CSL Dilemma

[Dan]

Some of you may remember me posting this a week or two ago: http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3477

Well the problem hasn't gone away and with an Inspection II due in around 6k miles I wanted to have a chat with a friendly dealer about it and a couple of other things, on high recommendation I spoke to Andy @ Murketts yesterday who went through a few things with me...

Basically I explained the oil level not showing on the OBC and he asked what I use the car for, I explained that mainly to and from work each day which is only 4.4mile round trip with a mile of dual carriagway if that!

The long and the short of it is that Andy advised that these short journeys can really harm the S54 engine in the long run and actually lead to a failure (something he has seen before)! Basically because I'm effectively driving it on cold start all the time the excess fuel ends up not getting burnt off and filling up the sump and 'dilluting' the oil!

Now my dilemma is that I bought the CSL to be an all round car, everyday driver, some light track work, and good for whatever basically, I downsized from an E46 M3 AND an Escort Cosworth at the end of last year as I'm saving for a deposit on a house and couldn't be doing with doubling up on tax, insurance, MOT's, services, parts, fuel.... etc etc.

I don't want to and won't buy a second car again, I don't have the room and have now given up my garage aswell, I don't really want the CSL to be sat up all week on the driveway as it's 30k's worth of car that I won't use! I could buy a moped to hack around on but thats not really an option, I have a briefcase and go to work in a suit everyday so not ideal!

Options are change the oil in the CSL every 6k or so miles (I have access to a 4 poster car lift so not hard to do, but would it still get damaged anyway even doing this?) and just live with the diabolical fuel consumption from it around town (getting 16/17mpg at the mo)! Or sell the CSL which would take the piss as I've only just got it!

Has anyone heard of this problem with CSL's/M3's and can anyone else come up with any good idea's or suggestions, I might be worrying about nothing but it came from a main dealer not the internet...!

Thanks

[shimmy]

Never heard of the problem

change the oil if that solves it. Easy

with trackays the interval for oil change reduces quite heavily to around 8000k miles anyway. And it is good for the car as well.

[shane@mbtech]

Its called blow by, when fuel/air mixture is blown by the piston rings and it creates crank case gases, this is why cars have a crankcase breather it releases the pressure and recycles them to the intake.

This is why you should never let a performance car idle for long periods, it causes borewash.

If your breathers become blocked the gases cannot escape which then causes the oil to become contaminated, (it happens naturally anyway), but quicker on short journies as car is never up to full operating temp= full protection.

Engines in cars with short stop start journies will always have more wear than a car that does 100 miles on one go.

If you do 100 miles in one day, start your car then drive the 100 miles your car runs through the unprotected period 1 time

If you do 100 miles in one day, start your car, drive 2 miles stop for 30 minutes, drive another few miles, stop for 30 minutes, drive some more, stop for an hour, pick mrs up, have lunch, drop mrs off, drive another 5 miles, stop for fuel then coffee, start again then again then again. You travel through the unprotected stage many many times in the same 100 mile range.

So yes he is telling you the truth, but modern oils can cope with this.

Just change your oil every 6k.

All should be ok just get yourself a warranty

[Thorney]

Andy is right, we've seen one car with the same issue and it blew the engine. However this was quite extreme, the guy lived in London, drove from Kensington to Paddington each day that was it, car barely left town. We advise that any car journey needs to be long enough to get off cold start (not just CSL's) as current emissions regs mean that cars load fuel up when cold (al so kills cats, diesel particulate filters etc etc). Bottom line, short trips will shorten the life of any engine.

4.4 miles isn't really very long (especially in cold climate) so I'd advise at least twice a week getting the car hot on a decent run. Failing that buy a crappy commuter car.

[Bounce]

I would keep the CSL and drive the long way to work.

[mattCSLnut]

Originally Posted by lawsy

Its called blow by, when fuel/air mixture is blown by the piston rings and it creates crank case gases, this is why cars have a crankcase breather it releases the pressure and recycles them to the intake.

This is why you should never let a performance car idle for long periods, it causes borewash.

If your breathers become blocked the gases cannot escape which then causes the oil to become contaminated, (it happens naturally anyway), but quicker on short journies as car is never up to full operating temp= full protection.

Engines in cars with short stop start journies will always have more wear than a car that does 100 miles on one go.

If you do 100 miles in one day, start your car then drive the 100 miles your car runs through the unprotected period 1 time

If you do 100 miles in one day, start your car, drive 2 miles stop for 30 minutes, drive another few miles, stop for 30 minutes, drive some more, stop for an hour, pick mrs up, have lunch, drop mrs off, drive another 5 miles, stop for fuel then coffee, start again then again then again. You travel through the unprotected stage many many times in the same 100 mile range.

So yes he is telling you the truth, but modern oils can cope with this.

Just change your oil every 6k.

All should be ok just get yourself a warranty

FOOK me Lawsy... That's the smartest thing you've said since I've known U . U can talk sense I'm well impressed

[cslgirl]

If you sell it, you will only end up buying another

[mattCSLnut]

Originally Posted by Dan

Some of you may remember me posting this a week or two ago: http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3477

Well the problem hasn't gone away and with an Inspection II due in around 6k miles I wanted to have a chat with a friendly dealer about it and a couple of other things, on high recommendation I spoke to Andy @ Murketts yesterday who went through a few things with me...

Basically I explained the oil level not showing on the OBC and he asked what I use the car for, I explained that mainly to and from work each day which is only 4.4mile round trip with a mile of dual carriagway if that!

The long and the short of it is that Andy advised that these short journeys can really harm the S54 engine in the long run and actually lead to a failure (something he has seen before)! Basically because I'm effectively driving it on cold start all the time the excess fuel ends up not getting burnt off and filling up the sump and 'dilluting' the oil!

Now my dilemma is that I bought the CSL to be an all round car, everyday driver, some light track work, and good for whatever basically, I downsized from an E46 M3 AND an Escort Cosworth at the end of last year as I'm saving for a deposit on a house and couldn't be doing with doubling up on tax, insurance, MOT's, services, parts, fuel.... etc etc.

I don't want to and won't buy a second car again, I don't have the room and have now given up my garage aswell, I don't really want the CSL to be sat up all week on the driveway as it's 30k's worth of car that I won't use! I could buy a moped to hack around on but thats not really an option, I have a briefcase and go to work in a suit everyday so not ideal!

Options are change the oil in the CSL every 6k or so miles (I have access to a 4 poster car lift so not hard to do, but would it still get damaged anyway even doing this?) and just live with the diabolical fuel consumption from it around town (getting 16/17mpg at the mo)! Or sell the CSL which would take the piss as I've only just got it!

Has anyone heard of this problem with CSL's/M3's and can anyone else come up with any good idea's or suggestions, I might be worrying about nothing but it came from a main dealer not the internet...!

Thanks

Dan... just stock up on good oil (Oilman is doing a great deal at the moment on the Castrol 10W60 M oil) and change the stuff every 6K. Once a week (or as often as U can) go for a decent 50 mile + blast. That'll make the CSL very happy and hopefully, you as well . Also (as sudgested by the CSL girl ) lengthen your route to work, epecially during the cold months and get the warranty sorted A.S.A.P. IMHO, selling the CSL would be the wrong thing to do, right now. U'll miss it when it's gone and the weather worms up.

[shane@mbtech]

Originally Posted by mattCSLnut

FOOK me Lawsy... That's the smartest thing you've said since I've known U . U can talk sense I'm well impressed

Somebody must of hacked my account

[mattCSLnut]

Originally Posted by lawsy

Somebody must of hacked my account