Questions about BG 109

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So I bought some BG 109 Compression Restore to run in my '89 BMW 325is with 241K miles on it. I was ready to change my oil when I saw that on the can it reads in bold, capitalized letters: DO NOT USE IN HEAVILY SLUDGED ENGINES. D'oh. Well, I'm pretty sure my engine has sludge (the oil instantly turns black only a day or so after an oil change), but how do I know if it's "heavily sludged?" What would be the danger of running the additive as is?
 
Evo, I work at a Mazda dealer in Florida and we have begun using this product for the "performance oil change". We have used this product with some pretty badly sludged engines and had pretty good results after removing the valve cover before and after the service to inspect what the BG 109 did. We run the BG 109 for about 20 minutes in an already heated engine. Then we drain the oil (you should see what comes out sometimes!) Then replace your oil filter and fill with the oil of your choosing. BG recommends running the MOA additive as well when you add your oil for extra cleaning and protection capacity. Let us know how it works for you!!
 
That's a pretty high mileage E30, does it have metal bumpers or body-color?

The oil pan and valve cover are easy enough to remove, if you really care for the car and want to revive life, pull both, they may well like to be renewed by now anyway. Youll soon have an answer, and if they are, and you can clean a good amount, then you won't have a heavily sludged engine anymore!

Color is not necessarily an indicator of cleanliness or quality. What oil do you run?

Id drop the pan and pull the VC, check it out, then go for it with a good HDEO, which is what you should be using in that engine (if not a 5w-40, 10w-40, 15w-40 or 15w-50 synthetic) and go for more miles!
 
My E30 has body-colored plastic bumpers. The last two fills have been Rotella T 15w40 with a 5000 mile OCI. Before that was Valvoline VR1 20w50 with a 3000-5000 mile OCI.

ERAC94, so there's never been any cases of catastrophic failure with this stuff? That puts my mind more at ease. I guess I'll just run it then and see what happens.
 
that's a fine E30. I have a 91 318i.

Good choice in oil! Does it have a cannister with a cartridge filter uptop? If so, it is easy enough to open it up now and again and check what is happening...
 
No case of any catastrophic failures that I have heard of, but we have only run this prouduct in about a dozen vehicles. The BG rep was out here yesterday and said that sometimes a second dose is necessary in "extreme" cases. You may want to run a short OCI after you change the oil!!
 
That is a good idea, after using additives, some short OCIs should be run to flush everything out.

No catastrophic failures, but again, keep in mind a few things:
-just because your oil goes black or dark doesnt mean that you are packed with sludge!
-it is easy to check, do it!
-If you are doing a few more flushes, you don't have to worry that much even if there is a lot of sludge, as youll be carrying it out. Make the OCIs short, and keep track of what is going on. $30 in oil anf $30 in filters is worth the POM.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. It uses a spin-on filter unfortunately. Pulling the valve cover is easy enough but the pan is kind of a pain because it's wedged between the crossmember and steering rack IIRC. I was also planning on an ARX treatment later next year. Would that be redundant though?
 
So I'm very pleased with the results of the BG 109 treatment. It fixed this rubbing sound that had developed over the past few months and significantly improved throttle response as well. It might be my imagination, but it also feels like I gained a few ponies at wide open throttle. I filled the car with Rotella T 15w40 and used a Mahle filter. I'll probably take it to about 3000 mile before my next OCI. If you have a high-mileage car and are looking for a tune-up in a can, give this stuff a try.
 
Originally Posted By: EvoStevo
Thanks for the suggestions. It uses a spin-on filter unfortunately. Pulling the valve cover is easy enough but the pan is kind of a pain because it's wedged between the crossmember and steering rack IIRC. I was also planning on an ARX treatment later next year. Would that be redundant though?


I think an ARX Treatment would be redundant since I saw what you just posted about the car running better, how much does a bottle of BG 109 cost.
 
Originally Posted By: EvoStevo
I got mine from rynoproducts.com. It's still a bit pricey at $14.20 a can, but I think it's well worth it.


That is a fantastic price compared to arx which goes for $27.00 a bottle and since you said you can feel a difference after you used the BG 109 then I agree that it is worth the price.
 
Originally Posted By: EvoStevo
So I bought some BG 109 Compression Restore to run in my '89 BMW 325is with 241K miles on it. I was ready to change my oil when I saw that on the can it reads in bold, capitalized letters: DO NOT USE IN HEAVILY SLUDGED ENGINES. D'oh. Well, I'm pretty sure my engine has sludge (the oil instantly turns black only a day or so after an oil change), but how do I know if it's "heavily sludged?" What would be the danger of running the additive as is?


My only suggestion since you really don't know how heavy the sludge is/was would be to run a shorter OCI following your initial treatment. Then continue as you would. Sounds like a good product for a fast clean up.
 
So after about a month, I'm happy to report that the additive significantly reduced oil consumption (which was part of the reason I wanted to try it in the first place), changed the oil color from pitch black to a dark amber and slightly improved fuel economy (by about 1-1.5 mpg). Again, would highly recommend!
 
Nice report thanks for the follow up! It must have cleaned up the rings if it reduced oil consumption. An increase in MPGs is always a plus too.
 
My last visit to the Mitsubishi dealer I was standing around waiting for a tech to escort me to view my vehicle a customer called in and made appt for a injector cleaning. Now, I know of not a one manufacturer that recommends this for routine maintenance ( many dealers do because of the profit involved) but this service is not in any owners manual etc. the service rep says his customers swear by it. I have never had this service done in any vehicle I have owned, never felt the need for it yet it is sold as routine maintenance every 12,000 miles at a cost opf 100-150 each time. I just do not understand why people do not read their owners manual. In unique circumstance yes, I can see where it would be useful but as routine maintenance, just a money maker!
 
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