Flushing the engine crankcase. Flushing the engine when changing the oil

Changing the oil in the engine will not be complete if you do not remove all the drops of used lubricant, which may contain dirt, sediments and even iron shavings. Otherwise, the residues will inevitably mix with the new lubricant and will spoil its properties from the first day of operation. But it should be understood that when the engine is flushed, it already, and not the old oil, may remain inside. And depending on the quality of work, the percentage of such remaining flushing is 5-20%. That is, with an engine volume of 1.6 liters, the flushing fluid can remain up to 400 ml. Here you will definitely ask yourself what kind of engine flushing is better to use so as not to harm the car?

What flushing is better to flush the engine?

The main goal when choosing a flush is to minimize the damage that can be caused to freshly poured oil. Because when reacting with flushing components, various anti-corrosion and viscous additives can lead to foaming, a decrease in lubricity and the appearance of an emulsion in the oil. The most common problem is a decrease in the viscosity of the oil, because it must change its density depending on the temperature regime. But a large volume of flushing fluid reduces the viscosity, and if you poured 5W-40, then there is a good chance of getting 5W-30 according to the characteristics.

Some of the most common flushing fluids include:

Diesel fuel. This is a "folk" remedy that is not indicated in any specification for the car. Drivers of old VAZ and Soviet cars wash the engine out of habit. This popular wisdom has been passed on to other motorists today, although basic knowledge says that diesel is not the best option. It can corrode gaskets, oil seal, engine seals. Besides, it is not the cleanest liquid. It is more likely to stain the engine parts, while the oil changes just so that the circulating fluid in it becomes cleaner.
Flushing special liquid. Quite light in composition, it can greatly dilute the oil if too much remains inside. Recommended only for experienced pros who know how to flush out all the liquid. For beginners who have decided to do everything on their own, it is not even worth arguing which engine flushing is better. Not getting rid of any third-party fluids in the engine, except for the native oil, it is naive to expect faithful service from it for many years.
Five minutes - chemical liquids that need to be poured into old oil before draining. You need to fill them in and start the engine for five minutes so that the train goes through all the engine parts.
Flushing oil. Washing out the oil with oil may not be the cheapest option, but the safest for the design. Many are wondering which oil is best for flushing the engine - the most inexpensive or still specialized (the same as being drained). If you are trying to save money, you can combine the two methods. First flush the engine with liquid, and then squeeze out the liquid with part of the oil. Then not 5-10 percent of the flushing fluid will remain in the engine, but oil.

Often, when changing the oil, car owners ask themselves: is it necessary to flush the engine before filling in new oil? And most of them answer this question in the affirmative.

Naturally, mechanics in car services do not even think to dissuade such customers from flushing, and many advise it additionally, even insist, although the client did not ask for such a service. They begin to describe in paints and in detail all the deposits that have accumulated in the engine over the years of operation, as well as tell what effect the washing procedure will give. But is it possible to objectively assess the words of a person who is interested in selling us as many goods and services as possible? And there are hardly many really good auto mechanics who really understand cars and understand what is useful and necessary for them and what is not.

The topic of flushing is relevant for any car owner, because there is hardly one who has not thought of this idea. But, despite the relevance and popularity of this topic, there are much more questions than answers. More precisely, an ordinary motorist usually lacks information about the processes occurring during flushing in order to make the right decision. And auto mechanics are far from always competent or want to educate the client so that he can spend as much money as possible in their car service. In this article, we will consider the engine flushing mechanism, its main types, and also give some recommendations on how to carry out this procedure.

Flushing process

Before delving into the conversation about which flushing of the engine is better, you need to understand the process itself. So, you are about to change the oil in your car, but before that you decide to "clean" the engine. To do this, you come to a service station, where the auto mechanic advises you to use a good, expensive engine wash fluid for this.

Important! It must be understood that when draining the flushing fluid (as well as when draining the engine oil itself), it does not completely drain from the engine. It accumulates in various channels, cavities, cracks and other "irregularities" on the internal surfaces of the engine. Usually, its content reaches from 5 to 20% of the total engine volume.

Now we have found out that when the motor is flushed with a special agent, it does not completely drain and some part of it remains inside. So, in an average 1.6-liter car, approximately 400 ml of flushing fluid will remain. Equally important, this liquid will not be clean, but mixed with what your engine should have gotten rid of: old, dirty oil and other contaminants.

