance trip .

Best regards,

Jan.

dieselmartin wrote:

How about having the Gray-Schlamm Golf player take a more aggressive approach to the course and then take another look?

As long as the oil cooler is working properly, the water won't come out of the cold suction pipe. This happens automatically in the summer, and even a slight emulsion isn't a problem. In extreme cases, you might only have very small amounts of tiny ice crystals surrounded by oil, which, in my opinion, wouldn't cause any damage (refer to the thread about turbos, ice, and winter).