Engine Oil Flush – The Pros and Cons

Engine oil flushes are often recommended by dealerships service departments, auto shops, and fast lube facilities, but is there any real value to performing an engine oil flush?

One thing to keep in mind is that dealership service departments, auto repair shops, and fast lube facilities are in the business to make money. Most vehicle manufacturers will not recommend a car or truck engine oil flush. Normally the vehicle manufacturer will simply recommend that the vehicle’s engine oil be drained and refilled and the engine oil filter is replaced.

When a car is brought in for routine vehicle maintenance, shops will often try to upsell the vehicle owner’s other services. The more services that an auto shop can sell the more money they will make. If a service advisor claims that the vehicle manufacturer or the factory recommends an engine oil flush, there’s a good chance that they’re not telling the truth.

What Does an Engine Oil Flush Do?

There are many different brands of engine flush machines and engine flush chemical suppliers. Some function in different ways but the basic idea is to get rid of all the old engine oil and clean engine components and orifices.

The Basic Steps of an Engine Oil Flush

1. Drain engine oil and remove the oil filter.
2. One hose is hooked up to the engine oil pan drain plughole and another hose is hooked up the oil filter adapter on the engine block.
3. A heated cleaning solution, that is normally filtered, is pumped into the engine under pressure. The pressure is usually less than the normal engine oil pressure to insure that any seals or gaskets are not damaged.
4. The cleaning solution is then pumped throughout the engine to clean the oil passages and other engine components. The solution is then sucked back out of the engine.
5. The engine is filled with new oil and a new engine oil filter is installed.

Can an Engine Oil Flush Cause Damage to the Engine?

There are a lot of opinions as to whether or not an engine oil flush can cause damage to the vehicle’s engine. Since today’s modern engines have tighter oil passages than the engines of old, there’s a possibility that sludge deposits could break up and become lodged in oil passages. This could decrease the flow of engine oil to vital engine components and cause damage to those components.

Another possibility is that particles from the engine oil flush could block the pick-up screen to the engine oil pump. This could cause a loss of oil pressure that could result in engine damage.

If an engine oil flush is performed, ask the service advisor if there are any warranties or guarantees against engine damage. If there is a warranty that comes with an engine flush service, get it in writing, don’t take a service advisor’s word for it.

If the engine oil and filter are religiously replaced at the manufacturers recommended intervals, there shouldn’t be a need to have the vehicles engine oil flushed