How do I get rid of oil sludge?

Question

I recently took my 2005 Kia Sedona to have it's oil changed. It has been about 14000 since the last one(yes, I know that's bad). The place I took it to refused to do it becasue of "sludge" around the filter and on the dipstick. My car is running fine with no noises. One person has told me to use an engine flush and then change the oil, but the guy at Autozone told me not to b/c that could cause even more problems. He told me to change the oil, then change it again after 500-1000 miles. I am really confused as to how to get rid of it. Please advise!!

I looked at the dipstick and could see minimal particles in with the oil. As far as the oil filter, I guess they saw it on the actual filter w/o taking it off. Believe me, I will be much better when it comes to changing my oil on time. I know I am negligent and that my warranties are pretty much out the window. All I am asking for is advice, not a lecture. Thanks to everyone and their advice.

Answer 1

The second guy is closer to correct. There really aren't any good oil system cleaners out there, so changing the oil and filter every week/500 miles for about four or five times is a better idea. Keep checking on the "quality" of the oil on the dipstick. This might be a good time to start doing your own oil changes, since the costs will be much less.

Answer 2

Oil Sludge

Answer 3

Flushing can be a good thing, but not in every circumstance. I would do the cheaper grade of petroleum oil and run 1,000 miles with a new filter containing an Engine Sentry. After that, I'd change the filter and go to a pure synthetic engine oil like Mobil 1 or Amsoil, a quality oil filter and an Engine Sentry. This should largely eliminate your sludge problem, continue the removal, and also help prevent future buildups. Good luck!

Answer 4

Before you take any legal advice from non-attorney's or oil advice from non-chemical engineers, do your research. No dealer can void your warranty due to lack of maintenance unless a problem occurs as a result. If you change your oil on a regular basis and the engine blows up in a year, there is no way they could say that it was a result of neglect from a year earlier. They could try it, but it would not hold up in court. Before I turned a wrench, I was an Accountant and one part of the CPA exam is business law not to mention I have read the entire Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and have used it.

Like someone mentioned, the proper way to clean out all of the sludge would be to remove the pan, strainer, etc and start cleaning. From your position, I would start using a quality synthetic oil and change it more frequently at the beginning and then gradually extend to regular intervals. I saw a Mercedes vehicles develop the same problem, which was part of the reason they were all switched to synthetic beginning 1998, and the cars never developed a problem.

Personally, I run synthetic (Amsoil) oil in all of my vehicles and most of my customers vehicles. True synthetic oil does not contain contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal & oxidative breakdown.

Answer 5

How To Remove Engine Sludge

Answer 6

5W-30 Mobil1 has stronger detergents than conventional oil. Start by changing the oil & filter every 4 - 5,000 miles religiously. We were able to thoroughly clean-up a Pontiac Grand Prix with 63,000 miles that had been driven primarily in town that had - had Quaker State in the crankcase. Don't be surprised if the oil is black as hell when you change it. It's a good sign the detergent is working to clean up the mess. Let it drain for at least an hour every time you change it. Make sure the thermostat is bringing the coolant temperature up to at least 195. Cold engines sludge-up faster than hot engines do.

Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do I get rid of oil sludge?
I recently took my 2005 Kia Sedona to have it's oil changed. It has been about 14000 since the last one(yes, I know that's bad). The place I took it to refused to do it becasue of "sludge" around the filter and on the dipstick. My car is running fine with no noises. One person has...

Answer 8

The reason why you don't want to use an engine flush now is because with that much sludge, the flush might loosen particles and then they might clog your (small) oil passages in the engine. Best to remove the pan and clean what you can from there, and then keep changing the oil more frequently for awhile.

Answer 9

actually the correct thing to do would be to remove the oil pan and clean all the sludge ,remove & clean the pan,clean the screen on the oil pick up tube,then change your oil like your supposed to every 3000 miles without fail.the one thing i would not do is use any type of flush which will loosen any sludge and possibly restrict oil passage to engine,good luck.

Answer 10

honestly you could do it either way. Autozone said no because it is a newer car and you asked them for advise so they said to do it the "proper" way.
unfortunately neither way will clean the sludge off the filler neck. Use a automotive engine cleaner. Spray on a rag and wipe do not spray down filler neck. Keep the rag from touching the plastic on the outside of the filler neck as it can discolor it. Wear protective gloves and glasses as most automotive cleaners spray a hard stream.