Why is it dangerous

Most motorists should understand what modern engine oil is. Such a liquid, relatively speaking, is a mixture of a base (or base) oil with various additives. Actually, the presence and quantity of additives in the present determines its class, price and possible operating conditions. Each manufacturer strives to achieve the most successful combination of them. There are many types of different additives, the most important of which are:

viscous;
anti-foam;
anti-corrosion;
antioxidant;
washing;
etc.

Now try to imagine what happens to the engine oil that is added to the engine, which is a quarter filled with flushing fluid and slag. Quite right, nothing good. The main negative consequence is the "dilution" of the oil. Your engine now has a composition that contains less additives per unit volume than you expected. This means that such oil will behave quite differently than you are used to; some of its properties will either disappear altogether or become less pronounced. That is, the likelihood that a breakdown may occur with the engine increases. The possible consequences of driving on "diluted" oil include:

foaming it;
the appearance of an emulsion;
too fast development of a resource;
insufficient lubricity;
etc.

But most an important problem, of course, is the reduction in the viscosity of the composition.This indicator of engine oil is responsible for the density of the composition and its change depending on temperature. Also, according to the viscosity parameters, you can roughly determine the service life of the engine oil, so it decreases with dilution.

Obviously, the more flushing fluid left inside the engine, the greater the difference between the expected and actual viscosity after priming. For example, if you fill in engine oil with a viscosity of 5W-40, then in fact you will get at least 5W-30 in the engine, or even an even lower viscosity value.

How and when to flush the engine

Before proceeding to the answer to the question "what is the best way to flush the engine before changing the oil", let's figure out when, in general, it is worth carrying out this procedure with your car. Since we found out that flushing the engine also has its negative consequences, it is still not recommended to do it before each replacement. You should also not do this on new cars, because good, branded oil is poured into them at the factory (including so that you subsequently continue to fill it in). Those who are worried about low-quality oil "from the factory" or "from the salon" should not be listened to.

Advice! Do not flush the engine before every oil change, especially on a new car.

However, this advice is relevant only for those car owners who monitor the condition of their car and regularly replace all technical fluids.

In what cases is an oil change desirable and even necessary? There are few of them:

First, it is imperative to flush the engine when changing from one type of oil to another. For example, when switching from synthetics to semi-synthetics, from summer to winter, or when replacing formulations with a large difference in viscosity (5W-40-15W-40).
Secondly, it is better to flush the engine when buying a used car. Buying a used car is always a bit like a pig in a poke, so it won't be superfluous to play it safe and flush the motor (just like replacing all other fluids and consumables).
Thirdly, at risk are machines subject to intensive use or operation in harsh environmental conditions.
Fourth, turbocharged engines. Engines equipped with turbines require good, clean oil. Otherwise, the turbine can fail and seriously hit the wallet. Therefore, flush the turbocharged engines every two to three oil changes.

Having dealt with when flushing the engine is definitely necessary, we will figure out the best way to flush the engine when changing the oil. There are four traditional methods of replacement:

Diesel fuel

I would like to note right away that diesel fuel is not a specialized agent for flushing gasoline / diesel engines. It was used by our fathers and grandfathers, washing their VAZ, GAZ and other Soviet cars. In our time, there are many followers who wash domestic cars with diesel fuel. In general, flush the engine with diesel fuel strongly discouraged, especially when it comes to a foreign car. Not only can the effect of diesel oil on the oil seal, gaskets and seals contribute to their destruction, but it also further contaminates the engine. If you are still interested in this method of flushing the engine, then the following video will help you understand all its intricacies:

Five minutes

This is the name of the funds that are added to the old oil five minutes before it is drained and then replaced. The motor should run for these five minutes. Manufacturers claim that their formulations do clean the engine in such a short time. It is much more difficult to confirm their words than to refute, therefore we do not dare to advise this method. If the benefits of it are very dubious, then damage to the oil seals and seals can be quite real.

Flushing liquid

We have already discussed its shortcomings in detail above: it remains in the engine and "dilutes" the new engine oil, thereby changing its properties.

