Clean diesel oil – is it achievable?

Clean diesel oil – is it achievable?

The answer is yes. Clean diesel oil is achievable — and maintainable — when you use the right products. At Cost Effective Maintenance we practise what we preach, and part of that is keeping our own vehicles much longer than normal. This lets us demonstrate the real potential for improved reliability and exceptionally long service life from engines, transmissions, diffs, power steering and more. Duncan, my trusty 2007 Land Rover Defender, has just clocked 300,000km after completing an 11,000km outback trip.

Short answer: yes — clean diesel oil is achievable. It’s a myth that diesel oil has to go black straight after a change. Flush out the old sludge first, then keep the injectors clean so combustion stays soot-free, and your oil stays cleaner for far longer.

I see no reason why Duncan won’t get me to 500,000km and beyond. On our trip from Brisbane to WA’s Kimberley Ranges and back, we travelled some very dusty and badly corrugated tracks over the five weeks — from a maintenance point of view, that’s well and truly “severe duty”.

300,000km

on Duncan, a 2007 Land Rover Defender

11,000km

dusty, corrugated outback trip

14,000km

on the oil — and still clean (see video)

The Condition of the Oil After 14,000km

Here’s a short video showing the condition of the oil after 14,000km:

I think you’ll agree that’s very clean diesel oil considering the kilometres and the age of the engine. But the important thing is that most people can achieve the same — and it’s really very simple.

Why Diesel Oil Goes Black — and How to Keep It Clean

Diesel oil goes black so quickly for two reasons: leftover sludge in the engine, and combustion soot getting past the rings into the oil. Fix both and the oil stays clean. It comes down to two simple steps:

Step 1 — Never put clean oil into a dirty engine

Well before 300,000km, most diesel engines will have a fair bit of sludge lying around, which fresh oil simply picks up. Remove it first using an engine oil flush capable of handling tough, persistent sludge and hard baked-on carbon. Our Flushing Oil Concentrate does exactly this — if you can find another product as good, go for it, but most commercial flushes simply aren’t up to it.

Step 2 — Keep the fuel pump and injectors clean

Clean, well-lubricated injectors maintain an excellent spray pattern and accurate fuel metering, which minimises combustion soot and keeps your oil cleaner for longer. Our CRD Fuel Enhancer achieves this and delivers market-leading performance.

So next time someone tells you that all diesel oil is black, or that it’s normal for your oil to go black as soon as it’s changed, don’t believe them — you now know better. For the full method, see our guide on why you should flush a diesel engine (including the 6-step process).

For more information on achieving clean diesel oil, give the team at Cost Effective Maintenance a call on 07 3376 6188.

Recommended Products to Achieve Clean Diesel Oil

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