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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHWhat do you think of my fuzzy magnet?
Leading reported evidence
Install magnetic plug
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Read evidence and context
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
My car has over 117k miles and this is the first oil change(5k miles ago) since I've installed the magnetic plug.
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Suggestion
Check the oil baffles to make sure they are ok, clean the oil pump screen free of debris if there is any, and then put it back together with fresh oil.
Leading evidence: 'Install magnetic plug' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check oil baffles' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I have changed my oil every 5k miles since 36k miles.
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Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
Check the oil baffles to make sure they are ok, clean the oil pump screen free of debris if there is any, and then put it back together with fresh oil.
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Suggestion
I wouldn't worry too much about the debris on the magnet until you check the oil filter.
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Suggestion
I would very carefully inspect your oil filter with a magnet & repeat all this in 1-2 thousand miles including removing sump plate.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Check oil baffles
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Reported fixes
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Unsuccessful attempts
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Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Check the oil baffles to make sure they are ok, clean the oil pump screen free of debris if there is any, and then put it back together with fresh oil.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
23 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261027T064914Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Are those pieces of metal, and if so, what size are they? Its hard to tell from the photos. I get a "sludge" of metalic debris on mine, with no discernable pieces of metal.
What did the filter look like, any metal in it?
What magnification is that? Pics of Oil Filter?
Too much ferrous debris. Oil leakage at the bellhousing engine seam?
I have had LNS mag plug in for two oil changes and have not seen anything like that.
Cut your filter open and look there for large bits, how long have you had your magnetic plug in the car, if it is a recent addition, this could be just debris built up over time that has accumulated now that you have the magnet there, all engines, gearboxes etc will shed a bit of metal, as they wear.
I have read many post about the IMS guardian but I would be curious to know if that is the kind of ferous debris that indicate a failing IMS.
I don't remember reading anything making an relationship between the magnetic plug debris and an IMS failure.
It would be nice to see more people equipped with the magnetic plug post how much debris this plug collects.
The IMS Guardian is exactly the same system used on aircraft, if the metal is large enough to cross the gap between the outer edge magnet and the center probe it will give a light (close the circuit), you would have to get quite a lot of small debris build up to get that to happen
I have changed my oil every 5k miles since 36k miles.
Maybe I haven't been clear enough. My car has over 117k miles and this is the first oil change(5k miles ago) since I've installed the magnetic plug. So what you see is 117k miles of metals finally being caught by this magnet over the past 5k miles.
He could have 117K miles worth of small metal wear particles that reside in the crevices of the sump plate.
To the OP:
I wouldn't worry too much about the debris on the magnet until you check the oil filter. If the filter has a bunch of metal in it then I would be concerned.
At your next oil change, I would remove the sump plate and see what you find sitting in the bottom of it. Check the oil baffles to make sure they are ok, clean the oil pump screen free of debris if there is any, and then put it back together with fresh oil. That's what I intend to do during my next change.
My LN mag plug always has what I would describe as "metalic hairs" on it. Before I rebuilt the engine the hairs were thicker than after the rebuild. Your debris is thicker than I have ever had but I can't judge the size from your photo. If you touched it with your bare finger is it smaller than a salt granule? I would very carefully inspect your oil filter with a magnet & repeat all this in 1-2 thousand miles including removing sump plate.
This is ferromagnetic "fuzz". It is attracted to the MCD of the IMS Guardian but that amount more than likely would not have triggered an IMS Alert. The IMSG may have begun to emit a very faint squeal, thus telling the driver that the engine had ferromagnetic particles present. These particles can mean you went too long between oil services, or that you have elevated wear metals in the engine. The difference between a full blown IMS Alert and the sound that is emitted when ferromagnetic fuzz has accumulated is like night and day. I designed this into the system from day one.
The IMSG was designed around a 5,000 mile oil service interval, specifically. It is very critical that these service intervals be followed.
Based on what I see in this picture the oil would be about normal for an 8-10,000 mile service interval, but the material looks to be heavily laden with the materials that we typically see come from worn camshafts or lifters and even timing chains.
I'd clean that magnet and run a short service interval of 2500 miles to see how much accumulates and then report back. Or you can monitor the condition from the driver's seat using my IMS Guardian system :-)
So is the TEST sound when you press the button on the Guardian, the full blown alert volume? If not, and the alarm is louder, that would be a nice feature. The test tone is pretty quiet, IMHO. If I saw that amount of metal fuzz on my LN Magnetic Drain plug, I would have **** a brick. I had mine for 2 oil changes prior to installing the IMS Guardian, and never had a bit of anything on it.
