As the driver of a Volkswagen, you’ve come to expect reliability and efficiency, whether you’re driving solo or with the whole family. But a problem you may face is dealing with oil sludge in your Volkswagen’s engine.

Your engine’s oil is responsible for lubricating your engine’s parts so they work together optimally. When engine oil sludge accumulates, it increases friction between the engine parts, causing them to rub together. Eventually, this can lead to the breakdown of engine parts and possibly your engine altogether if the problem is ignored. Read on to learn about the causes of engine oil sludge, signs of engine oil sludge, how to prevent it, and where to go when you need help.

Causes of Engine Oil Sludge

Below are the most common causes of engine oil sludge. The good news is, many of these causes are preventable with routine maintenance and care:

• Missed or Delayed Oil Changes: One of the best ways you can prevent engine oil sludge is to take your vehicle in for oil changes as needed according to your owner’s manual. Not only can you help prevent engine oil sludge, but you keep your vehicle running at its maximum performance for years to come.
• Poor Quality Oil: Always ensure quality oil that is right for your vehicle is being used for oil changes. The viscosity matters to your engine, and using cheap oil will give you shoddy results that will cost you in the long run.
• Worn Injectors: Worn injectors or other fuel system problems can also increase the thickness of the engine oil, contributing to engine oil sludge.

Signs of Engine Oil Sludge

Should you encounter any of the below signs and symptoms, you’re likely dealing with engine oil sludge:

• Check Oil Light: If your check oil light illuminates on the dashboard, you may be dealing with engine sludge.
• Low Oil Pressure: If your check oil light is flashing or you are experiencing low oil pressure, engine sludge may be to blame.
• Oil Change Complications: If your engine does not accept the oil deposited after an oil change, it could be due to oil sludge taking up space.
• Slow or No Draining: Another sign your engine has oil sludge is if the oil does not drain or drains very slowly when the sump plug is removed, as the sludge slows down the oil or prevents it from draining altogether.

How to Prevent Engine Oil Sludge

Prevention is key to avoiding oil sludge. Thankfully, there are several ways you can prevent oil sludge from forming in your vehicle’s engine:

Take your vehicle in for oil changes as needed. Regular oil changes can help thwart engine oil sludge and maximize the performance of your vehicle for years to come. Don’t overlook oil changes until it’s too late.

Synthetic oil is said to be more thermally stable, making it more likely to degrade at a slower rate when in extreme environments. Its antioxidant additives can also minimize the effects of oxygen exposure that is known to turn engine oil into sludge.

When it comes to gasoline, you get what you pay for. Use the best quality gasoline for your vehicle. High-quality gasoline contains dispersants and detergents that keep oil sludge deposits from forming. Compare that to low-quality gasoline that creates several times the amount of deposits of their higher-quality counterparts.

Your vehicle’s owner’s manual provides information such as the type of oil your car requires and how often oil changes are necessary to keep it running optimally.

Short commutes, frequent stops, and long-term idling are all actions that can contribute to the formation of engine oil sludge. Extreme temperatures can also promote oil sludge. While these conditions aren’t always avoidable, being aware of what contributes to oil sludge will help you create better driving habits to avoid it.

Adding an engine treatment to your engine can help prevent sludge buildup and also dissolve existing sludge.

Das European Autohaus Can Help

Whether you’re interested in engine oil sludge prevention or dealing with it now, Das European Autohaus is here to help. We proudly service the Spring and Houston, TX communities and consider ourselves experts in the Volkswagen brand. Don’t wait until your engine oil sludge gets out of hand. Call us today to book your appointment, and we’ll have your vehicle back on the road in no time.