Oil, Engine, Injector treatments. Are they worth it?

[nicky.mattsson]

Hi all

I am doing a bit of a service on my car, it hesitates a bit when accelerating so i think it would benefit from new plugs, leads, oil etc. Question is do the myriad of treatments available really do anything? Is it worth shoving this stuff in the engine or are the nothing more than a gimmick?

I was thinking of doing the Engine/Oil flush as well as the injector cleaners, they all promise lots of stuff like improved power, fuel consumption etc. But i am always a bit wary of things that promise stuff like that.

Nick

[anonymous-user]

Fill it with super and give it an Italian tune up

[Defcon5]

I wouldnt bother with an engine flush tbh. Injector cleaner may do some good, as would cleaning the throttle body with carb cleaner if it has some sort of PCV without a catch tank, they tend to get gunked up

[Muncher]

They're pretty much all snake oil, avoid them!

[louismchuge]

How many snakes do they milk to fill a bottle?

[nicky.mattsson]

I have heard some good things about the Engine Flush from Wynn. Ignore my profile, i now have a MX5 and the HLA's are noise on sartup. I have been told the above product can help cure it....

[j44esd]

nicky.mattsson said:

I have heard some good things about the Engine Flush from Wynn. Ignore my profile, i now have a MX5 and the HLA's are noise on sartup. I have been told the above product can help cure it....

It certainly quietens them down, just tried it at my last service - I find that using good quality oil of the right viscosity helps also, then have another change if they go noisy again, meh, works for me!

[nicky.mattsson]

j44esd said:

nicky.mattsson said:

I have heard some good things about the Engine Flush from Wynn. Ignore my profile, i now have a MX5 and the HLA's are noise on sartup. I have been told the above product can help cure it....

It certainly quietens them down, just tried it at my last service - I find that using good quality oil of the right viscosity helps also, then have another change if they go noisy again, meh, works for me!

Yeah im researching oils now, MX Parts reccomend 10W40, a lot of OC members reccomend 5W30. What is your preference? As for make im looking at Silkolene, its quite highly rated i believe.

[j44esd]

nicky.mattsson said:

j44esd said:

nicky.mattsson said:

I have heard some good things about the Engine Flush from Wynn. Ignore my profile, i now have a MX5 and the HLA's are noise on sartup. I have been told the above product can help cure it....

It certainly quietens them down, just tried it at my last service - I find that using good quality oil of the right viscosity helps also, then have another change if they go noisy again, meh, works for me!

Yeah im researching oils now, MX Parts reccomend 10W40, a lot of OC members reccomend 5W30. What is your preference? As for make im looking at Silkolene, its quite highly rated i believe.

10W40 Mobil 1 for me - works a treat!

[Defcon5]

j44esd said:

10W40 Mobil 1 for me - works a treat!

You mean 0w-40?

[Munter]

Defcon5 said:

j44esd said:

10W40 Mobil 1 for me - works a treat!

You mean 0w-40?

Thats what I use. 0w-40 Mobil1. No significant HLA clatter until it's overdue a service....oops.

Opie oils seem to suggest Silkolene PRO S 5W-40 as well.

I think 0w is rated down to -40 or something silly for us. So either should be a good choice.

[inman999]

The thinner oil will make the tappets noisier. I would stick to a 40 weight oil. On mine the injectors are noisier than the HLA's.

Personally I use Wynn's engine flush with each oil change.

Don't add any additives to your oil.

[j44esd]

Defcon5 said:

j44esd said:

10W40 Mobil 1 for me - works a treat!

You mean 0w-40?

No, 10W40 Semi-synth, not fully though - was recomended to me by MX5 Parts and by my mechanic and as previously discussed complete with Wynns engine flush at each service has worked great for me! No HLA clatter (Although as another poster mentioned it is *kind* of like a service interval notifier... ) But as ever YMMV.

NB: If you can suggest something better though, I will more than happily try it at the next service.

EDIT: Actually - I see your point, I have generically called it Mobil '1' and it is actually Mobil Super 2000 (I am sad enough to have gone to the garage and checked...)

Edited by j44esd on Saturday 17th July 18:17

[Ozzie Osmond]

Never, ever, do an engine oil flush on any car built in the last 50 years. You will damage the engine, not help it.

Injector treatments are IMO pure snake oil. Not aware they do any harm though.

[Paul Drawmer]

Modern (say in the last 40 years) oils have detergent in them that collects impurities and carries them to the filter, or dissolves them in the oil. Provided that the oil is changed regularly and when hot, then those impurities will either be dissolved in the oil and dropped in the waste oil pan, or be removed with the filter when it is replaced.

There is no need to flush with anything. Engine flush was a good idea before oils got better at doing their job. Present day engine flushing is a profit opportunity for the service garage.

Oil additives are interesting. In a world where oil companies spend zillions on formulating oils for different specifications for different engines, how does the use of: "a large can for a big engine, small can for a small engine" fit in?

Note that I am not an engineer, I know nothing about oil formulation, and am only expressing an amateur opinion.

Edited by Paul Drawmer on Sunday 18th July 06:46

[Negative Creep]

j44esd said:

nicky.mattsson said:

I have heard some good things about the Engine Flush from Wynn. Ignore my profile, i now have a MX5 and the HLA's are noise on sartup. I have been told the above product can help cure it....

It certainly quietens them down, just tried it at my last service - I find that using good quality oil of the right viscosity helps also, then have another change if they go noisy again, meh, works for me!

I used Wynns tappet treatment (can't remember the exact name, looks like syrup and comes in a clear container) and quietened mine down for 6 weeks or so

[nicky.mattsson]

Interesting reading, much the same as i have seen elsewhere. Some people love it, some hate it. I admit i will try the engine flush, just for the sake of the HLA's. No harm in trying. I was also interested in the Ijector cleaners, im going to guess there is a 'proper' way of getting the injectors cleaned, what is it and roughly how much is it going to set me back?

Nick

[MX7]

nicky.mattsson said:

Interesting reading, much the same as i have seen elsewhere. Some people love it, some hate it. I admit i will try the engine flush, just for the sake of the HLA's. No harm in trying. I was also interested in the Ijector cleaners, im going to guess there is a 'proper' way of getting the injectors cleaned, what is it and roughly how much is it going to set me back?

Nick

I've just had it done. It cost me just under £50 for 4, including p&p, and the guy sent me before and after videos, as well as cleaned and repainted them.

[j44esd]

MX7 said:

nicky.mattsson said:

Interesting reading, much the same as i have seen elsewhere. Some people love it, some hate it. I admit i will try the engine flush, just for the sake of the HLA's. No harm in trying. I was also interested in the Ijector cleaners, im going to guess there is a 'proper' way of getting the injectors cleaned, what is it and roughly how much is it going to set me back?

Nick

I've just had it done. It cost me just under £50 for 4, including p&p, and the guy sent me before and after videos, as well as cleaned and repainted them.

To be honest, that sounds like a good deal, where was that? (If you don't mind me asking)

[MX7]

j44esd said:

MX7 said:

nicky.mattsson said:

Interesting reading, much the same as i have seen elsewhere. Some people love it, some hate it. I admit i will try the engine flush, just for the sake of the HLA's. No harm in trying. I was also interested in the Ijector cleaners, im going to guess there is a 'proper' way of getting the injectors cleaned, what is it and roughly how much is it going to set me back?

Nick

I've just had it done. It cost me just under £50 for 4, including p&p, and the guy sent me before and after videos, as well as cleaned and repainted them.

To be honest, that sounds like a good deal, where was that? (If you don't mind me asking)

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=49683