Engine Flush - Yes or No

[Pipsqueak]

I run my car using the long life servicing. But I've noticed my oil is really black. It's a 2.0 Tdi and about 3 months away from its next service. The car is 7 years old and done 32000 miles. Question is my local garage have suggested an engine flush. Now I've looked about on tinternet and opinions are split on whether flushes are a good or a bad thing. Has anyone had any experience of using flushes. Don't know what to do myself. Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers

 

[nluk100]

My advice would be no - it might dislodge something large'ish which could subsequently block an oilway.

 

[ColganRaz]

hi, engine flush is apparently bad for the internals of the engine as it removes all lubricant, causing the components not to be lubricated on start up, google it and decide yourself though as theres no correct answer set in stone.

just change your oil and all filters and take it for a good run, will do more good than anything in my opiniion, and WOW your car has got low mileage for its age!

 

[Pipsqueak]

hi, engine flush is apparently bad for the internals of the engine as it removes all lubricant, causing the components not to be lubricated on start up, google it and decide yourself though as theres no correct answer set in stone.

just change your oil and all filters and take it for a good run, will do more good than anything in my opiniion, and WOW your car has got low mileage for its age!

Got the car a year ago with 20000 on the clock. All genuine. Total bargain. An old guy had it and only did 3000 a year in it. I think he polished it every day too. The paint is mint.

 

[mikeyboy]

Get it off the longlife schedule if you want the best from your engine. Longlife servicing was just a marketing scam to appeal to car hire companys. You dont really want to run the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles. The vag specialist i go to use's longlife oil as it's the best oil for the engine but sets the service indicator for the fixed servicing schedule 1year/10k miles. The problem with running the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles is sludge will start building & clogging up the engine.

 

[audicruiser]

Get it off the longlife schedule if you want the best from your engine. Longlife servicing was just a marketing scam to appeal to car hire companys. You dont really want to run the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles. The vag specialist i go to use's longlife oil as it's the best oil for the engine but sets the service indicator for the fixed servicing schedule 1year/10k miles. The problem with running the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles is sludge will start building & clogging up the engine.

Totally agree, get the car off of Longlife with that little mileage. Oil change every year for low mileage drivers. I do 5k miles a year so no Longlife for me!

 

[Minstadave]

It costs £40 for an oil service as National Tyres, takes half an hour. You're better off doing an oil change between services than worrying about flushing.

 

[SAiLO]

The oil turns black on tdi engines within a few days of changing it. It's normal. Think the reason for it is exhaust gases recirculation. Nothing to worry about.

 

[AlexGSi2000]

I have done a few engine flushes - mostly on my old 1.8T 20V engine in my Ibiza Cupra.
I did three engine flushes on that engine - purchased the car when it was @ 60,000 miles and did the engine flushes between then and 110,000 miles - I did however change the oil every 6k with fully synthetic.

When I stripped the engine down it was very clean inside, no sludge in the sump or on the pick-up - just the usual oil stains (I could even see the original honing marks on the cylinder bores).
I have no way of proving that was the engine flush or regular oil changes.
My outlook on it was that if I did an engine flush it would help clean any crap that was in there and help maximize oil flow.

As your engine is only low mileage then I would be very tempted - anything over 100k I would give second thoughts.
If there are lots of deposits inside the rocker cover (can be inspected through the oil filler) then I wouldnt as it may dislodge particles and clog the strainer.
I have seen a few 1.8T engines like this and wouldn't dream of using engine flush.

If you dont decide to engine flush (or even if you do) then I would always use a good quality fully synthetic oil and replace every 6/7k as most synthetics have good additive packages that will clean over time.

 

[GISXER711]

I use the small can of engine flush which you poor in (before you drop engine oil) and run the engine 5mins to break down crap and run through all the oil ways , then let the oil out nice and warm . I always replace oil filter for the cost of it . use good oil and change every year .

 

[Sidhu88]

Oil changes at half of whats suggested is the way i go about it normally. One thing that hasn't really been mentioned, if you think of it this way, as the engine slowly wears down, although alot will be collected by the filter, some of the metal particles will remain in the oil and continue circulating around the engine. Those filings make the oil more abrasive and in turn increase engine wear rates. Cleaner oil more often will reduce this. If you've ever seen the magnetic oil sump plugs, its purely to collect those smaller bits together and stop it from running around the engine. However, i've been warned that some of the magnetic plugs have broken apart and the magnet gets attracted to the crankshaft straight away so i'd be careful. I bought a couple neodymium magnets off ebay and put 2 on the sump nut on the outside on my mk3 vr6. Does the same job but safer.

 

[rennie]

Get it off the longlife schedule if you want the best from your engine. Longlife servicing was just a marketing scam to appeal to car hire companys. You dont really want to run the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles. The vag specialist i go to use's longlife oil as it's the best oil for the engine but sets the service indicator for the fixed servicing schedule 1year/10k miles. The problem with running the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles is sludge will start building & clogging up the engine.

Interesting...have you any thing to back this up,ie:you know of engines failing due to long life change?
Surely Audi+oil companys wouldn't go down this route if they knew it wasn't sound.
My old shape A3 (I traded in for 8P) never missed a beat and at 140,000 was on longlife all it's life.

 

[mikeyboy]

Get it off the longlife schedule if you want the best from your engine. Longlife servicing was just a marketing scam to appeal to car hire companys. You dont really want to run the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles. The vag specialist i go to use's longlife oil as it's the best oil for the engine but sets the service indicator for the fixed servicing schedule 1year/10k miles. The problem with running the same oil for 2 years or 18/20k miles is sludge will start building & clogging up the engine.

Interesting...have you any thing to back this up,ie:you know of engines failing due to long life change?
Surely Audi+oil companys wouldn't go down this route if they knew it wasn't sound.
My old shape A3 (I traded in for 8P) never missed a beat and at 140,000 was on longlife all it's life.

If you search longlife service there is a guy on here called paddy who had a 3.2 V6 but now has an S3 because longlife servicing ****ed his 3.2's engine. The longlife oil is great oil but you should still be changing it every year/10k miles.

 

[Pipsqueak]

Thanks for all the advice. Think I'll move to yearly servicing now anyway - just doesn't seem right servicing every 2 years

 

[hades-]

no

 

[Sidhu88]

no

Lawlz

 

[leach76]

No also

 

[FranA3]

NO that is all