Adam-12
Northern CA
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Skid Row Joe wrote:
I'm now driving my '99 Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel auto just 3,800 miles a year or so. I'm running Mobil One full synthetic. I decided to change the oil every 5 years or so. I plan to drive this car that I bought new in 1999, 20 years or so. Do you think I am hurting the engine, and how often do you think I should change the oil and or oil filter?
YES, YOU ARE DEFINATELY HURTING THE DIESEL ENGINE! Here's the "Cliff's Notes" version of why:
Engine oil accumulates moisture amoung other things. Oil that's only getting 3,800 miles per year X's 5 years is heavily contaminated with moisture (water). You think that by not driving your vehicle that much, you're actually helping preserve the engine forever, right? Wrong. It is perfectly okay for you to only put a few miles on the engine every year to make it last. However, you must change the oil at LEAST once per year! Twice would be better under your conditions.
Reason being, oil accumulates moisture (as a result of combustion AND insufficient burn off due to short periods of engine use) and acid and carbon, while not being completely heated for any extended period of time. For instance, driving on the freeway for at least 30 minutes is a long enough period to burn off moisture that has accumulated inside the crankcase. The engine has had sufficient time to warm up to normal operating temps AND continues to keep the RPM's at "freeway" speeds, allowing the moisture to evaporate properly. The water in simple terms, is burned up through combustion/ignition. Short driving trips don't allow the engine to warm up all the way which results in imporper moisture burn off from the crankcase. The water remains contaminated in with the oil. Water = rust. Yes, many people are surprised the learn that the inside of an engine's crankcase can and does indeed rust! All that oil settles to the bottom of the oil pan, leaving exposed crank shaft, pistons, rings, cylinderwalls etc... open to rust!
Driving too long a period (excessivly high mileage between oil changes)without changing the oil regulary and driving short trips (3,800 miles/yr x 5 years) are both really bad scenarios for your engine.
If I were you, I'd change your oil at least twice per year. You don't want to let that moisture sit inside you crankcase for long periods of time (more than a week) without running the engine up to normal temps for at least 30 minutes. In your case, low mileage per year times 5 years is a long time for the crank case to accumulate lots of water which will hurt your internal components.
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lesmore49
canada
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Adam-12 wrote:Skid Row Joe wrote:
I'm now driving my '99 Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel auto just 3,800 miles a year or so. I'm running Mobil One full synthetic. I decided to change the oil every 5 years or so. I plan to drive this car that I bought new in 1999, 20 years or so. Do you think I am hurting the engine, and how often do you think I should change the oil and or oil filter?
YES, YOU ARE DEFINATELY HURTING THE DIESEL ENGINE! Here's the "Cliff's Notes" version of why:
Engine oil accumulates moisture amoung other things. Oil that's only getting 3,800 miles per year X's 5 years is heavily contaminated with moisture (water). You think that by not driving your vehicle that much, you're actually helping preserve the engine forever, right? Wrong. It is perfectly okay for you to only put a few miles on the engine every year to make it last. However, you must change the oil at LEAST once per year! Twice would be better under your conditions.
Reason being, oil accumulates moisture (as a result of combustion AND insufficient burn off due to short periods of engine use) and acid and carbon, while not being completely heated for any extended period of time. For instance, driving on the freeway for at least 30 minutes is a long enough period to burn off moisture that has accumulated inside the crankcase. The engine has had sufficient time to warm up to normal operating temps AND continues to keep the RPM's at "freeway" speeds, allowing the moisture to evaporate properly. The water in simple terms, is burned up through combustion/ignition. Short driving trips don't allow the engine to warm up all the way which results in imporper moisture burn off from the crankcase. The water remains contaminated in with the oil. Water = rust. Yes, many people are surprised the learn that the inside of an engine's crankcase can and does indeed rust! All that oil settles to the bottom of the oil pan, leaving exposed crank shaft, pistons, rings, cylinderwalls etc... open to rust!
Driving too long a period (excessivly high mileage between oil changes)without changing the oil regulary and driving short trips (3,800 miles/yr x 5 years) are both really bad scenarios for your engine.
