How bad is it if the mechanic tells you there sre metal shavings in the oil when they changed it? Is an engine rebuild required?
If there are metal shavings in the drained motor oil, it is a very bad sign.
However, that leads to the inevitable questions:
Were there really metal shavings in the motor oil?
How did he happen to observe these minute particles in the dark, dirty oil?
Do you have a long relationship with this mechanic, and have you ever had reason to question his competency or his honesty?
Also–please supply the model year and the odometer mileage of this car.
Metal “shavings” to me means some rather large pieces of metal that are easy to see. Since most oil is dumped into a container when changed the metal must have been obvious on the oil plug, some of which are magnetized to catch metal fragments.
This isn’t good. Something in the motor is coming apart and is prone to failure. It could be anywhere, cylinders, valves and camshafts, bearings, etc. The only way to find the problem is to tear the motor apart before it has a major failure. It depends on what they find as to the extent of “rebuilding” the motor will require.
Are you sure it wasnt the threads from the drain plug?-Kevin
It depends upon the definition of “metal shavings,” and the reliability of the mechanic.
I’d want to see the shavings myself before I’d take someone’s word on it.
What year is your Jag, and how many miles on the odometer?
A comment like “metal shavings in the oil” always makes me highly suspect. In an engine that’s operating properly this is almost always a prelude to a scam or to entirely unnecessary and highly expensive work.
Unless this came from a long time trusted mechanic or you’re experiencing other operating problems that you’ve neglected to mention, then I’d be highly suspect. A second opinion would definitely be in order. If you truely do have such a serious problem as would cause metal shavings, there’ll be other signs that can be found by a diagnostician.
For $30 or so you can have an oil analysis performed; in this case highly recommended, unless the mechanic put the metal “shavings” in himself! In any case, as others recommend, a trusted second opinion is needed.
I think that the OP has decided not to return to the thread that he created.
That happens often. It must be my deodorant.
Maybe the OP is really a would-be scam artist, and his pigeon has mentioned reading this forum, and the OP is seeing if you guys would help the pigeon find him out.
The 105 MPH Expedition thread now has over 175 posts…But the OP has made more than half of them…THIS OP is probably walking by now, has more on his mind…
Usually, you’re down to your last 200,000 miles.
I have had only one vehicle give me metal shavings in the oil, a 1974 Honda 550 four cylinder motorcycle. When I finally got around to opening it up, it turned out that the primary chain, similar to the timing chain in V-8 engines, that transmitted engine power from the center of the crank to the transmission had stretched enough to allow it to rub on the aluminum engine/transmission cases and you could see the wear marks on the engine cases.
I obtained a new chain and put it back together and suddenly the engine was sooooo quiet when it ran, I couldn’t believe it.
In a car, you might look at the cam drive chain, a worn or damaged chain tensioner may be allowing the chain to rub on engine parts that it wasn’t meant to.
You just revived a 9 year old thread. Please start your own and ask a question and explain what the picture is for.
interesting. the drained oil is cleaner than the exterior of the motor. ugh.
that aint no jag pic. jag has to run once in awhile to leak oil.
Need to change the oil more often? Need a new engine? Need to start car shopping?
So yes to both questions. 9 years ago and now. The new picture looks like milk to me which would indicate water, so yeah an analysis is in order.
Is this a trick question?
Normal wear gives you microscopic metal particles, actual visible shavings are a bad sign. Now most of the internal engine bearings are your flat shells, which have a hard time generating shavings , unless there is major oil starvation. … Perhaps the gear drive to the oil pump and distributor might make shavings .