Engine flush as part of B service

[Atchi123]

Hi
Putting my Merc CLA 45 AMG (65 plate, low mileage 16k) in for a service and the phone operator recommended some kind of engine flush for an additional £50. I agreed but wondering if this is really necessary for a relatively new car with low mileage. Is it just a margin maker for the garage or really worth doing?
Thanks
Steve

 

[DoberMan]

Is that at a Main Dealer? Sounds like they're using Snake Oil to me.

 

[AMGeed]

Not necessary at all. Dealer making extra money and no guarantee it will even get done.

 

[chrisk2010]

Shouldn't be needed at all to flush at that low mileage if it has had regular oil changes.

An older or higher mileage car with old cooked black oil may benefit but if oil changes are done properly and regularly then I wouldn't think it was needed.

Sounds like an add on they're trying sell to me.

 

[Atchi123]

it is a main dealer yes. Sounded like a call centre upsell. Car is new, low mileage with full service history and not something I've ever done with other newish cars. Always want the car to run at its best but don't want to get taken for a ride.

 

[grober]

I would be tempted to ask what they are going to use to flush out the "engine flush" residue after they fill the engine with it?

 

[kid-jensen]

Absolutely! any chemical that could perform effective flushing would have to break-down old oil and carbon deposits...
I really wouldn't want any residue of such a chemical polluting my lovely new oil.

 

[Chrishazle]

God this takes me back a few decades! As a late teens (about 1970) I had a part time job at a local petrol station where we also did oil changes via the dipstick hole, we'd offer an engine flush using 30W oil and running the engine for a while (after sucking the old oil out and putting a suitable quantity of 30W in) before sucking it out and putting the proper oil in, nice little earner for the garage owner and tips for us from the car owner - but I doubt it did any good for the owner or car!!

 

[DSM10000]

Hi
Putting my Merc CLA 45 AMG (65 plate, low mileage 16k) in for a service and the phone operator recommended some kind of engine flush for an additional £50. I agreed but wondering if this is really necessary for a relatively new car with low mileage. Is it just a margin maker for the garage or really worth doing?
Thanks
Steve

It is not needed in any well maintained car and certainly not at your vehicle's mileage and at £50 is purely a money making scheme for the dealer.

 

[a111r]

Hi
Putting my Merc CLA 45 AMG (65 plate, low mileage 16k) in for a service and the phone operator recommended some kind of engine flush for an additional £50. I agreed but wondering if this is really necessary for a relatively new car with low mileage. Is it just a margin maker for the garage or really worth doing?
Thanks
Steve

Totally unacceptable. Never use them again.
It's great way for them to get shot of waste mis-fuel, 1/2 litre a time.
Unnecessary engine flush mixtures are basically that...'light fraction' hydrocarbons.

Hypothetically, I'd be writing to 'BB' in MK about such 'short' practice.

 

[markjay]

In the olden days I used to flush the engine using a Wynns product. I think the instructions were to add it to the old oil just before the oil and filter change, and run the engine up to temp before dropping the old oil and refilling with new oil (and filter).

I haven't done an engine flush on any car I owned in the past 20 years, and if offered one now I would give it a pass. BUT I wouldn't go as far as saying it's snake oil - I do think it works, but as others said on well-maintained low mileage cars it probably does not make a huge difference.

Incidentally, common wisdom in the olden days was to either flush the engine on every oil change or not do it at all - because flushing a high-mileage engine that has never been flushed before could dislodge old/dried oil and actually clog narrow oilways.

So in short.... flushing most probably does serve a purpose, but personally I wouldn't bother with it these days.

 

[vijilants]

When I owned a Honda, the main dealer service included Engine Flush. The car had a full Honda Service history so on each occasion they had used a flush.

After 70,000 miles the area under the rocker cover where the valves etc sit in the head looked brand new. Super clean.

 

[leef44]

Absolutely! any chemical that could perform effective flushing would have to break-down old oil and carbon deposits...
I really wouldn't want any residue of such a chemical polluting my lovely new oil.

Over a decade ago I had my Subaru Impreza (3 years old at the time). Reputable Subaru dealer offered engine flush for extra dosh as part of the service. I took them up on the offer. The oil was dirtier than before it went in for an oil change. On the Subaru forum, many put it down to this.

I think it boils down to needing sufficient fluid to wash out the deposits. One flush is not sufficient. If there are deposits, you would need another flush to remove the deposit residues.

So overall, I agree with the advice on here, better not to do it when your car is so fresh and doesn't need it.

 

[tonysmb]

Certainly not required, for all the reasons mentioned above, but it is offered by a number of garages. If it was of concern to you'd be better off having interim oil-changes.

 

[Trickythemerc]

I have used Forte engine flush on several occasions, both in Jags and the Merc. When I had company cars our own in house workshop used Forte products in the whole 150 plus vehicle fleet. We had Merc's and Volvo's and we ran them very hard up to 300k. I can't recall any major engine failure other than a head gasket. I used there top end treatment in one Jag to cure noisey valve lifters in an AJ16 engine. So it can't all be bad stuff to use, clean engines work better.