Engine flush 61,000 miles result

[ollie]

The OP isn't alone. Many on here have a "money flush" when they buy a new car and immediately change out the factory fill. It's no difference.

Lot's of money flushing on BITOG...."just because".

The smart owner of a new vehicle always does a low mile oil change to remove assembly contaminants. It's not a "just because" reason.

I for sure have no proof on how well flushes work other than my motors running much smoother afterwords and subsequent oil changes draining clean.

For me it was worth the 10 bucks. I change my oil every 3,000-5,000 miles with Mobil1 or any other cheap synthetic available. My 4.3 liter motor is pushing 135,000 miles. I got the truck at 58,000 miles and have been really good on the oil changes.

My last truck was sold with 302,000 miles. Again 3,000-5,000 oil changes and a few oil flushes during the life of the motor. I know it's time to use a flush when my dipstick is dark at oil change time. From my experience the dipstick should remain clear between oil changes.

 

[Rat407]

2,000-mile oil changes with Synthetic Super Tech. The inside of the engine will stay spotless!

 

[DGXR]

The smart owner of a new vehicle always does a low mile oil change to remove assembly contaminants. It's not a "just because" reason.

I for sure have no proof on how well flushes work other than my motors running much smoother afterwords and subsequent oil changes draining clean.

For me it was worth the 10 bucks. I change my oil every 3,000-5,000 miles with Mobil1 or any other cheap synthetic available. My 4.3 liter motor is pushing 135,000 miles. I got the truck at 58,000 miles and have been really good on the oil changes.

My last truck was sold with 302,000 miles. Again 3,000-5,000 oil changes and a few oil flushes during the life of the motor. I know it's time to use a flush when my dipstick is dark at oil change time. From my experience the dipstick should remain clear between oil changes.

The oil should slowly change color (get darker) during a service interval because it suspends contaminants/carbon and cleans deposits. If your oil is not changing color after several thousand miles, something is wrong. Unless your engine has a bypass filtration system, of course.

2,000-mile oil changes with Synthetic Super Tech. The inside of the engine will stay spotless!

True, but what a waste of good oil.

 

[UncleDave]

The smart owner of a new vehicle always does a low mile oil change to remove assembly contaminants. It's not a "just because" reason.

I did this up until I bought my first Honda.

They specifically instruct you to leave the factory fill in for the entire duration claiming the moly in the assembly lube aids the break in procedure.

The dealer told me they would not change the oil until the onboard MM was down to to 20% or less.
( I do my own oil changes so I dont care about what they will or wont do)

Who to trust?

My own life of practice and engine care, built upon a family Olds and Oliver tractor dealership and the occasional sprint car engine, or the manufacturer of the vehicle?

UD

 

[ollie]

Well I finished my flush. I used the Motor Medic this time. In the past I always used ATF added to the oil to flush. The Motor medic has diesel in It which works really well at cleaning the motor.

I then filled with my old standby LiquiMoly Mso2 added to the Mobil 1. As expected my truck runs and idles lot smoother. I'm hoping to run the wheels off this truck like my last one.

I did this up until I bought my first Honda.

They specifically instruct you to leave the factory fill in for the entire duration claiming the moly in the assembly lube aids the break in procedure.

The dealer told me they would not change the oil until the onboard MM was down to to 20% or less.
( I do my own oil changes so I dont care about what they will or wont do)

Who to trust?

My own life of practice and engine care, built upon a family Olds and Oliver tractor dealership and the occasional sprint car engine, or the manufacturer of the vehicle?

UD

I always drain the factory oil and refill with conventional oil to seat the rings. Some manufacturers fill with synthetic right away. I don't buy into the moly aiding with break in (accept 1st startup on rebuilt/new motor). Nor do I agree with assembling a motor and using synthetic oil to seat the rings.

The oil should slowly change color (get darker) during a service interval because it suspends contaminants/carbon and cleans deposits. If your oil is not changing color after several thousand miles, something is wrong. Unless your engine has a bypass filtration system, of course.

I agree that oil should change color as it is cleaning. What I don't like is at 3,000 miles the dipstick is almost black. This tells me that a lot of deposits are in the motor. I had this same issue at about 150,000 miles on my last truck. I added a quart of ATF with the normal oil and ran it for a change cycle. Did a drain and for the rest of the life of the truck my oil changes were pretty clean.