Flushing oil

Perhaps the most the best flush for an engine is an oil flush. To implement it, they usually buy inexpensive engine oil in a large enough amount (so that it is enough for at least 2 fillings). Some motorists mix the engine oil with the flushing fluid in a one-to-one ratio at the first flush. In principle, before flushing the engine with oil, you can flush it with a liquid and then displace its residues with oil. Of course, after flushing, some of the oil will remain in the engine. But unlike flush with liquid or no flush, this will be clean engine oil.

Outcome

Summing up, I would like to advise again do not flush the engine before changing the oil unless your vehicle is used too often or under severe conditions. For its normal operation, a timely replacement of the oil and oil filter, as well as careful operation, will be sufficient. If you still have any questions about flushing the engine before changing the oil, watch this video:

Changing dirty oil for clean oil every 10-15 thousand kilometers, not all car owners wash their engine. Many of them are tormented by the question: "Do I need flushing when changing the oil?" Since this question is topical, correct and useful, we will seek an exhaustive answer to it. But the choice of the option to flush the engine and, of course, the need for such actions in general must be taken by the owner of the vehicle.

Wash or not wash the engine when changing oil?

Flushing the engine is strictly prohibited when changing the oil only in one case: the car is under warranty and its service according to the service book is carried out at a dealership or a certified car service. The service regulations of all manufacturers exclude this operation. This is due to the fact that the vehicle under warranty must be operated without the slightest foreign matter in the engine oil.

Filling fresh engine oil does not always require flushing

But experienced drivers and many experts also do not recommend flushing the engine if high-quality synthetics or semi-synthetics are used. The argument is that the engine oil contains:

mineral (refined petroleum) or synthetic (synthesized from petroleum under laboratory conditions) base;
a balanced set of improving additives (antifoam and viscosity, antioxidant and anticorrosion, detergents and antifriction, antioxidants and deactivators, antiwear, alkaline and other components).

The result of a stable balance of all additives is amazing stability, which is maintained throughout the entire time until the next oil change. It is special detergent additives that prevent sludge, slag and soot from forming on the walls and in the oil channels. All contaminants accumulate in the oil itself and are removed when it is changed. Practice shows that many engines of foreign cars on high-quality oils provide a mileage of many hundreds of thousands of kilometers without the need for flushing.

The quality of fuel in Russia leaves much to be desired, so the issue of flushing becomes relevant in our country

But we live in Russia. Our standards are not as strict as in developed countries, and the quality of fuels and lubricants is much worse. There are cases when flushing is needed for any car, regardless of its age, prestige and the type of engine oil used:

You need to change the type of oil (mineral to semi-synthetic or vice versa); its viscosity (summer, winter, all-season).
When switching to an oil from another manufacturer (many oils cannot be mixed with each other).
After a major overhaul of the engine or the current one, if the cylinder head was removed and operations were carried out inside the engine, if the engine was disassembled.
When buying a car from a private owner, when there is no data on the frequency of replacement and the quality of the engine oil.
In emergency situations, when coolant, fuel gets into the sump, or you have to add low quality oil.

Differences in washing diesel and gasoline

A turbocharged diesel engine is not recommended to be flushed under any circumstances when changing the oil. In an emergency, you can simply change the diesel oil ahead of schedule. There are no specific flushes for diesel-powered power units. Diesel oil has unique properties that are not found in engine oils in carburetor engines. First of all, this is the creation of the thinnest oil film on rubbing surfaces. Thanks to this film, the mating parts are in a "floating" state, that is, they do not touch each other. Therefore, diesel oil is thicker, designed for more severe operating conditions and has its own set of additives. Any flushing does not have these qualities. There are no such additives in its composition. The use of flushes of any type on a diesel engine can lead to sad consequences: either increased wear of rubbing parts of the diesel engine and early repairs, or its failure in a short time.

Oil for diesel engines is more "strong" in terms of cleaning engine parts during the operation of a car than oils for gas engines

Working conditions, material of manufacture of parts, composition of carbon deposits in diesel engines and carburetor engines are very different. True, for cars with highly accelerated power units, universal oils have been developed that can be poured into both gasoline engines and diesel engines. For other types of cars, other types of motor lubricants are not suitable for each other, although 30 years ago, many motorists poured diesel oil from a KamAZ truck or from a K-700 tractor into Soviet cars. But those "Volgas", "Zhiguli", "Muscovites" and "Zaporozhtsev" did not have turbines, injectors, electronic control units, on-board computers and other "bells and whistles". With modern expensive foreign cars, such experiments are strictly not allowed, otherwise all valuable equipment will fly.

