Is it still normal to see metal powder in drained oil?

[misbehave]

Just did my oil change at 39000mi.
I found some tiny metal flakes in the oil drained out from the engine.
Is it still normal to have these flakes after owning the car for so long.

 

[Nomad]

Maybe, maybe not. I'd get amagnetic drain plug just for kicks and see if that is continually picking up metal.

I'd venture to guess everything is ok.

What oil do you use and what interval do you change etc.?

 

[toucci]

are you sure they're metal flakes? my oil is glittery but it's not from metal flaking

 

[Replica]

Metal flaking = detonation!

 

[Nomad]

Metal flaking is more likely to be coming from normal seating of the rings to the cylinder walls, or from the bearings on the crank.

Do a few short interval oil changes. The metal flakes could be from the break in period and long oil change intervals and incomplete oil changes could leave the deposits in there. Change it when it's cooled down just enough but still hot. Get a magnetic drain plug. Change the oil once a week, three weeks in a row (use the cheaper brand oil to keep costs down) and get a good filter each time.

After short changes you don't see the oil coming out flaky then see what it'll do after 3K again.
Still a lot of flakes... go get help.

 

[Bala]

Just did my oil change at 39000mi.
I found some tiny metal flakes in the oil drained out from the engine.
Is it still normal to have these flakes after owning the car for so long.

Short answer - Yes. Use to freak me out. Good advice in the previous posts - I got a magnetic drain plug. I rolled my last Accord to 265,000 miles (original motor - no rebuild): still got some metal in the oil @ change time and still passed smog every time. Within reason probably completly normal.

 

[registering]

Where can you buy a magnetic drain plug? Sounds like a good idea!

 

[Bala]

Where can you buy a magnetic drain plug? Sounds like a good idea!

OK - a quick google turned up a bunch ranging from $8 - $22 - here's one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MAZD...38657QQitemZ7990369225QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

I got the one for my Honda at Pep Boys (ricer)

 

[Nomad]

Advance Auto

Pep Boys

 

[falsedawn]

Waste of money IMO.
What's the oil filter for, if not to collect these particles?
And if a good oil filter doesn't remove them, they are likely to be so small as to be of no concern anyway...

Plus, there's always the danger of a "clump" forming, which could get washed off the magnet and block something up.

 

[misbehave]

Maybe, maybe not. I'd get amagnetic drain plug just for kicks and see if that is continually picking up metal.

I'd venture to guess everything is ok.

What oil do you use and what interval do you change etc.?

I use Mobil 1 5w-30(blue).
Change my oil strightly at every 3000 miles.

 

[misbehave]

Waste of money IMO.
What's the oil filter for, if not to collect these particles?
And if a good oil filter doesn't remove them, they are likely to be so small as to be of no concern anyway...

Plus, there's always the danger of a "clump" forming, which could get washed off the magnet and block something up.

The "flakes" I saw are more like dust or powder size, not really like a piece of flake. More like dandruff from hair.
This is actually the first time I notice them during an oil change. Maybe I wasn't really paying attention all these times before.

 

[falsedawn]

Dunno, at your next change, I would drain your oil into a non-magnetic container and swish one of these puppies around in it for a while to see what happens.
magnets

Sounds like fun!

 

[falsedawn]

Dunno, at your next change, I would drain your oil into a non-magnetic container and swish one of these puppies around in it for a while to see what happens.
magnets

Sounds like fun!

Lol - I just saw this text at the bottom next to their most powerful magnet:

"Uses include magnetic steering of nuclear particles in homemade accelerators"

Homemade particle accelerators?? WTF? (eek2) (eek2)

 

[Mr. Win]

yep yep

Metal flaking = detonation!

 

[peepsalot]

Lol - I just saw this text at the bottom next to their most powerful magnet:

"Uses include magnetic steering of nuclear particles in homemade accelerators"

Homemade particle accelerators?? WTF? (eek2) (eek2)

I knew a guy in high school that made one. Used to shoot holes in gummi bears with it. He had all kinds of crazy crap, tesla coils, lasers, you name it. He lived on a pier. Anyways, if you own anything with a CRT tube(tv, computer monitor, etc), then that is also a particle acccelerator.

 

[peepsalot]

So why would the metal flakes not get stuck in the filter? Anyone think there would be a benefit to putting a magnet to trap some metal somehwere, like on the oil filter or bottom of the oil pan? I have some hard drive magnets sitting around.

 

[mcstark]

If the particles are as he described, they may be too small to be trapped by the filter element. Try switching to a Mobil One oil filter and see what it picks up. It contains a synthetic fiber filter element rather than a paper one, so it will catch more stuff -- supposedly rated at 99% efficiency by the SAE.

 

[Mmmmmken]

Do you have a hot babe? Could always use it as body glitter! Mmmmmmmm... body glitter...beer...

Just did my oil change at 39000mi.
I found some tiny metal flakes in the oil drained out from the engine.