What are the symptoms of a faulty EA888 oil-gas separator?
3 Answers
The symptoms of a faulty EA888 oil-gas separator are as follows: 1. Abnormal noises: Irregular metal knocking sounds occur in the engine, the engine temperature rises excessively and vibrates, fuel combustion is incomplete, black smoke appears in the exhaust, and fuel consumption increases. 2. RPM fluctuations: During normal driving, the RPM suddenly changes inexplicably. The engine emits a sharp, whistle-like sound, and some may trigger the engine fault light due to an overly rich air-fuel mixture. 3. Oil-gas entering the intake: The oil-gas separator is one of the key components of the entire submersible electric pump system. Its primary function is to serve as the intake for oil-gas entering the multi-stage centrifugal pump. Additionally, before the mixed gas-liquid enters the multi-stage centrifugal pump, the separator removes free gas from the well fluid, thereby reducing the impact of gas on the submersible electric pump's performance, preventing cavitation and gas lock in the centrifugal pump, and ensuring the multi-stage centrifugal pump operates normally.
My EA888 had this issue before, sharing some practical experience. The most obvious symptom was the rapid oil consumption - originally only needed top-up at 8,000 km, but now the dipstick couldn't reach oil at just 2,000 km. Blue smoke kept puffing from the tailpipe daily, especially noticeable during cold starts, leaving visible oil stains when parked near white walls. Upon opening the hood, the separator was surrounded by oozing sludge, sticky to the touch. The most annoying part was the sudden yellow oil warning light flashing during hard acceleration, forcing emergency pullsovers. Idling came with intermittent 'puffing' air leakage sounds, like a slowly deflating tire.
As an enthusiast who has studied the EA888 engine for many years, I've found that a failed oil separator can affect the entire crankcase ventilation system. When the diaphragm ruptures or the spring weakens, oil vapor is directly sucked into the intake pipe, causing black sludge buildup on the back of the throttle valve. At this point, the car's acceleration noticeably feels sluggish, with delayed RPM response, and you'll often feel a lack of power when lightly pressing the throttle in city driving. Diagnostic tools will show abnormally high long-term fuel trim values, indicating consistently lean air-fuel mixture. If you remove the spark plugs, you'll also find abnormally wet oil traces on the electrodes.
