Engine flush, bad for your engine?

[sparks_E39]

I'm not considering doing mine, my indie reccomends against it anyway. I've heard mostly bad things about getting the engine flushed, largely that the engine dies soon afterwards. Would you have yours done?

[TheEnd]

Some of it is from dislodging accumulated crud that has built up, and it'd be similar to a blood clot moving about.
It's usually recommended to either do it a lot, or if it has never been done, let it lie as it's better to keep the bad bits stuck to where they sit.

[Captain Muppet]

What does it say in the handbook written by the people who designed, built, tested, validated and then sold the engine with a waranty?

I suspect it doesn't tell you to pour random chemicals in to your engine. Deviate from a validated and reliable maintenance plan only if you are willing to take part in an experiment to prove or disprove the existance of magic engine improvement fluid.

Still, placebo effect has been proven to work, so there is at least one scientific benefit.

[littleredrooster]

If it's been run on modern oils with regular changes as per manufacturer's schedule, no; waste of time and money.

[GBTurbo]

TheEnd said:

Some of it is from dislodging accumulated crud that has built up, and it'd be similar to a blood clot moving about.
It's usually recommended to either do it a lot, or if it has never been done, let it lie as it's better to keep the bad bits stuck to where they sit.

I'd agree with this

[Astra Dan]

The only thing I'm pouring in my engines is quality engine oil. End of.

[Mr GrimNasty]

I've heard gossip to the effect that it can kill certain engines easier than others, like the VW PD units where there is high contact pressure with the cam lobes (or whatever!) and constant high lubricity is vital.

[B'stard Child]

I'm not a fan of flushes or snake oil aditives

Good oil changed at reasonable intervals is the best practice

If I've bought a car in the past that may been intermittantly serviced - I just adopt a regime of 1000 mile oil changes - softest way to clean internals

I am however convince that flushing solutions are miss-used - read the instructions and follow it to the letter

I'm sure people think if it says leave in for 10 mins at tickover that doesn't seem like good value so driving the car around for a week with it circulating round is better

[crosseyedlion]

Here's food for thought.

EVERY member of the popular 'good garage scheme' HAS to run an engine flush (sold by the folks who run the scheme) with every service. Its the rules for them. Very fishy.

As a TVR tech I'm not a fan of engine flushes or the scheme to be honest.

[All that jazz]

I don't think I'd have the balls to put it in a modern (last 10 yrs ish) engine as they don't seem to take abuse too well like older engines did, but I chucked a can of Forte engine flush in my 10 yr old Nova GTe which had 12 previous owners and 90k on the clock when I bought (along with a sketchy service history) and it went on to do 225k on the same engine without needing any repairs. There was a monumental amount of crap in the bottom of the oil bowl when I dropped it out so it clearly did something. After that I changed the oil every 6-8k using Castrol Magnatec and the engine was still going strong at 225k when rust killed it.

[Deluded]

I usually do a flush with an oil change. Never had any oil related issues in any of my cars.

I wouldn't say they are bad for an engine.. they do what they say on the bottle and clean the crap out, and if that crap is holding the engine together, it will cause problems.

As said, either do it religiously with ever change or don't bother.

Edited by Deluded on Thursday 14th June 20:51

[Ozzie Osmond]

Captain Muppet said:

What does it say in the handbook written by the people who designed, built, tested, validated and then sold the engine with a waranty?

Exactly. My engine was built to run with Mobil 1 in it, not washing-up liquid.

[Stick Legs]

B'stard Child said:

I'm not a fan of flushes or snake oil aditives

Good oil changed at reasonable intervals is the best practice

If I've bought a car in the past that may been intermittantly serviced - I just adopt a regime of 1000 mile oil changes - softest way to clean internals

I am however convince that flushing solutions are miss-used - read the instructions and follow it to the letter

I'm sure people think if it says leave in for 10 mins at tickover that doesn't seem like good value so driving the car around for a week with it circulating round is better

Thanks, saved me typing this out myself!

[mclwanB]

Invalidates the warranty on VAG group cars if performed. Go figure!

[Dog Star]

Astra Dan said:

The only thing I'm pouring in my engines is quality engine oil. End of.

+1

I've no doubt (for a reason) that the engine flushes peddled by many garages, a Four Tay flush probably, are just a total scam.

I recently had my car in to have some work done and it was vibrating - when the garage owner suggested the fault might be rectified by some magic gadget that ran stuff through the engine (attached to the injector rail) that would clean the injectors, plugs and cats he unknowingly ensured that he will never get my business again. Just do a proper job ffs!

[All that jazz]

Dog Star said:

+1

I've no doubt (for a reason) that the engine flushes peddled by many garages, a Four Tay flush probably, are just a total scam.

I recently had my car in to have some work done and it was vibrating - when the garage owner suggested the fault might be rectified by some magic gadget that ran stuff through the engine (attached to the injector rail) that would clean the injectors, plugs and cats he unknowingly ensured that he will never get my business again. Just do a proper job ffs!

Would that be the same gadget that Ed China used on the XK8 in Wheeler Dealers a couple of months back? Worked a treat according to him.

ETA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JDlRKFFERg @ 6:45

Edited by All that jazz on Friday 15th June 00:02

[B'stard Child]

Dog Star said:

I recently had my car in to have some work done and it was vibrating - when the garage owner suggested the fault might be rectified by some magic gadget that ran stuff through the engine (attached to the injector rail) that would clean the injectors, plugs and cats he unknowingly ensured that he will never get my business again. Just do a proper job ffs!

Actually I have had some experience of that process (or a similar one) - admittedly it was mid 1980's but I had a intermittant miss as well as hot starting issues on a very leggy four pot engine that I reckoned was down to a dirty injector letting by. I'd chucked a couple of cans of injector cleaner in the tank and that hadn't helped at all.

Local garage was touting for trade on this fuel injection/engine cleaner - plugs into the fuel feed and return and run the engine on it at a fast idle for 10 mins - half normal rates - 1/20 th of the price of four new injectors which was the direction I was going to go.

Miss cured and never had another issue in the next 60K miles with hot starts......

I was quite impressed

[TheEnd]

That's something that even Jasper Carrot mentioned in a sketch years ago ("Are you embarrassed by your earwax? then you need xxxxxx")

Essentially you create a problem, tell everyone, then have the cure ready.
Carbon build up on pistons isn't a bad thing unless you have loads of it and it's causing detonation problems.

Infact, if you get some build up that raises your compression level a little, you'd probably gain a little power.

I'm not a fan of any fix for a car you never knew had a problem in the first place.

[S0 What]

Dog Star said:

+1

I've no doubt (for a reason) that the engine flushes peddled by many garages, a Four Tay flush probably, are just a total scam.

I recently had my car in to have some work done and it was vibrating - when the garage owner suggested the fault might be rectified by some magic gadget that ran stuff through the engine (attached to the injector rail) that would clean the injectors, plugs and cats he unknowingly ensured that he will never get my business again. Just do a proper job ffs!

The propper job being removing the injectors and doing the same thing on a rig, the suggestion you avoided is cheaper whilst doing the same job.
I've saved many an engine with flush but i prefer the already mentiond many oil changes as a more gentle way to do it, it really depends on the engine and or the worth of the vehical TBH.

[WhoseGeneration]

We recommend xxxxx engine flush. Seen on many main dealers' service reception desks.
Worthwhile, or merely added value for the dealer?