Which is better: flushing oils, flushing "five minutes" or folk remedies

Brief characteristics of ready-made fluids for the car

First, let's try to figure out why there was a problem with flushing the engine. During operation, various contaminants are formed in the engine: metal products from wear of rubbing parts, carbon deposits and tar from oil oxidation, products of incomplete combustion of fuel. Ideally, the additives in the engine oil cope with all contamination. Most of the oil manufacturers indicate in the instructions: "The oil contains all the additives that ensure the normal operation of the engine." But real conditions (traffic jams, bad roads, winter weather and other reasons) cannot be called “normal”. With them, the load on the oil increases several times. In such cases, car manufacturers recommend changing the oil more often. But oil is expensive, so this method was invented - to flush the engine before changing the oil in order to get rid of the accumulated contaminants in it. Two options were proposed:

in the USSR with the help of a special flushing oil;
in Western companies with the help of a variety of additives poured into old oil to help remove foreign impurities from the engine.

The disadvantages of the first case are that a significant amount of flushing oil remains in the engine (it is impossible to completely remove it) and it is necessary to dispose of a double volume of oil (engine + flushing). In the West, flushing oils did not take root, so all the well-known global brands Mobil, Shell, Castrol and others do not produce them.

Not every rinsing gives the desired result.

Detergent additives filled in small bottles with a volume of 200 to 500 ml should:

reduce the viscosity of the oil (make it liquid) so that it can penetrate into all crevices and channels. This is achieved using special solvents, thinners;
promote the dissolution and softening of resins, sludge, slag. This is achieved using a powerful complex of alkaline detergents;
convert washed contaminants into fines to avoid clogging of the lubrication passages. This is accomplished with dispersant additives;
prevent wear of rubbing parts during flushing with liquefied oil. This is achieved by adding an anti-seize component;
prevent damage to rubber products: oil seals, rings, nozzles, hoses. This is achieved with the help of special additives (esters and silicones) in the right dosage.

Considering that all the additives in the flushing fluid are dissolved in organic solvents that are not base oil, this cocktail greatly degrades the properties of the used engine oil and can cause significant damage to engine parts and assemblies. It is categorically undesirable to use five-minute flushing fluids, although many manufacturers and sellers conduct noisy advertising campaigns for their flushing products.

Video: Exposing engine flushes

LUKOIL flushing oil

It is a mineral oil with a set of effective detergents. They have high detergent, anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties. LUKOIL flushing oil is used to clean the lubrication systems of machine motors. Does not require disassembly. Used before filling with new engine oil. Effectively, quickly, efficiently fights dirt in the oil systems of engines of all types.

Advantages:

quickly, effectively cleans the oil system of the power unit from deposits and waste from friction of parts against each other;
helps to significantly reduce the risk of motor overheating;
reduces the degree of wear of mating parts;
increases the service life of the power unit, subject to regular use.

Detergent Liqui Moly (Liquid Molly, Germany)

Liqui Moly, a motor oil company, has developed its own range of washes for deep cleaning of engine oil systems. Their main difference from cheap products is that Liquid Molly contains special protective additives that exclude the harmful effect of the flushing fluid on the motor. The company has adopted the principle: "The oil in the engine must be efficient and safe."

It is good to apply an additive if you know that the previous owner of the car did not handle it with care

The manufacturer advises to choose this flushing with deep penetration into all hidden places in case of poor maintenance of the power unit:

oil change was carried out irregularly;
used cheap oils and surrogate fuel;
the engine often boiled;
when operating at low speeds, extraneous noises and knocks were heard.

To the user, the German company guarantees that the engine's factory characteristics are maintained at the proper level. This applies to power, low fuel consumption, environmental emissions. The engine starts quickly and runs steadily. Liqui Moly flushing oil is designed for long-term use (vehicle mileage of 200 km or more).

Advantages:

It activates the self-cleaning process by adding a special additive.
The presence of calcium suggests the presence of a powerful package of detergent additives, the concentration of which is 15–20% higher than usual values.
The presence of phosphorus and zinc indicates antiwear components included in the additive.

