Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice

Why you should say no to an engine flush

Top 4 reasons to say no to an engine flush

Shops are really big on recommending an engine flush to everybody that walks in the door — whether they need it or not. They’ll present it as a good thing for your engine; kind of like it’s good preventative maintenance. It’s not. For the vast majority of drivers, there’s never a need for an engine flush, which is why you always say no to an engine flush. Here’s why.

Reason #1: It never really removes all the sludge or carbon buildup and the remaining deposits can break off and destroy your engine.

If done properly, an the service can remove some varnish, carbon, and sludge from your engine. However, if your engine really needs an engine flush because it has a serious sludge problem, an engine flush never really removes all of it. So the issue isn’t whether it dissolves and flushes away some of the sludge deposits — it does. But it’s what happens to the remaining deposits that causes the problems.

The engine flush chemicals wash away the surface buildup, but just softens the rest. After the flush, when you add fresh oil, the detergents in the oil cause those deposits to break off, and that’s where the big problem comes in. Those deposits can clog oil passages, causing oil starvation and complete engine failure. It happens more often than you think.

Reason #2L If you’ve neglected your engine, no engine flush can fix the damage

In simple terms, if you or the previous owner didn’t do oil changes on time and there’s sludge buildup and engine wear, a flush won’t help. The damage has already been done. Instead of wasting money on an engine flush, spend that money on more frequent oil changes to prolong the life of your engine.

Reason #3: An engine flush can cause leaks

In a neglected engine, it’s the sludge and carbon buildup deposits that fill the cracks in gaskets and seals, preventing them from leaking. If you clean out those deposits, you can open up the cracks and suddenly have leaks. You’re must better off changing your oil more often and using a high mileage oil that contains seal conditioners that soften and swell old hardened seals to prevent them from leaking.

Reason #4: Not a single carmaker recommends an engine flush service

Not a single carmaker recommends an engine flush as a routine cleaning service. In fact, most carmakers have issued service bulletins that warn their dealers NOT to perform or offer engine flushing services for routine use.

Bonus reason to say no to an engine flush

An engine flush service is really a wallet flush service. If shops really only recommended them to owners whose engines had a severe sludge problem, I might be able to justify it. But they don’t. They recommend it to everybody. You get a flush. You get a flush. You get a flush. It’s not about whether your engine needs a flush, it’s about improving the shop’s bottom line or the service writer getting a bonus for conning another sucker into an unneeded service.

What is an engine flush

An engine flush is a chemical wash of the interior of your engine. In theory, the chemical solvent dissolves carbon buildup and sludge deposits and leaves your engine cleaner. Here’s why you don’t need or want this service.

There are two flush procedures; dynamic and pour-in

A dynamic service can be the most harmful

Rather than pour the chemical solvent into the oil sump, the technician removes the oil drain plug and the oil pressure sensor. Then they connect the flush machine to the oil pressure port. During the flush procedure, the machine injects heated solvent directly into the oil pressure port, forcing it to circulate throughout your engine. The solvent and deposits drain out out of the oil pan.

By injecting the chemical solvent directly into the oil galleries at full strength, rather than diluting it in the crankcase oil, a dynamic service is supposedly more effective at removing deposits and sludge buildup.

Unfortunately, the more you’ve neglected your oil changes, the worse the buildup in your engine. That hot solvent can’t dissolve all of it, so some of it just gets softened. Later it breaks off and clogs oil passages, causing oil starvation and engine destruction.

Don’t believe me? Just do a search for engine damage due to a flush. Skip past the glowing comments from the companies that sell the chemical.

How about pour-in flushing products?

Pour-in products are added to the engine crankcase in the ratio of 10-oz. to 1-quart of oil. Most engines have 4.5 quarts of oil in the crankcase, so you’ll add about a quart of solvent to 3.5 quarts of oil. You pour the chemical solvent directly into the oil filler opening on a warm engine. Then run the engine for approximately 10-mins. at idle speed to circulate the solvent throughout the system. Then drain the oil and remove the filter. Replace with fresh oil and a new filter.

First, you never want to run your engine with solvent diluted oil. Second, 5-10 minutes isn’t enough time to do much of anything. Yeah, it’ll wash off the surface oil, but any clean oil can do that. If you neglect your engine, no chemical can bring it back to life. If you maintain your engine, you don’t need any of these snake oil products.

 

engine flush products

 

©, 2021 Rick Muscoplat

Posted on by Rick Muscoplat



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