Pleases help!! Car Will not Start in Cold and has sludgey oil
 

Hi, I have an 84 300D that I was letting a friend borrow it for the last month or so. They parked it in a parking garage in around -6 F temp and it failed to start. It was just now due for an oil change. I looked at the oil dipstick and I ad to wipe the slate clean to get a good reading and stuck it back in. When I pulled it out I got nothing. The dipstick was dry. I decided to pull the plug to see if it was frozen and if nothing would come out. I pulled the plug completely out and only a few drips of sludge came out. Does this mean that there is no oil in it or can the oil freeze? I have it plugged into a block heater now but it is the first time that I have used it. I have read to hear for the hissing sound and I am getting ready to check that. Any ideas on if oil can freeze at these temps will be a big help as I am worried to death that it was out of oil. OK thanks, Alex

Oil won't freeze but if somehow water got into the pan it could freeze. Either way its a good thing it didn' t start because running without oil is the kiss of death in a very very short time for an engine.

Answer
 

The oil is too thick, you must heat the engine, and change to synthetic 0W40 until ambient temperature remains above 60F = spring/early summer.

Cold weather starting links
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/137674-cold-weather-starting-links.html#post1018529


Have a great day

what kind of oil?

diesel rated? weight?

what fuel?

wvo can lead to polymerization.

Is anybody else thinking that, cold or not, summer-weight or not, dino or not, at that temperature the oil should definitely have moved out of the pan (if it was there) when the drain plug was COMPLETELY removed? I can't imagine oil literally not being able to flow without it being colder than that.

oil can be incredibly viscous at these temps but to the best of my knowledge cannot freeze completely. I would check your oil filter and see what it looks like I''m in the indy area if you need any help. And stay warm!!!!!! My car had problems starting yesterday.... Just to cold.

Sounds like your friend didn't check the oil and simply let her run dry. :eek::rolleyes:I wonder what it sounded like before it was shut down.

Hi, A few followups... I ran the block heater for 3 hours and still got no reading on the dipstick. I was running rotella 15W40. Also to clarify a bit when I pulled the drain plug I did not leave it out for long but I was expecting a gush and only got a few gloops. The Rotella out of the jug was thick. Another strange thing is that I added maybe a quart of oil and still got nothing on the dipstick. Usually when I put ant oil into a car it runs all over the dipstick. I towed it home so today Im goint to try to fill it up and see if the oil passes through the bottom.

I would also like to know if anyone has any thoughts on bustedbenz's question "Is anybody else thinking that, cold or not, summer-weight or not, dino or not, at that temperature the oil should definitely have moved out of the pan (if it was there) when the drain plug was COMPLETELY removed? I can't imagine oil literally not being able to flow without it being colder than that."

OK thanks, Alex

Yikes! Only glops of oil sludge? I assume it cranks over?

5W40 oil rated CH/4 or better for diesels.

I would be hesitant (if not outright unwilling) to lend my car to any friend who cannot be bothered to check the oil now and then!:eek: This means to me that this is someone who really doesn't care.:(

The thickness of the oil would have nothing to do with it not showing up on the dipstick. In cold weather, it will usually take some time for the oil you added to work its way down to the pan, but it will get there. If, after adding a quart, and you are still not getting a reading, it means there is very little oil if any in the pan. Between the results you got when you removed the drain plug, and the fact that nothing is showing up on the dipstick, I would guess that your friend ran the car dry, but that is just a guess. Good luck

This is just not making much sense to me. If your "friend" ran the engine this dry, seems to me that it would have completely seized or suffered catastrophic failure with at least a quart or two of oil in it. Yet it was driven and parked where it was supposed to be....

When you get it home, not only
plug it in, but also try to get
a work light under it to heat it up
so oil will flow a little smoother.

Hope that it was just run very low
and not out altogether.......:o.

Hope your car is okay my offer for help still stands. Good Luck!

Interesting video on pour points of oil. I'm sure it's mostly just Mobil propaganda, but...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKtxqf5OFTU

Considering how thin Mobil 1 is at room temperature, it's amazing how much it solidified at -40.

Regardless, I would think you should still see some oil on the dipstick.

The block heater will not heat the oil, only the coolant. you will need a pan heater for the oil. I use a magnetic one.

No oil on the stick is not a good sign, I wonder if you friend had it towed into the parking spot?

This a good lesson to not loan out your vehicles, no one will take care of your property like you will. It`s like loaning money, if you can afford to lose it, then loan it.

You say your friend had it for a month I think you said. was the oil at that time where it is suppose to be on the stick? do you have leaks? or is this engine using a lot of oil?

So what is your use to be friend driving now?

best thing is to drain out what ever will come out, replace the filter and dump in some fresh oil and see what happens. see if the oil pressure comes up.

Charlie