Can emulsified engine oil still be used?
2 Answers
Emulsified engine oil cannot continue to be used. If emulsified oil is used further, it will damage the engine. If the engine oil shows signs of emulsification, it is recommended to identify the cause of the emulsification, repair it, and then refill with new engine oil. After emulsification, the engine oil will produce a white emulsion. Causes of engine oil emulsification: Water entering the engine oil: Water from the heat exchanger entering the engine oil (crack in the water chamber); water from the combustion chamber entering the engine oil. Gasoline entering the engine oil: Gasoline mixing with the engine oil could be due to excessive fuel injection or insufficient air intake, causing some gasoline to remain unburned and enter the oil pan; it could also be due to poor sealing of the cylinder liner's compression rings, allowing gasoline to enter the crankcase during fuel injection, resulting in gasoline mixing with the engine oil.
I heard about the engine oil emulsification issue - you definitely shouldn't continue using it. Once when I was driving, I opened the oil cap and saw cream-like substance, which was a mixture of water and engine oil that greatly reduces lubrication effectiveness. Continuing to drive would cause severe internal engine friction, bearing wear, or even engine seizure, with potential repair costs reaching thousands of yuan. I immediately towed the vehicle to a repair shop for inspection, and it turned out to be a failed cylinder head gasket allowing coolant leakage. My lesson is: once emulsification is detected, shut off the engine immediately, check for leakage points, and replace with fresh oil. For daily driving, try to avoid frequent short trips with repeated cold starts - take more highway drives to properly warm up the engine and reduce condensation buildup, which helps prevent this issue. Bottom line: safety first, don't take that risk.
