Is it necessary to flush the engine for a standard oil change?

Conventionally, motorists can be divided into two main categories: those who perform engine flushing with special chemicals, as well as those car owners who consider this procedure simply harmful and never wash the engine from the inside. Let’s talk in detail about whether it is necessary to flush the engine with a special chemical before changing the oil.

What do professionals recommend?

Universal advice in such a case is simply impossible to give. The need to perform such a procedure will directly depend on the current state of the engine and the conditions under which the car was previously operated. It is believed that if the car owner fully complies with all the manufacturer’s recommendations, performs oil changes at strictly defined mileages, in such a case, it is not necessary to perform flushing from inside the engine.

Engine flushing will not be required in the following cases:

the engine oil is changed strictly according to the regulations;
there is no need to add oil to the engine from service to service;
the car is owned by one person.

So if you bought your car new in a car salon, you use quality oil, which is changed at the mileage of 8-10 thousand kilometers, the engine does not have oil consumption, and there are no critical engine faults, in such a case, you do not need to wash the engine with special chemicals.

However, if the car was bought with hands and its history of maintenance previously you do not know, the car has no or suspicious service book, marked oil pollution, or you just decided to change one brand of engine oil for another, in such a case it is necessarily required to flush the engine.

Also such engine wash may be required if the engine has a solid run, the engine was overhauled, and after a few thousand kilometers, when the metal parts lapped against each other, in such a case it is worthwhile to wash the engine with the appropriate chemicals and replace the oil with new.

How the engine is washed from inside

The engine wash procedure itself does not differ in complexity, so if desired, the car owner can perform all the work himself, without turning to a specialized service. Such special chemicals can be divided into two main categories: cleaning oil and cleaning fluid, which is poured into the engine, after which the engine runs for literally half an hour, then the chemicals are drained and new oil is poured.

You can also use a more gentle cleaning, which is a special oil, it is poured into the engine, operate the car for a few days, and then perform an oil change. The main advantage of such a delicate wash is the minimal impact on the various rubberized gaskets in the motor, which after such a wash do not need to be replaced with new ones.

Recommendations for car owners

If you are the only owner of the car, the best prevention of engine contamination will be the use of quality oil, which should be changed every 8000 kilometers. In this case the lubricant retains all its characteristics, the oil ducts are not blocked by sediments, premature engine wear is prevented and the car owner does not need to wash the engine from inside or to dissect the engine and eliminate any serious critical defects. You should by no means save on such service, changing oil as often as possible and using only original technical fluids.