Gunk: dirty stuff under the hood

Today, it is a necessity for many people to own a car, mainly for convenience and to make movement easier. But most people who own cars do not know much or care about what happens under the bonnets as long as the car is moving.
Therefore, it is not surprising that very few drivers know about gunk. By definition, gunk is anything thick, dirty, sticky or grease-like. Gunk is also known as engine-sludge.

“Engine sludge is a gel-like ‘thick and sticky substance’ that builds up after oil is contaminated with water and other substances in the engine over time,” explains Paul Kirui, a vehicle inspector at Car Avenue, says. “It can also be defined as a combination of oxidised oil and contaminants that have settled and have been dispersed onto the engine surfaces.”
Fresh engine oil, says Mesach Akandonda, is supposed to be clear and free-flowing.
However, when not changed regularly, the oil becomes contaminated and stops flowing and thus becomes gunk.
“Gunk can be brought about due to inferior oil, deterioration of the oil additives or contamination by coolant,” he adds. “Low quality fuel also causes gunk to build up.”

Formation
Gunk forms in most car engines but rarely do mechanics advise clients about this very common problem. As it thickens, it clogs the small passages through which the engine oil travels to lubricate the engines. This in turn suffocates the engine and kills the fuel system.
Gunk also directly causes high oil and fuel consumption, oil pressure problems as well as overheating, Kirui points out. Although gunk is more common with petrol engines, it affects both diesel and petrol engines. In the petrol engines, the sludge is dark brown in colour while sludge in small diesel engines, for example, it is black those in commercial and 4x4 vehicles.

How to take care of engine
“Gunk comes about due to how drivers take care of their vehicle. Some engines are really sensitive to some oils. Also, mileage should be taken note of and service done in time,” Kirui says. “However, some oils have been developed to eliminate the contamination of water and engine oil. This has helped most motorists overcome the engine sludge problem.”
Akadonda advises that a quality fuel injection cleaning service is done on the vehicle every 3,000 miles (4,828 km).

More on sludge

Sign of engine sludge are: Poor fuel mileage, engine stalling, rough acceleration, and loss of oil pressure.
The causes include: Poorly designed crankcase ventilation, low engine operating temperatures, presence of water or moisture in the engine oil, and delay in change of engine oil and filter.
The effects include: Poor engine performance, engine may seize to run when excessively driven (engine-knock), excessive wear and tear of engine parts.
For precaution, frequently change engine oil and oil filter, in most cases after 3,000 miles (4,828 km). Add additives to remove sludge from engine before changing the oil. Use the most appropriate oil for the engine. Do vehicle inspection once in three months.

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