al300sd

I plan on doing an engine flush next oil change, has anyone used a cheap 5w30 (synthetic) oil to as the Flush oil??

KyKen

Flush: Liqui-Moly Engine Flush.

Oil: Mobil1 5W-30 European Formula is only US$32 for 5 quarts.

ls1_mast

if you wanna flush your engine with a cheap oil and run the car for 20 minutes or so then add a new oil , i highly recommend this.. i have done this twice since i got the car and even thaw they ware 2 years a part but i saw a good improvement to the internal coloring which i saw when i removed the small oil pan underneath the oil pump ...

however if you are thinking about flushing the oil with any engine flush, well i have to vote against it ... this engine has a very thin oil passes that goes inside the cam shafts and the rocker arms along with the block so if the flush removed a big size sludges it might get stuck in those tinny passes and couse more problems ... this is just my speculations and i have no proof that this happened before but for me it is better safe then sorry .... my advice use the cheap oil as a flush even if you have to do it twice and 20km drive between them ...

wfooshee

I agree with the above post about not using an actual engine flush. I watch a lot of those Youtube engine teardowns, and a recent one was one that was obviously run too long without oil changes; he noted the aroma of engine flush, and there were chunks of sludge found in several places, like the screens of the VVT solenoids, the oil pickup, etc. it also had no rod bearings on cylinder #1... somebody was just throwing stuff at that motor and hoping something would fix it.

A well-maintained engine with proper change intervals has no need of a flush. If you want to do a double change as a flush, that's much preferable to actually breaking anything loose that might be stuck in a corner somewhere.

Same thinking applies to transmissions for those so inclined, and absolutely do not EVER let any shop talk you into a reverse-flow transmission flush!!!

JohnLane

Reverse flow transmission flush. I’ve been an auto tech a very long time and have never heard of that!

OP.... Snake oil does not go in the crankcase. Give it the correct Mobil-1 or Lubro Moly oil with a quality oil filter on time and be done with it.

wfooshee

There was a local chain of shops here that used to heavily promote it as the "best" way to remove contaminants. Anything stuck somewhere in the transmission gets loosened up and removed by the reverse flow of fluids. After some number of failed transmissions they had to replace, they quietly stopped doing those. Turns out the reverse flush does loosen stuck contaminants, but doesn't necessarily remove them... Where they next end up may not be so out-of-the-way.

JohnLane

’Reverse flush’ implies it is asking fluid to go through the transmission opposite as designed. Smells as a recipe for disaster.

I have used a machine that connects to transmission cooler lines.... Fluid comes out via the torque converter sending fluid to the cooler. The machine is connected via cooler lines and delivers the same quantity of fresh fluid via the return line to the transmission. A sight glass is built into the machine to watch the color of fluid coming out. Engine at idle. Fluid starts out dark in color (or worse). A dozen quarts of fluid run through the transmission and the sight glass has nice pink fluid. Re-attach cooler lines and service is completed. Works great for transmissions not equipped with a serviceable filter in the pan. Many times I have heard the wive’s tale of ‘Don’t change fluid in a transmission that hasn’t been serviced in 100,000 miles.’ My techs have serviced thousands of transmissions (this is front drive planetary gear set torque converter equipped cars... no serviceable filter) with zero transmissions that operated worse afterward.

GrepAwk

Just do an oil change with good oil. Mobil1 was/is still the recommended when new in 2003. Change the filter too. Run it for a few days or 200 miles.

Then, Change the oil and filter again. Done.

Don’t pressure flush a transmission. You can drop the pan, change filter, and refill (if you have a dipstick) to proper level. Do this every 50kmiles.

Alternatively what was recommended above, you can intercept the transmission cooler out/in lines. Output line goes to empty bucket to catch dirt fluid. Input goes to a clean supply (gravity fed) of fluid. Let it run until no more dirty fluid comes out. Don't run it dry.

Then stop and check for proper fill level with dipstick.

Crito

No machine is actually required, the trans itself does all the pumping. I got a great kit from IPD for my Volvo that included new o-rings and the stoopid plastic clip that always breaks: