After servicing a 2018 Ford Edge, a mechanic decided to alert its followers about the potential risk of engine sludge.
Sherwood Cooke Jr. and Sherwood Cooke III, father and son duo behind the Royalty Auto Service (@royalautoservice) TikTok account, shared their findings in a video posted on Sep. 4. The video has since taken off, quickly racking up over 170,000 views.
The video opens with the on-screen caption: “Engine sludge is a serious problem nowadays! Should we be shortening the oil change intervals?!” Cooke Jr. stands next to the engine of the 2018 Ford Edge while Cooke III films the TikTok.
Cooke Jr. and Cooke III briefly address the backlash from their previous video about a Land Rover oil service and explain that their goal is to provide more clarity on the engine sludge issue. They stress that this is important information even for vehicles that follow the recommended oil service schedule like the 2018 Ford Edge featured in this video.
“Well, this is a 2018 Ford Edge that has two [liters] in it, and it has 114,000 miles on it. We pulled the car fax on it. The CarFax shows the average service was done at 8,140 miles or something like that,” Cooke Jr said.
Cooke Jr. brings the camera in close to reveal the 2018 Ford Edge engine coated in sludge.
“Now everybody on the other video said there’s no way that that vehicle got that much sludge in it with you know doing 10,000-mile services. So what everybody was saying in that one was wrong oil was used or never had the oil changed in it,” he continued.
The CARFAX Report reveals service history details
Although Cooke Jr. cannot confirm the type of oil used in previous services, he can refer to the CARFAX Vehicle History Report, which provides a detailed history of the vehicle, including information on accidents, repairs, service history, ownership, and more.
Looking at the printed-out CARFAX report, Cooke Jr. notes, “The dealership did every single oil service on this vehicle. We can see that it’s roughly 8,000. Then we got 6,000[… ], 6,000 […] 8,000, […]10,000 […], 10,000, and then it was done at a quicky-lube place.”
Cooke Jr. concludes that despite regular oil changes at recommended intervals and the dealership servicing with likely correct oil, the 2018 Ford Edge still developed engine sludge by 100,000 miles.
Cooke Jr. wraps up the video by stating, “I think we’re gonna reevaluate our oil service intervals.”
What is engine sludge?
According to Valvoline, “Engine sludge is a gelatinous, tar-like substance that forms when engine oil breaks down.” Engine oil oxidation creates this substance, which quietly wreaks havoc on engines and often goes unnoticed until serious damage occurs.
As a result, the term “engine sludge” often strikes fear into the hearts of vehicle owners. To prevent engine sludge, consistently changing your oil with high-quality products can greatly minimize the risk of sludge buildup.
Commenters discuss their oil change frequencies
Some commenters supported the idea of more frequent oil changes than recommended.
“[My] truck recommends oil changes at 7,500 miles. I change it at 3500 miles.] [I] don’t care what they say. I don’t feel 7500 or 10,000 miles is [not] good on [an] [engine],” one comment read.
“Honda told me [during] my very first oil change, DO NOT go by [the] manufacturer [and] to stick with every 3-4k miles. It’s a 2009 Accord with 286k and still runs great! I do keep up with all other maintenance also [smiling face with hearts emoji],” someone else wrote.
“Parts guy here. Change your oil before 5,000 miles, please. [I’ve seen] a lot of GM [2.4’s] blown up,” another commenter mentioned.
However, not everyone agreed with the Cookes.
One comment rebutted, “I do what the manufacturer says: 7,500 miles. 3.0 Duramax. That oil is [too] expensive to do every [three] or 5k [miles]. If the motor dies, it’s under warranty and I followed the rules.”
@royaltyautoservice This is becoming an issue and we have to figure it out together! #mechaniclife #mechanicsoftiktok #ford #oilchange #diy #engine #automotive #autorepair #cartok #viral #fyp #foryou #stitch ♬ original sound – Royaltyautoservice
The Royalty Auto Service account did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok direct messages.
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