My wife's Lexus oil is super clean between oil changes. It's pushing 120,000 miles.

 

[TiGeo]

I've used the Liquimoly Proline Engine Flush my last 2 changes with no drama. Here is a before/after UOA from the first time I used it at 35K. Doesn't show much difference beyond the drop in viscosity and that would make sense as the engine only had 35K with regular oil changes and using high-quality oil. I can't see where there is any harm in using these products and if it removes even the smallest bits of build up then great - I don't believe I'm going to release some clump of crap that then blocks my turbo's oil line and grenades it. The LM product is about $10, hardly draining my wallet for something you can use once every 20K or so. Do I think it's necessary? Not really - this is the first vehicle I've owned that I have ever used one of these products. Per LM, this product has some of the same detergent additives as in their oils but at higher concentrations obviously - I would think they are all about the same and Amsoil's product would be similar. I was always under the impression that these products were kerosene/solvent based.

 

[kschachn]

This thread has to be the most full of confirmation bias, wive’s tales and outright nonsense I’ve ever seen. So much posted with zero objective evidence to support subjective claims and then faulty conclusions made on unsupported observations. Wow.

 

[kschachn]

Well I finished my flush. I used the Motor Medic this time. In the past I always used ATF added to the oil to flush. The Motor medic has diesel in It which works really well at cleaning the motor.

I then filled with my old standby LiquiMoly Mso2 added to the Mobil 1. As expected my truck runs and idles lot smoother. I'm hoping to run the wheels off this truck like my last one.



I always drain the factory oil and refill with conventional oil to seat the rings. Some manufacturers fill with synthetic right away. I don't buy into the moly aiding with break in (accept 1st startup on rebuilt/new motor). Nor do I agree with assembling a motor and using synthetic oil to seat the rings.



I agree that oil should change color as it is cleaning. What I don't like is at 3,000 miles the dipstick is almost black. This tells me that a lot of deposits are in the motor. I had this same issue at about 150,000 miles on my last truck. I added a quart of ATF with the normal oil and ran it for a change cycle. Did a drain and for the rest of the life of the truck my oil changes were pretty clean.

My wife's Lexus oil is super clean between oil changes. It's pushing 120,000 miles.

You are just posting stuff that has no basis in reality and stating it as though it is established fact. Do you really believe this nonsense or are you just posting it to try and get a negative response out of the board?

 

[OilReport99]

Probably both.

 

[partspro]

back in the day, when adam wore short pants and i still lived in ENGLAND, i flushed at EVERY oil change. this was on 998cc minis and 1275cc two carb systems. the were flogged hard i can tell you

 

[TiGeo]

This thread has to be the most full of confirmation bias, wive’s tales and outright nonsense I’ve ever seen. So much posted with zero objective evidence to support subjective claims and then faulty conclusions made on unsupported observations. Wow.

You mean like I once used some oil additives and it cured my erectile dysfunction? I am obviously joking and do not disagree with your points but this is the flavor of many posts/topics here on BITOG w/r to different oil types/brands/specs that nobody actually has any hard evidence to show make any differences. For the flushes, I have said in a few posts on the subject that I have no idea if it helps but I also know my engine hasn't suffered a failure/issues b/c of it which just means...nothing I suppose. The UOAs I did before/after didn't provide anything to me that supports it did a thing. Probably would need to do this on a much older engine that had more build-up etc. and that may show that it helped remove "stuff".

 

[CKN]

The smart owner of a new vehicle always does a low mile oil change to remove assembly contaminants. It's not a "just because" reason.

I for sure have no proof on how well flushes work other than my motors running much smoother afterwords and subsequent oil changes draining clean.

For me it was worth the 10 bucks. I change my oil every 3,000-5,000 miles with Mobil1 or any other cheap synthetic available. My 4.3 liter motor is pushing 135,000 miles. I got the truck at 58,000 miles and have been really good on the oil changes.

My last truck was sold with 302,000 miles. Again 3,000-5,000 oil changes and a few oil flushes during the life of the motor. I know it's time to use a flush when my dipstick is dark at oil change time. From my experience the dipstick should remain clear between oil changes.

