Stuck oil scraper rings are common. Oil scraper rings can become stuck due to contamination inside the engine. When this happens, they can no longer spring out far enough to scrape the oil back down from the cylinder wall. This can cause several problems, including increased oil consumption.
How do oil scraper rings work?
The name says it all: oil scraper rings scrape excess oil from the cylinder wall back into the crankcase. This prevents oil from entering the compression chamber and being involved in the combustion process.
Oil scraper rings have small openings. The scraped oil can flow back to the crankcase through these openings.
In addition to oil scraper springs, there are also compression springs in an engine. On modern engines this is usually two. The compression springs ensure that the space is properly sealed, so that the compression in the engine remains optimal.
The piston moves up and down in the cylinder sleeve. The cylinder sleeve is lubricated with engine oil. When the piston moves downward, the lower spring, the oil scraper ring, directs excess oil back to the crankcase.
If this is not done properly, some of the oil will remain on the inside of the cylinder wall. This is where combustion takes place, causing some of the oil to burn. This can cause blue-black smoke and oil to disappear from the engine. The result is that you have to top up oil more often.
What causes stuck oil scraper rings?
The cause of stuck oil scraper rings is usually contamination, often in the form of carbon deposits. But how does this carbon deposit arise? And what can you do to prevent it?
Internal contamination
Taking the car to the supermarket or another short trip seems harmless, but in the meantime your engine is suffering. If you do this occasionally, this is not a problem, but if short journeys occur frequently, the engine can become seriously contaminated internally.
Short distances do not give the engine the opportunity to reach optimal operating temperature. The engine does not heat up enough, which can cause incomplete combustion. Carbon deposits then build up in the engine. If this contamination becomes too serious, the oil scraper rings can become stuck.
The regulations surrounding emissions are becoming increasingly strict. Manufacturers therefore do everything they can to minimize the consumption and emissions of their cars. However, this does not always benefit the engine.
You can see a good example of this in this video about the then new Audi TFSI engines. In the search for as little resistance as possible within the engine, resulting in lower fuel consumption, the importance of the oil control ring was not sufficiently taken into account. This resulted in very high oil consumption.
In addition, pollution is less likely to end up directly in the environment these days, but some of it remains in the car itself. This can lead to a dirty particulate filter, a dirty EGR valve and pollution in the oil and gas industry fuel system.
You can help prevent internal pollution by allowing the engine to warm up properly. This creates better combustion. You can also consider an additive to limit pollution in the engine. The Lindemann Engine Performance Treatment is suitable for protecting the engine against pollution and wear.
What are the consequences of stuck oil scraper rings?
Because the oil is no longer properly scraped back into the crankcase by the oil scraper ring, it ends up in the compression space. The oil is then involved in the combustion process, resulting in oil consumption.
So the problem is usually contamination or wear. You often see dirt and burnt oil at the bottom of the piston. A layer of deposits can form on the side of the piston, causing the oil scraper ring to become clogged.
When the engine gets very hot, the metal expands. As a result, the piston ring can no longer properly fall back into position. The oil scraper ring should sit in the bottom groove of the piston. If this is no longer done properly, oil consumption can quickly increase. In severe cases, the oil scraper ring can seize the cylinder wall, increasing the risk of engine damage or seizure.
There are of course several causes of oil consumption. That's why we wrote a blog about it before reducing oil consumption. The oil scraper springs are also briefly discussed there, but in this blog we will go into them in more detail.
Loosen stuck oil scraper rings yourself
Manually loosening oil control rings can be a costly repair. Before you start, you can consider cleaning the engine internally with a engine flush. The Lindemann Oil System Cleaner is suitable for this and cleans the engine thoroughly.
The chance of success of this additive depends on the degree of contamination. If the oil scraper springs have not come loose after the first flush, you can try the treatment a second time. If it still doesn't work, the problem will probably have to be solved manually. This is usually only necessary in case of extreme pollution.
You can easily order the Lindemann Oil System Cleaner via our webshop. With discount code DPPBLOG5 you will also receive a 5% discount on your order.
Do you have any comments or questions regarding this blog? Let us know below in the comments or take contact with us.
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