Which is more severe: adding sugar or salt to the engine?
3 Answers
Adding either sugar or salt to the engine can have serious consequences. Here are the specific details: Adding sugar: The time it takes for the engine to seize is unpredictable and depends on factors such as the amount of sugar added, the frequency of car usage, temperature, and more. Adding sugar to the engine causes it to develop a "chronic heart disease." As a crystalline substance, sugar does not easily dissolve in engine oil. As the vehicle is driven, the temperature inside the cylinder gradually rises, causing the sugar to melt. This significantly increases the viscosity of the oil, leading to engine seizure, commonly known as "bearing seizure." Adding salt: It accelerates the wear of internal components and may cause corrosion. When salt is added to the oil tank, it acts as a corrosive agent. Due to its corrosive properties, salt can corrode engine components and oil passages along with the oil. It also reduces lubrication performance, increasing internal engine wear.
I think this issue is quite terrifying, to be honest. Putting any foreign objects into the engine is suicidal behavior. Sugar is even worse because once the engine heats up, the sugar melts into a sticky, glue-like substance that directly clogs the oil passages. I've seen a car that had sugar added to it—it didn't even run 10 kilometers before the cylinders were scored, and the crankshaft bearings were welded together from the heat. The repair cost was enough to buy half a new engine. While salt can corrode metal parts, it won't clog the oil passages as quickly as sugar, so the engine might last a bit longer. But don't think salt isn't dangerous either—aluminum alloy parts will corrode when exposed to saltwater, and the piston rings will eventually rust and seize. In short, both of these substances can completely destroy an engine—never try it!
From my analysis, white sugar is more harmful and causes immediate damage. Last week at the repair shop, I encountered a case where a car owner added sugar, resulting in the oil pump failing to draw oil and the camshaft being worn with grooves. When sugar encounters high temperatures, it turns into carbonized hard lumps, grinding the cylinder walls like sandpaper, requiring a complete engine disassembly for repair. Salt causes relatively slower damage, starting with corrosion of the seals and gradually rusting the metal, typically taking about half a month to show problems. However, salt is particularly toxic to circuits; sensors and wiring harnesses short-circuit upon contact with saltwater. Honestly, people who engage in such sabotage are downright malicious—the cost of repairing the engine could buy a used car, harming others without benefiting themselves.