No oil-doesn't remain clear if it's doing it's job in your motor. The vast majority of vehicle owners do not do what you do and have motor longevity as well.

Your statement is another "money flush" rational-and zero evidence you motor will last longer than anybody else doing manufacturers OCI or following a maintenance minder.

 

[ollie]

You are just posting stuff that has no basis in reality and stating it as though it is established fact. Do you really believe this nonsense or are you just posting it to try and get a negative response out of the board?

The only negative and adolescent responses created out of the board, are by the person typing them. I'm sharing my results so they might help out another member decide if it's for them. How about we keep it polite and civil like adults?

No oil-doesn't remain clear if it's doing it's job in your motor. The vast majority of vehicle owners do not do what you do and have motor longevity as well.

Your statement is another "money flush" rational-and zero evidence you motor will last longer than anybody else doing manufacturers OCI or following a maintenance minder.

I have zero evidence that my motor will last longer with a flush, just as you have zero evidence that yours will last longer without. I am simply posting something that works for me. It's sad that their are keyboard warriors that have nothing better to do than argue, dispute, and make childish comments on anything that they don't agree with.

I'm all into maintaining my vehicles the way I see fit. I like having a smooth running motor and getting the best mileage possible. An occasional flush on the motor helps me achieve that goal. It is all part of my maintenance schedule that I have followed for many years.

 

[kschachn]

Well we can go through it one-by-one then if you wish.

You're using a flush when you really don't have any idea whether one is needed or not. And your primary benefit is that the engine "runs and idles a lot smoother", both of those are not related to the engine oil. If anything they are related to fuel or the fuel system.

You state that you drain out the factory oil and refill with conventional oil to "seat the rings". Most synthetic oils are Group III base stock which is chemically identical to a conventional oil, no manufacturer is using a pure PAO oil in the initial fill. There is zero evidence that a standard synthetic oil will prevent ring seating, that is a very old wive's tale that has no basis in reality.

You're worried that the oil is changing color and this is somehow related to cleaning. But if your engine has been maintained as well as you state it has, what possible "cleaning" is going on? You say it is because there are a "lot of deposits" but you don't really know this is the case do you? You only imagine this because it is what you wish to believe, you're stuck on the idea that dark oil is "bad". But again this is not technically accurate, as has been discussed here multiple times by people who are a lot more knowledgeable than I am, oil turns dark for a variety of reasons unrelated to "cleaning".

You state that you add ATF to the normal oil to clean the engine. This is complete nonsense. ATF has less detergents than a modern fully-formulated motor oil, so all you're really accomplishing is to dilute the detergents in the motor oil by adding the ATF. It accomplishes nothing and in fact it is detrimental to your objective. Therefore the conclusion that it kept the oil clean for the remainder of the life of the truck is unwarranted.

Does that help?

 

[Astro14]

I didn’t do your flush, or add break in oil, and the 30 years later, the engine is still going strong at 300,000 miles.

The million mile Tundra went 10,000 miles on the factory fill, with no flushes, no additives.

So...

Do what you like, but I don’t see why your regimen is needed. It’s a wallet flush.

 

[TiGeo]

I didn’t do your flush, or add break in oil, and the 30 years later, the engine is still going strong at 300,000 miles.

The million mile Tundra went 10,000 miles on the factory fill, with no flushes, no additives.

So...

Do what you like, but I don’t see why your regimen is needed. It’s a wallet flush.

Why do you use Amsoil in your Volvo vs. cheaper alternatives? Because you think it provides better performance...just like those that use flushes/additives (or the early oil changers for all of that "metal floating around the engine" ) believe those add better performance/longevity. Fact is that most of the things that are debated on this site don't have adequate data to back them and make f all of a difference if you just take care of your vehicle and change it regularly. So I would say to you...your wallet also seems to be possibly undergoing a flush!

 

[CKN]

I didn’t do your flush, or add break in oil, and the 30 years later, the engine is still going strong at 300,000 miles.

The million mile Tundra went 10,000 miles on the factory fill, with no flushes, no additives.

So...

Do what you like, but I don’t see why your regimen is needed. It’s a wallet flush.

