Didn't think any manufactures recommended flushes, what could go wrong with oil if its left in the engine ?
Its an industry "no no" to recommend flushes and additives.
Across the board a blanket policy and it potentially can void a manufactures warranty.
So they all keep their mouths shut about it!
With all that stated one size does not fit all, neither does it suit all territories, and the varied use of the engine in the vehicles selected.
Now up to a decade or so ago, I was totally against "fix in a can" until that is I went on some trade courses run by BG Automotive, chem additives suppliers and their positive effect on major components being effected by enhanced power delivery and pollution controls on modern engines not to mention fuel quality and variations on that theme . The latter issues are creating their own contamination problems such as GDi technology not seen in earlier petrol (gasoline) engines not to mention direct injection of Otto cycle engines & CI diesels .
Jobsworth mentioned lasting until the warranty ran out. In many ways he's right!
One example is timing chain wear and oil sludge on V V T systems.
In minor upsets @ 75,000 to 100,000 miles, the VVT "drift" caused by sludge/gum/carbon deposits is enough to lower power output and throw CEL lights on . The other is total valve train loss and complete expensive engine destruction at 40,000 miles. (MB272 engines?)
Citing examples of the Landrover AJ Ford based series 4,4 engines on timing chain drift not to mention its worse with BMW and their Vanos & Double Vanos V V T systems on platforms like the X5 4,4 series engines.
Now with MB engines several things are obvious , say a CD14 v6 OM642 engine, after the introduction of enhanced pollution controls they all suffer with carbon related issues from timing chain start up rattle & crank bearing carbon scouring, at mileages over 175,000 miles, especially if the operator /owner is careless about servicing oil/ filter changes & filtration.
The later CD16 Blurrtec are much better but incorrect crankcase engine oil flooding the turbo snail will create lots of carbon which is expelled into the crankcase.
With a windage tray immediately under the crank shaft, and cam tunnels in the heads, it almost impossible to purge an engine by a simple oil changes. Even if done per recommended intervals by dealer service departments .
So old oil contamination is inevitable under normal service conditions .
If doing manifold removal with say a Cooler /HE seal change out I/we use the BG upper cylinder clean out procedures to make carbon (port coking removal) much simpler and reduce downtime.
Since a phosphorus based crankcase oil purge oil additive is part of that service, upon crankcase draining the amount carbon removed can be alarming in some cases.
On one or two high mileage units in Sprinters for example I have actually done a "Saab rake test" dictating sump pan removal to scrape out a carbon layer on the pan floor.
So purged /flushes with recommended liquids an strict observance of directives can have a beneficial effect on engine longevity and driveabity at times .
But with all that stated, there is a calculation done by all manufactures in an operational area called
Methods & Techniques, where overall component & platform life is calculated, & component selected to achieve a point where economical repair is out of the question and replacement is necessary by scrappage or disposal.
In the end no manufactures wants to achieve
total model market saturation and repeat the
Vincent HRD motorcycle story which is an industry poster child for NOT what to do.
The MB slogan even though its a premium brand "The best or nothing" slogan boiled down is what advertising men call Sales Puffing nothing more & nothing less.
Tuercas viejas
