My regular mechanic recommends using a commercial engine flush treatment with every oil change.It's something like $15-20 on top of the oil & filter.Recently done some reading online where people were saying to NEVER go near the stuff as the detergents will shorten the life of your engine seals and gaskets.What are people's thoughts on here!Is it a good idea, or are regular oil changes all that's needed to keep your motor healthy!
thegravelracer,
Oct 10, 12:16am
If you have a 200kms+ engine i wouldn't engine flush anyway .bad idea
desmodave,
Oct 10, 12:19am
Iused a bottle of engine flush once on a isuzu 2.8 diesel before an oil change. A few days later the engine started to make a tapping noise due to abugged small end bearing. I still have a bottle of the stuff thats been in my garage for a good 15 years , to scared to use it. I just stick to regular oil changes
ceebee2,
Oct 10, 12:43am
Think about what you are trying to achieve with an engine flush.dislodge all the crud that's sticking to the cylinder walls, sump and anywhere else. Where will all that crud me pumped when it loosens.through the oil pump for starters then eventually to the tiny "lash adjusters, hydraulic lifters" that may / will block up and cause more issues. Personally I do not recommend it at all.
thegravelracer,
Oct 10, 1:58am
I agree x3 also .I have spoken to and helped out many a professional mech and just about every one of them is 100% against ever using engine flush ,as the kms go higher the more likley things will go wrong
jason18,
Oct 10, 2:26am
3x must be true!
xpfairmont,
Oct 10, 2:44am
you need a new mechanic by the sounds of it
trdbzr,
Oct 10, 3:14am
Don't do engine oil flush. Just do oil changes at proper intervals and use good quality oil.
raymond00001,
Oct 10, 3:45am
Sounds like he's trying to milk you. As others said you risk dislodging the 'pondscum' and having it lodge or block somewhere vital. Find a new mechanic
muzzaandmich,
Oct 10, 3:52am
No Not Now .No Not Never ,,,,, I had a import. Had the motor and auto flushed. Oil Leaks everywhere Would not ever recommend flushing oilsjust do the changes on time All sorted
jason_247,
Oct 10, 5:41am
hmmm not sure i agree with all this advice
yes it can show up rattles in lifters and oil leaks etc
but thats only if the sludge has been keeping the lifters over extended or blocking up oil leaks
the sludge itself isnt good for an engine just sitting there, blocking oil galleries and squirters
i use flush but usually on engines that have heaps of build up in it
if engine is well maintained stick with a good oil at good intervals
if you are going to use $10 oil every 50000kms then use a flush
mantagsi,
Oct 10, 6:09am
if you keep up with regular oil/filter changes, not sure why you would ever need engine flush in the first place :) Yeah, keep away from the stuff!
zephyrheaven,
Oct 10, 6:21am
I love the internet
NZTools,
Oct 10, 6:45am
Really! I have had a customers car run the bigend bearings and stuff the cam while it was sitting on my hoist with an engine flush circulating in the engine. Stripdown revealed that all the shit that had been stripped off the inside of the rocker cover, off therockers, head, internal faces of the block and sump, and gathered aroundtheoil pickup and completely blocked it Next thing you know, I'm doing an engine rebuild for free, because I reccomended an engine flush.
Never ever again.
dent,
Oct 10, 6:46am
last time i used some it created an oil leak from a crank seal.
ceebee2,
Oct 10, 6:57am
Gees I hate trade me with the slow load.sorry all for the repetition! Repetition!
heavydee,
Oct 10, 7:12am
That's good enough reason for me to avoid the stuff.It seems like if your motor's in good nick then a flush would be unnecessary and if it's in poor condition it's likely to do more harm than good.
cretin,
Oct 10, 7:34am
Your better off to do two oil changes in quick sucession. cheap oil first, run the vehicle for about 200k's then change the oil for a good quality oil, remembering to change oilfilters each time. This in my experince works way better than any engineflush
fourinarow,
Oct 10, 8:02am
Diesel oil can be used to flush the motor out, run it for a short while then drain and top up with regular petrol engine oil
edangus,
Oct 10, 8:05am
I killed one of me 4ages doing that also killed a Evo doing it.
First time, I blamed bad luck. Second time, I blamed a bad decision to flush another engine.
kandjaja,
Oct 11, 4:29am
What about for an SR20 'sludge-o-rama' with the inherent camshaft oil gallery quirk!
thewomble1,
Oct 11, 12:23pm
Use 'diesel' oil as your regular oil. It says on the containers suitable for petrol and diesel motors.
mrfxit,
Oct 11, 8:10pm
THAT . would be a "Multi grade Fleet" oil. Full spec diesel oil simply ISN'T suitable for petrol engines due to the amount of detergents used plus a few other factors
"Multi grade Fleet" oil's are best suited to fairly recent engines such as light trucks & petrol 4x4's. In other words, light to medium duty 4x4's & light trucks includingpetrol & diesel engines
sifty,
Oct 11, 9:02pm
That's what I do with my 'summer' car.
magicmat,
Oct 11, 9:06pm
Crikey, I was thinking of doing this to my car but from the posts in here I think I will definitely give it a miss and stick with regular oil+filter changes!
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