Video: Liqui Moly MotoClean - Flushing the Oil System from the Pro

Why Castrol does not consider it necessary to flush the motor with chemistry

Castrol specialists do not develop any flushes for their line of engine oils. They believe that their product is a perfectly balanced engine oil that ensures stable engine performance. The presence of any other additive destroys this balance and prevents the oil from performing the functions specified by the manufacturer.

Runway Flush Additive: Who Should Use

Flushing the Runway oil system, according to car owners, does not always give the desired result

Flushing Runway 5 Minute Motor Flush, according to the advertising text, is a special composition with which the engine oil system is cleaned of carbon deposits, sludge, tar and other contaminants. Promotes better oil circulation and heat removal from areas of intense formation. Also, the creators promise to restore the mobility of the piston rings and the absence of a harmful effect on oil seals, valve stem seals and other rubber products. The volume of the bottle is 300 ml, used for engines with a crankcase capacity of 3-5 liters.

Folk remedies: diesel fuel, acetone, kerosene, transformer oil, solvent, gasoline

Engine flushing with diesel fuel, acetone, kerosene, transformer oil, solvent, gasoline and other powerful solvents of various contaminants is popular only among elderly domestic drivers. Such methods were used when there were no motor oils that combined the properties of lubrication, cleaning and washing. And the engines of domestic passenger cars at that distant time were much simpler in design, maintenance and operation. Knowing that acetone washes away any dirt, it was poured into old oil: they wanted to use it to wash the engine from the inside. But this is a very dangerous method for the motor, since during prolonged operation on a mixture of oil and acetone, the connecting rod-piston group can simply jam. Today kerosene mixed with acetone (Laurel flushing fluid) is recommended for cleaning piston rings from carbon deposits and coking. This work is done on a non-working engine. Diesel fuel or kerosene is rarely recommended to be used for classic Zhiguli models and old foreign cars. This process consists of the following steps:

warming up the engine to operating temperature;
draining the used engine oil;
pouring into the oil filler neck from a plastic container using a kerosene or diesel fuel dipstick. When filling by squeezing the sides of the canister, the pressure of the jet slightly increases, due to which the best cleaning of the oil lines from contamination occurs;
starting the engine and setting at medium speed, after which it is necessary to let it hum for a few minutes (it is forbidden to bring the temperature of the coolant to the operating value);
draining kerosene or diesel fuel and visually assessing the degree of pollution;
replacing the oil filter and filling the crankcase with new oil.

It is important to know that this method is completely unsuitable for modern machines.

Video: How to flush the engine with diesel fuel before changing the oil

The process of flushing the engine: is it mandatory?

Many motorists believe that flushing oil lines, cavities, channels, oil receiver and motor pump is necessary, useful, and effective. It helps to get rid of most of all kinds of carbon deposits: carbon deposits, soot, tar, sludge and other contaminants. These same piston rings and hydraulic lifters regain mobility, clean oil lines and channels, and improve oil flow noticeably. The main idea is that the old oil is more thoroughly removed from the engine lubrication system. There are two types of flushing:

quick flush, in another way it is called "five-minute";
gentle or gentle rinsing.

In the first case, the flushing liquid from the container is poured into the filler neck of the heated engine. It works within five to ten minutes. During this period of time, all impurities flake off, loosen and accumulate in the waste oil. Then they leave with him. This method needs to be practiced regularly so as not to damage the oil receiver and oil pump. The machine must run from 500 to 1000 kilometers directly by soft flushing so that the engine lubrication system has time to clean itself of soot, soot and deposits. This option is recommended for older engines, both by modification and by age.

Video: Review of the mild engine cleaner

Decarbonization of the engine: how to do it yourself

Professional long-term washes are very effective for removing low temperature deposits and sludge. In addition, they decarbonize the piston rings. Washing "Lavr" consists of 2 bottles. The first bottle is used to clean the piston rings. All actions are performed on a muffled engine. The syringe flush is injected into the space above the piston. For its effective effect, you need to wait about 12 hours. The second bottle is poured into a crankcase with heated used oil and operates when the engine is running.

De-carbonization of the engine by flushing "Lavr"

Flushing the engine oil system using professional flushing agents can not always give the expected effect. This procedure should be approached thoughtfully, carefully, meaningfully. If you think that you cannot do without it, try to pay less attention to advertising. Focus on the advice of practitioners and experts.

