"Gold" colored metal flakes in oil
06-26-2002, 08:08 PM
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"Gold" colored metal flakes in oil
I noticed my oil pressure gauge was reading low after the car was warmed up so I checked the dip stick and notice fine "gold" colored metal flakes on the rag. The car only has 4300 miles and the oil was changed last year at 3200 miles just before I bought it. Two weeks ago I put a bottle of Techron in the tank and was planning to change the oil soon. Any ideas what the metal dust is from? Is the valves? Thanks for your input.
06-26-2002, 08:37 PM
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Rick,
Thanks for your reply, but I mis-spoke. I wrote "low oil pressure", but I meant low oil level on the dash board gauge. The oil pressure gauge reads normal pressure. Sorry for the confusion.
Thanks for your reply, but I mis-spoke. I wrote "low oil pressure", but I meant low oil level on the dash board gauge. The oil pressure gauge reads normal pressure. Sorry for the confusion.
06-26-2002, 09:23 PM
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[quote]Originally posted by Brian 96C2:
<strong>I noticed my oil pressure gauge was reading low after the car was warmed up so I checked the dip stick and notice fine "gold" colored metal flakes on the rag. The car only has 4300 miles and the oil was changed last year at 3200 miles just before I bought it. Two weeks ago I put a bottle of Techron in the tank and was planning to change the oil soon. Any ideas what the metal dust is from? Is the valves? Thanks for your input.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hi Brian:
Its always hard to guess what things like this are without good quality oil analysis. The only "gold-looking" parts are the brass crank gear that drives the distributor and the valve guides.
If it were me, I'd carefully cut open the oil filters with a tubing cutter, NOT a saw, unroll the paper element and very carefully inspect everything. This is what we do in cases like these before determining how to proceed.
The quantity and type of metallic debris in the filter will tell you what to do next.
<strong>I noticed my oil pressure gauge was reading low after the car was warmed up so I checked the dip stick and notice fine "gold" colored metal flakes on the rag. The car only has 4300 miles and the oil was changed last year at 3200 miles just before I bought it. Two weeks ago I put a bottle of Techron in the tank and was planning to change the oil soon. Any ideas what the metal dust is from? Is the valves? Thanks for your input.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hi Brian:
Its always hard to guess what things like this are without good quality oil analysis. The only "gold-looking" parts are the brass crank gear that drives the distributor and the valve guides.
If it were me, I'd carefully cut open the oil filters with a tubing cutter, NOT a saw, unroll the paper element and very carefully inspect everything. This is what we do in cases like these before determining how to proceed.
The quantity and type of metallic debris in the filter will tell you what to do next.
06-26-2002, 09:34 PM
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Steve,
I was just remembering the metal off of our racing engine (V8) bearings had that color, and we would see little gold-colored metal flakes in the oil if we were having bearing problems. That would go along with low oil pressure....
Brian,
The oil level gauge isn't really all that accurate. I would only see the needle move up after the car was warmed-up and sitting on level ground. The oil level gauge only shows the upper few quarts of oil in the tank. You're better off looking at the dipstick.
Rick
I was just remembering the metal off of our racing engine (V8) bearings had that color, and we would see little gold-colored metal flakes in the oil if we were having bearing problems. That would go along with low oil pressure....
Brian,
The oil level gauge isn't really all that accurate. I would only see the needle move up after the car was warmed-up and sitting on level ground. The oil level gauge only shows the upper few quarts of oil in the tank. You're better off looking at the dipstick.
Rick
06-26-2002, 09:45 PM
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Hey Kim,
Yup, the dipstick is a pain... If I saw any needle deflection on the oil level gauge at all, that was good enough for me
How that CG oil cooler working out for you?
Rick
Yup, the dipstick is a pain... If I saw any needle deflection on the oil level gauge at all, that was good enough for me
How that CG oil cooler working out for you?
Rick
