advise ??

[pepe]

Had my auto box fluid changed today, £69 for the fluid and filter etc (gen MB) and my local merc specialist charged me £35 + vat labour to do the job which wasnt bad, notice maybe slight smoother gearchanges but its the peace of mind really as he said the old fluid definately looked ready for changing.
Anyway , im going to change my engine oil and filter over the weekend (do it every 4-5 000miles) and was wondering if anyone has ever used one of these cleaners you add to the oil just before a change which is supposed to clean all the build up in the engine, or are they just a gimmick like a lot of these friction reducing performance enhancing additives ??
P.s bought fully synthetic oil and last year it came in a 4.5 liter container ,this time same price but theyve reduced the size to 4 liter sneaky bas7ards.

 

[jimmy]

I hope you bought two cans of oil then, the 250TD takes about 6.8 litres I think.

You should not need to use a flushing oil/additive unless your engine has been badly neglected. All diesel oils contain detergents to keep the internals clean so your engine should be OK. I have heard that these flushing agents can dislodge crud that can cause damage elsewhere in the engine.

A more worthwhile treatment would be a diesel injector cleaner, either add it to the fuel tank or directly into a new fuel filter.

 

[Aletank]

I have heard that these flushing agents can dislodge crud that can cause damage elsewhere in the engine

I've heard of people flushing their engines and then getting oil leaks.
The "Crud"(nicely put ) may be forming a nice seal in parts.

 

[pepe]

Good point guys about the sludge being a seal,think id rather leave it there than have oil leaks, yes i did get 2 containers of oil, Ive just recently used a injector cleaner , i try and do it every six months just to keep the system clean. Anyway jimmy im now part of your "my gearbox's clean" club. Even though i didnt personally get my hands dirty. As a matter of interest the guy that did it said he normally recommends doing the gearbox fluid every 36000 miles but did say it may be different in these modern ones.

 

[Dieselman]

Pepe

If it's a five speed box make sure he used the right synthetic fluid and 7.5 litres of the stuff. My oil cost more than you paid and that's with discount.

I definately would advise using an engine flush when changing the oil as it removed the sludge and particles left in the engine in a normal drain.

My local dealer flushes every car.

I have always used flushing oil and can report no problems over many vehicles, some very neglected.
If your vehicly suffers through the use of flushing agent then it's going to die soon anyway.

 

[pepe]

dieselman,
The fluid for the gearbox was obtained from mercedes parts department and i gave them the chassis number. the total was £69 for the fluid the filter and the gasket.