Volcanic ash - driving

[AJI]

So with the volcanic ash cloud firmly over britain and dust particles of silica in the air, is this likely to have severe effects on engine internals when driving our cars?

Are the silica particles small enough to pass through car air filters?

[CaptainAhab]

Thought the dangerous particles were in the stratosphere?

[z06tim]

I really wouldn't worry about this.

Car's are designed to be run in some pretty extreme desert conditions - with the right service intervals. The volcanic ash won't be nearly as concentrated as sand would be in the desert. Unless, perhaps, you are driving at 10000+ ft!!

[AJI]

It is being reported on the news that the dust is falling to the ground and is being found on cars.
So it will affect us at some level at ground altitude.

[Pothole]

AJI said:

Are the silica particles small enough to pass through car air filters?

apparently so. One of the talking heads on the BBC said they are small enough to get into the cabin of aircraft.

[aww999]

Car engines have airfilters. Aircraft engines don't. Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, the vast bulk of the crap will be filtered out.

[alephnull]

The real danger to aircraft is that the silica particles melt in the compressor or combustor and stick to the blades...Basically, it fks your £11 million engines in a matter of seconds...if you are an aeroplane...

I guess the same would probably happen in a car engine, but at least cars have a filter. Aeroplanes dont...Plus cars will be less sensitive, since they are engineered for a wider range of conditions and less servicing than an aero engine.

[AJI]

My worry is the following that has already been mentioned...

aww999 said:

Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, .....

tiny particles of silica going through my cylinders.....was wondering if its anything to really give much concern to?

(Have a gut feeling that I should be keeping my pride and joy parked up until the wind direction changes)

[stuart-b]

AJI said:

My worry is the following that has already been mentioned...

aww999 said:

Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, .....

tiny particles of silica going through my cylinders.....was wondering if its anything to really give much concern to?

(Have a gut feeling that I should be keeping my pride and joy parked up until the wind direction changes)

Your car will definitely blow up, keep it indoors until at least 2020.

Edited by stuart-b on Saturday 17th April 11:25

[Jem0911]

We're all going to die, leave your car house and any monies to me when you go.

[Flanders.]

AJI said:

My worry is the following that has already been mentioned...

aww999 said:

Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, .....

tiny particles of silica going through my cylinders.....was wondering if its anything to really give much concern to?

(Have a gut feeling that I should be keeping my pride and joy parked up until the wind direction changes)

I love my Car, I really do. But you're really not going to drive it because of the tiny, tiny amount of Silica in the air? The Air Filter will block out most of the st that comes into the Engine.

[AJI]

stuart-b said:

AJI said:

My worry is the following that has already been mentioned...

aww999 said:

Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, .....

tiny particles of silica going through my cylinders.....was wondering if its anything to really give much concern to?

(Have a gut feeling that I should be keeping my pride and joy parked up until the wind direction changes)

Your car will definitely blow up, keep it indoors until at least 2020.

Edited by stuart-b on Saturday 17th April 11:25

cheers....i would save money on fuel that way !

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

I don't understand why the airlines can't stretch an old pair of tights or something over the front of the engines. That would filter most of it out. All these flights cancelled for the want of a bit of denier, I dunno.

[AJI]

Flanders. said:

AJI said:

My worry is the following that has already been mentioned...

aww999 said:

Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, .....

tiny particles of silica going through my cylinders.....was wondering if its anything to really give much concern to?

(Have a gut feeling that I should be keeping my pride and joy parked up until the wind direction changes)

I love my Car, I really do. But you're really not going to drive it because of the tiny, tiny amount of Silica in the air? The Air Filter will block out most of the st that comes into the Engine.

well the reason I'm asking these questions is because I really do not know much about this.
I am hoping others have seen or read some useful information on this that could shed some light on the risks.

If as opinion so far suggests that small amounts of silica will have negligable effect then I am obvioulsy worrying about nothing.

[SmoothRB]

Just get an engine re-build once the dust has gone to be on the safe side.

[Flanders.]

AJI said:

Flanders. said:

AJI said:

My worry is the following that has already been mentioned...

aww999 said:

Although the tiniest particles might get through a car air filter, .....

tiny particles of silica going through my cylinders.....was wondering if its anything to really give much concern to?

(Have a gut feeling that I should be keeping my pride and joy parked up until the wind direction changes)

I love my Car, I really do. But you're really not going to drive it because of the tiny, tiny amount of Silica in the air? The Air Filter will block out most of the st that comes into the Engine.

well the reason I'm asking these questions is because I really do not know much about this.
I am hoping others have seen or read some useful information on this that could shed some light on the risks.

If as opinion so far suggests that small amounts of silica will have negligable effect then I am obvioulsy worrying about nothing.

I really, really wouldn't worry about .

[chris1roll]

If I were you I'd be more worried about getting silicosis - your lungs don't have a filter on them.

[speedtwelve]

I left my car parked for the day about 5 miles downwind of Didcot power station once. At the end of the afternoon there was so much yellow sulphur particulate on the car I could write my name in it with a finger. There's a load of crap in the atmosphere all the time, and has been said, modern cars are designed from the outset to be able to cope with dusty/desert conditions. I really wouldn't worry about some microscopic bits of Iceland that you can't even see that may or may not even be around at ground level where you are driving.

[Silent1]

chris1roll said:

If I were you I'd be more worried about getting silicosis - your lungs don't have a filter on them.

Mine do, they're called my nostrils.

[Mighty Flex]

on a dry day there is far more dust and sand kicked up on just about any road then will come from this stuff. basically similar stuff, probably a fair bit of soft organic stuff in there, but lots of stuff that would do as much harm as the stuff from Iceland . This is why cars have airfilters, and even then a car engine would not suffer the same consequences. I have devised a solution for the aviation industry below:
maybe by the same logic, you should only drive your car in the rain oh no, then there may be dirt in the water. perhaps just not drive your car at all...