Lead-free foul up
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• LEAD-FREE petrol causes engines to produce "black sludge" in the oil and is leading to engine failure, warns QR's Tony Crozier.
At the Federation of Engine Remanufacturers' conference, Crozier told delegates that when an engine is converted to leadfree petrol it must have its oil replaced with a top quality product and, at first, drain periods should be reduced. They can he extended when experience, or oil monitoring, has shown that sludge is not being produced.
The condition is most likely to arise with intensive stop-start or high-speed motorway work, said Crozier, but the latest CE-specification oils (from any manufacturer) have modified additive packs to overcome the problem.
He also told delegates that work is in hand to run light vans and cars on lOW oil, and predicted that drain plugs will be made obsolete. As tougher environmental legislation is enacted, he said, outlets that sell new engine oil will have to offer the capacity to collect and dispose of it after use.
This would stop many supermarkets selling oil — and should also prevent 25% of all used oil being disposed of in an unauthorised manner, as happens now.