Yes! Tis^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[TiGeo]

Timely per the topic of this thread....got my new IHI IS38 turbo today for my next upgrade to my Sportwagen (it's the turbo on the Golf R and Audi S3) - came with instructions....there it is...DON'T FLUSH YOUR ENGINE! hahahaha - not too worried about it on a newish/well maintained/clean engine but still, interesting that it's listed.

 

[ollie]

Well we can go through it one-by-one then if you wish.

You're using a flush when you really don't have any idea whether one is needed or not. And your primary benefit is that the engine "runs and idles a lot smoother", both of those are not related to the engine oil. If anything they are related to fuel or the fuel system.

You state that you drain out the factory oil and refill with conventional oil to "seat the rings". Most synthetic oils are Group III base stock which is chemically identical to a conventional oil, no manufacturer is using a pure PAO oil in the initial fill. There is zero evidence that a standard synthetic oil will prevent ring seating, that is a very old wive's tale that has no basis in reality.

You're worried that the oil is changing color and this is somehow related to cleaning. But if your engine has been maintained as well as you state it has, what possible "cleaning" is going on? You say it is because there are a "lot of deposits" but you don't really know this is the case do you? You only imagine this because it is what you wish to believe, you're stuck on the idea that dark oil is "bad". But again this is not technically accurate, as has been discussed here multiple times by people who are a lot more knowledgeable than I am, oil turns dark for a variety of reasons unrelated to "cleaning".

You state that you add ATF to the normal oil to clean the engine. This is complete nonsense. ATF has less detergents than a modern fully-formulated motor oil, so all you're really accomplishing is to dilute the detergents in the motor oil by adding the ATF. It accomplishes nothing and in fact it is detrimental to your objective. Therefore the conclusion that it kept the oil clean for the remainder of the life of the truck is unwarranted.

Does that help?

Well Sir I can see that you are at 15,000 posts and the last few hundred I glanced over were negative. So there is nothing I can say that change your attitude. So no big deal to me. You will more than likely continue to have some negative comment that has no basis other than to cause an argument just like any typical high post count troll. Not to worry you are not alone. BITOG has many many members who are only here to argue and dispute anything they don't agree with. I will continue to post helpful and positive feedback on what actually has worked for me over the years.

So back to the flush. I would recommend this Motor Medic to anyone who has done a tune up and still finds the engine internals a little dirty and the motor running a little rough. As a disclaimer this is not a perfect solution for everyone and your results will vary depending on your maintenance schedule and motor type. For me the flush is nothing more than a routine service of my motor. All engines accumulate some form of deposits (and in some cases sludge) over time. No engine is impervious to this no matter how many oil changes are done.

My motor is a 4.3 liter Vortec. My "big every 30,000-50,000 tuneup"consists of plugs, wires, cap/rotor, cleaning throttle body/air idle control valve, replacing PCV valve, and inspecting/replacing vacuum and or emission hoses. Normally this is enough to have the motor running pretty smooth. A periodic engine flush helps get rid of deposits and help the engine run that much better. There was a very noticeable improvement in idle and performance throughout the rpm range. This is directly related to the flush and fill with oil and moly. It has worked in my past vehicles and is no different with this one.

It would be my wish to turn this thread and many others around to a positive outcome such as my own. I want to thank the OP for suggesting this product. It's a winner and worth the 10 bucks to a cleaner, better performing motor.

 

[BAJA_05]

The only negative and adolescent responses created out of the board, are by the person typing them. I'm sharing my results so they might help out another member decide if it's for them. How about we keep it polite and civil like adults?



I have zero evidence that my motor will last longer with a flush, just as you have zero evidence that yours will last longer without. I am simply posting something that works for me. It's sad that their are keyboard warriors that have nothing better to do than argue, dispute, and make childish comments on anything that they don't agree with.

I'm all into maintaining my vehicles the way I see fit. I like having a smooth running motor and getting the best mileage possible. An occasional flush on the motor helps me achieve that goal. It is all part of my maintenance schedule that I have followed for many years.

Its your money -- do as you seem fit, NOBODY on here is paying your bills or putting food in your fridge -- dont let it bother you what they say.
Dale