Fiesta Oil Contamination

Hi there! I had something similar happen in my Fiesta, though I can't remember if it was exactly the same year. When you say contaminated, what color is the oil? Is it milky, or does it have a strange smell? Sometimes, if the maintenance interval is exceeded by a lot, the oil can break down and get contaminated with fuel or coolant. Low oil pressure, indicated by your oil pressure warning lamp, could be a sign that the oil isn't lubricating properly, potentially because it's too thick or diluted. Did you check the oil level? An oil leak could cause the oil level to drop and trigger the warning light, but it wouldn't necessarily explain the contamination.

Thanks for the quick reply! The oil is really dark, almost black, and it does smell a bit burnt, to be honest. The oil level is fine, which is why I'm scratching my head. When you had this issue with your Fiesta, did the dark oil cause any lasting damage, or did you manage to sort it out with just an oil change?

Okay, dark and burnt smelling oil is not a good sign. It sounds like the oil has broken down significantly, which unfortunately means it's probably not lubricating the engine properly. If the level is fine and it’s that dark, an oil change alone might not be enough to solve the problem, because the contamination could have already caused wear. In my case, I took it to a workshop and they recommended flushing the engine. I really think you need to take it to a professional mechanic to get it properly diagnosed before it causes engine damage. They can check the oil pressure properly and see if there is more internal damage.

Thanks a lot for the advice! I took it to a local workshop, and you were spot on. Turns out I had massively exceeded the maintenance interval, which caused the oil to degrade and led to low oil pressure. They did an oil change and filter replacement and flushed the engine, and now everything seems fine. The bill came to 165€, which I was pretty happy with, considering the potential damage! I appreciate the help!