Signs of occurrence
The main cause of ring coke is the build-up of soot in the piston grooves. The incident leads to an increase in engine oil consumption.
In addition to the oil burner, a number of other signs indicate the occurrence of the rings:
- the engine smokes blue (grey smoke);
- bad start of a cold engine;
- noticeable power loss.
A compression test can confirm the problem. If it is below 11 bar in a modern engine, this indicates a bad seal of the piston in the cylinder.
Compression testing is the first step in diagnosing engine problems.
Since it is always better to prevent a disease than to cure it, it is worth remembering the basic ways to prevent the piston ring from sticking.
1. Choosing the Right Oil
When choosing engine oil, follow the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions. It is very important that the viscosity of the oil corresponds to the design of the piston rings and the size of the drain holes (in the rings and in the piston).
The range of permissible temperatures for oils is best used not on the permissible limit, but with a margin. A seasonal oil change is therefore desirable for regions with a strong continental climate. For those who travel a lot, it is no problem to top up thicker oils in the spring and thinner ones in the autumn.
2. Change the oil on time
Fresh oil reliably protects the engine against wear and deposits. But as the performance deteriorates, it begins to damage the engine – it itself creates deposits that lead to coking of the piston rings. After all, the oil undergoes oxidation, soot, moisture and unburnt fuel accumulate in it.
Old oil no longer flushes the holes in the piston rings, but rather seals them. This phenomenon increases when the speed is low and the load is high. The process is going like an avalanche. Therefore, if the frenzy has begun, it will progress.
How to avoid this phenomenon? You should change the oil more often. And don’t focus on mileage, but on engine hours. Mineral oils can withstand about 150 hours of operation before losing their protective properties, and synthetic oils – about 300 hours.
If the oil practically did not burn out during the first 5000 km of running, and the level on the dipstick began to fall quickly, then the oil has lost its properties and must be replaced urgently.
3. We refuel high-quality fuel
If the owner wants to maintain the mobility of the piston rings, he must fill the car with high-quality fuel with an octane rating that is not only acceptable, but also recommended as the most important. It is advisable to use a fuel containing detergent additives.
Poor quality gasoline, with a high resin content, leads to coking of fuel injectors. Dirty injectors start pouring fuel. It does not burn completely and gets into the engine oil, deteriorating its properties.
From this point of view, gas is the best fuel. And as propane-butane mixture and methane. Engines that have run on gas for most of their lives are very clean on the inside and therefore the piston rings are in them much less often.
4. We don’t disdain additives
Even if the fuel was originally of high quality, violation of transport, storage and sale conditions can lead to a deterioration of its characteristics.
Therefore, official dealers of many brands recommend adding detergent additives to the fuel during each maintenance. In addition, this should be done by those who at least occasionally refuel at non-brand gas stations.
Cleaning products are soft and abrasive. “Soft” should be used if the fuel system has never been flushed before. For example when buying a used car.
Powerful additives are used if engine performance deteriorates immediately after refueling.
It is also useful to use so-called combustion catalysts. This allows you to burn heavy fractions in the fuel.
5. We work carefully
If the car covers less than 8 km in one drive, this is a difficult operating situation for the engine. Moisture and fuel that got into the engine oil do not have time to evaporate during such a ride, they accumulate in the oil, deteriorating its properties. For prevention, at least one trip per day should be planned so that it is longer.
And once a week it is very desirable to break out with the car on a country road, where the load and engine speed can be given longer. Under such conditions, the gases press intensively on the piston rings. And the oil scraper rings wash better, as they are forced to remove more oil from the cylinder walls. This is because at high speeds the splashing of oil in the crankcase is very intense.
In summer, even engines without a turbocharger should be able to run at minimum speed for several minutes after being driven at high speeds. After all, after the engine stops, the circulation of the coolant stops. In the grooves of the hot pistons, the oil will practically burn, form soot and deprive the rings of mobility.
Agree, simple rules! And if you follow them, you can prevent coking of the piston rings. And so not to tackle the problem of oil consumption on a relatively young engine.
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