Hello guys! I need some advice for my 2013 buick lacrosse (it’s the 2.4 ecotec that’s like a mild hybrid). Please help me out & anybody chime in with their expertise/experience/opinion!
The vehicle has significant compression loss on 2 cylinders…(specifically the compression test reads that cylinder 1 is 160, 2 is 142, 3 is 100 & 4 is 110). The car still runs fine but is obviously on its last legs.
So after scouring the internet…I’ve come across a product called RESTORE Engine Restorer. I have one major concern with this product that I read from a website from the United Kingdom stating:
——————
“RESTORE is safe to use in standard (mechanical) VVT engines, but we do not recommend using Engine Restorer in engines that utilise high pressure engine oil to actuate or regulate the valve timing functions. These engines that use the engine oil as a hydraulic fluid to adjust cam phasing are referred to often as VVTi (Variable Valve Timing Intelligent) engines, but car manufacturers have their own nomenclature for their VVT systems, like BMW VANOS and dual VANOS, Honda VTEC and iVTEC, Mitsubishi MIVEC, Subaru ACVS and AVLS, Fiat MultiAir, Toyota VVTi etc. They all rely very heavily on clean oil of the correct viscosity to provide adequate oil pressure to control the valve timing. Engine sensors are programmed to detect changes in oil viscosity that might suggest dirt, metal debris or contaminants in the oil that could clog oil-ways, contaminate solenoids and cause valve timing to malfunction. The CSL particles in each can of Engine Restorer would be detected by these sensors, triggering the ECU to show an engine management light and possibly engine codes; the engine will run erratically and stall repeatedly - all warnings to stop the engine immediately and not to drive the car until the oil and filter have been changed to remove the Engine Restorer (or other contaminants), and refilled with the recommended specification of oil for your car
If you want to use RESTORE in a Standard (mechanical) VVT engine, clean the engine well beforehand using a proprietary flushing oil before refilling with fresh oil of the correct specification and fitting a new OEM oil filter. As an extra precaution, you can feed Engine Restorer into these engines slowly over the course of 30 minutes to 1 hour at tick-over to allow the CSL particles to circulate freely without overwhelming the narrow oil passages in these engines. If you are unsure whether your engine uses engine oil as a hydraulic fluid to actuate the VVT, call your main dealer for verification before adding RESTORE”
———————
That bit of information there has made me a little hesitant & worried to try it out. I’m thinking of draining out my current old oil, put in Pennzoil Platinum with a bottle of Amsoil engine flush & then drain again & fill her up with some conventional oil along with the Engine Restore but very slowly (like 30-60mins as the article says).
What do you folks think I should do? I don’t mind the cost of the Pennzoil & Amsoil because my brother gifts me a ton of those every now & then.
My major concern is if there’s a possibility of doing any irreversible damage instead of good on the buick lacrosse’s ECOTEC VVT engine!? Or is this only a concern to more complex VVT engines like in japanese & German cars?
Please chime in fellas!!!