If I were you, I'd change your oil at least twice per year. You don't want to let that moisture sit inside you crankcase for long periods of time (more than a week) without running the engine up to normal temps for at least 30 minutes. In your case, low mileage per year times 5 years is a long time for the crank case to accumulate lots of water which will hurt your internal components.
Skid,
I have to agree with Adam12. My wife's car is the new Vibe. She drives the car to work, which is not too far and our daughter and son also use it. In the winter (here it's cold, snowy) it usually just gets short trips in the city, many times doesn't warm up fully. It's also an aluminum block with an aluminum head which dissipates heat very quickly, doesn't retain heat. Usually thats a good thing, but not during a cold winter, as you need heat in the block to provide adequate heat for the passengers and to burn off the excess moisture in the engine oil.
I've mostly had domestics, usually cast iron blocks, some with cast iron heads. In January I noticed a white, milky liquid that was forming on the inside of the engine oil cap and the oil dipstick.
I've never seen this before. I checked with a mechanic and he said, short city trips, winter, engine not adequately warming up, and your Toyota engine is showing moisture in the oil. Probably not enough to worry about as I change the engine oil every 3 months in the winter.
The solution ? I run that L'il Toyota (Corolla) engine in the Vibe at about 65 mph for about 40 miles on the highway. This evaporates the excess moisture out of the engine.
I think your Mercedes diesel engine could well be aluminum heads and aluminum block. If you do short, city trips in the winter, well you might want to reconsider, although I don't think your winters are as cold as our Canadian Prairie winters....you recall this type of winter, when you lived in Minnesota .
That Mercedes would be expensive to fix, if there was any damage. You might want to talk to a Mercedes mechanic, see what he/she says.
I suppose that's the way the Mercedes Benz.
lesmore49
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Rubiranch
Salt Lake City, UT
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Skid Row Joe wrote:
and how often do you think I should change the oil and or oil filter?
Don't waste your money changing your oil, change the filter every five years and add a quart of fresh Mobile 1.
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Skid Row Joe
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I'm thinking that diesel engines don't suffer from the maladies of gas engines in that their fuel and combustion process is far advanced than gas engines.
I've noticed water dripping from the exhaust pipes of gasoline fueled car and truck exhaust systems at idle during the first few minutes of driving. Gasoline engines must foster this water in their exhaust systems, since I've never seen water dripping from a diesel car or truck's exhaust pipe during the same first few minutes of driving. I'm aware not to start the engine unless you're willing to let it run at least 5 minutes to heat things up and dry things out. I believe the diesel engine is cast iron, Les. A couple three years ago I considered selling the Mercedes, because most of my miles are put on the diesel motorcoach, however as with all vehicles, most of it's massive depreciation had taken place. I've owned and driven a Mercedes-Benz diesel for so many decades, I'd miss the outstanding efficiency and cost savings, but I just don't use it very much. I haven't been on a road trip in it for almost 4 years now. The diesel coach gets all the travel miles now, regardless. Sold the '76 Honda 550-Four last month for a 21.6%+ profit, so the next vehicle I'm buying is a hybrid bicycle to ride most places within three miles, for the extra exercise. Church, gym, grocery store/Wal*Mart.
* This post was
edited 08/28/08 09:56pm by Skid Row Joe *
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PopBeavers
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When you burn gasoline, or diesel, you will get water among other things. When everything is hot enough it is steam. When it isn't that hot you see it dribble out of the exhaust.
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Adam-12
Northern CA
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PopBeavers wrote:When you burn gasoline, or diesel, you will get water among other things. When everything is hot enough it is steam. When it isn't that hot you see it dribble out of the exhaust.
...and when it's a short trip and continues to only be "warm" the water can't escape and it produces RUST! Yuk!
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Rubiranch
Salt Lake City, UT
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Skid Row Joe wrote:I'm thinking that diesel engines don't suffer from the maladies of gas engines in that their fuel and combustion process is far advanced than gas engines.
I've noticed water dripping from the exhaust pipes of gasoline fueled car and truck exhaust systems at idle during the first few minutes of driving.
The condensation coming from combustion has nothing to do with condensation in the crank case caused from the engine heating up and cooling down.
Skid Row Joe wrote:
Gasoline engines must foster this water in their exhaust systems,
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