Jamz3k

Whats the opinions on using Engine flushes when doing an Oil Change. My oil needs changed in the next 1kmiles and as its now over 100k I was considering using one of those engine flushing chemicals. Is this a useful thing to do for a higher mileaged petrol engine?

What engine flush would you recommend?

SHUGSTERC

i wouldnt use any of the engine flushes i just done mine after fixin a leak and i filled it with cheap engine oil ran for a bit then dropped it an filled with the good stuff

hodgy0_2

yep I would do 2 in quick succession, the first one with cheap oil, then a few hundred miles later repeat with "full fat" oil

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Cant see the point, new oil and filter will get rid of 99 percent of the oil and the new oil will dilute anything left out, engine flush stuff is usually for engines that have had an issue like a head gasket failure to clean out emulsion or whatever, for an otherwise healthy engine its overkill.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

As above. just change the oil. No need to do a flush unless you have had serious engine issues.

Maz

iTrader: (34)

I would also advise changing the oil whilst it's nice and hot, just be careful though!

pslewis

NO to Engine Flush!!!

I used it around 1995 on my Calibra and then the hydraulic tappets became noisy - never to quieten again!!!!

Talked to an old Mechanic then and he said that no engine should need any flush at all .. it always causes issues!!!!

tony de wonderful

I agree 100%. Why put cheap and nasty crap from Halfords in your engine because it supposedly 'cleans' it? If your engine oil is coming in a state you need to change the filter and oil more frequently.

tony de wonderful

What exactly do you think it is going to 'flush' out?

Leslie

Are you saying it is over 100K miles since your oil was changed?

Les

CrisPDuk

Engine Flush is great for getting that thick black treacle out of engines that haven't seen a spanner in decades

But if the engine is healthy and has been regularly serviced, leave well alone, the additives in good quality modern oils do a perfectly satisfactory job every day

paulr

My brother is an F1 mechanic and he told me never to use engine flush. It dislodges stuff, only for it to block oilways.

JAutos

iTrader: (5)

Avoid engine flush, if you do use it always do as mentioned 2 quick oil changes with 200 miles between them.

Jamz3k

I am unsure which is why I am asking about using them.

My oil has been changed rougly every 8K miles as the twinny and it topped up regularly. The car itself has 115K miles on it roughly.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Smash a few answers together and you are about right - it can shift rubbish from old engines that haven't been serviced in a while but it doesn't necessarily melt it or move it properly just loosen it. That is potentially what happened to the Calibra, it actually ungummed them a bit and that made them noisy!

Still, you can end up with rubbish swimming about in your new oil which can then block oil paths. That's why the recommendation is to do another one a few hundred miles later so you can be surer the rubbish is all out.

You can actually do it with ATF fluid if you want. Not recommended really but it will have a similar result. If you look at Wynn's Engine Flush it doesn't look far off ATF fluid anyway!

5t.

Leslie

Yes ok, I misunderstood you of course.

I have never used flushing oil but if the oil is beginning to look very black and a bit turgid when you do the change, it might be worth giving it a flush.

Quite a bit of conflicting advice about using it, might be worth a bit of thought about it before you do try it.

Les