The engine oil needs to be changed, everyone knows that. Over time, even the best grease loses its quality and is unable to provide protection to rubbing parts. This leads to accelerated wear of the parts. The oil loses its properties according to natural principles:

Under the influence of high temperatures, the chemicals in the composition are oxidized.
Manufacturers add useful additives to modern lubricants. Additives prevent combustion and friction products from settling on parts. Particles of coke and metal, soot are mixed with a lubricant, and remain in suspension.

After the change, the engine oil gradually turns from light to black. This is because the grease builds up dirt in it. When their quantity exceeds the limit, the oil can no longer lubricate the engine parts.

If the machine is not used frequently, the oil still loses key properties. The grease is always in contact with air. And the oxygen contained in it actively oxidizes oil products.
In addition, there are engine oils for different temperature conditions. Unlike all-season ones, they must be changed in spring and autumn. If the lubricant is designed for summer temperatures, then it will make it difficult to start the engine in cold weather. Conversely, a lubricant that allows it to start in winter can lose its viscosity in summer.

How often to change the oil

Typically, car manufacturers recommend a 10,000 km drain interval. This mileage is indicated in the technical documents of the vehicle. These regulations should be observed if you rarely stand in traffic jams, use high-quality fuel, prefer a calm driving style. For most cars, a more frequent engine oil change is recommended, at least once every 7500 km.

Here is a list of circumstances that will shorten service life and require more frequent oil changes:

The power plant often runs at high speeds.
The car is in a traffic jam every day. This item is relevant for all major cities.
Low quality fuel is used.
The car travels short distances. It takes less than 30 minutes from starting the engine to stopping.
The car often drives on dirt or dusty roads.

If at least one of the circumstances is familiar to you, you need to change the oil more often than required by the car's service book.

How much lubricant is needed

The volume of the lubrication system is individual for each engine. The exact figure is indicated in the instruction manual. Some motors are not designed to completely drain the mining. Therefore, we recommend monitoring the level. Note that the lubricant level will be higher at the operating temperature of the motor.

Even on a new car, regularly check the amount of grease in the carriage. This is easy to do. Warm up the engine and turn it off. Remove the dipstick after 5 minutes. The mark should be between the upper and lower limits on the dipstick. This is the norm. However, it is not necessary to always maintain the highest lubrication level. While striving for this, there is a danger of overflow.

It is a common misconception that excess lubricant does not lead to consequences. What can happen if you exceed the acceptable level:

Excess oil will burn out while the motor is running. In this case, the amount of burning in the exhaust gases will instantly rise. In such conditions, the lambda probes are the first to suffer, and the catalyst resource is reduced.
High pressure generated in the motor will damage the rubber parts of the motor. Leakage will begin through cracks in the seals and gaskets.

To fix the damage, you will have to spend a round sum. Therefore, always keep an eye on the volume that you add to the engine.

Do you need to flush the engine when changing the oil or not

Flushing the engine will not only wash away the dirt, but will also remove important additives in the lubricant.
After flushing, dirt from the filter will settle on the engine parts.
The compatibility of modern oils allows you not to flush the engine even when switching from one class of grease to another.

To avoid falling prey to erroneous statements, let's take a closer look at each of them:

Engine flushes do not affect the coating that has formed with antiwear additives. Only those elements that are dangerous to the motor are displayed.
The oil recipes are unique. Each brand has its own approach and its own secrets of the composition. A number of manufacturers rely on the high quality of the recipe base. Other brands add additives to the lubricant. Supplement recipes are kept secret. Therefore, the compatibility of different brands is just a myth.

It is difficult to predict how the additives of different oils will interact.

Foaming, the appearance of a resinous sediment, and a decrease in lubricating properties are possible. To avoid such problems, when changing the manufacturer, class, viscosity of the lubricating fluid, flush before changing the engine oil.

The filter traps only insoluble particles. If the element has accumulated soluble contaminants, then the engine is using low-quality engine oil. Discard this lubricant.

Removing soluble contaminants is the primary task of flushing. Taking into account what kind of fuel and what lubricants we have to use, it is recommended to carry out this procedure together with each oil change.

How to flush the engine?

There is also no consensus on this issue. Supporters of flushing before changing the oil in the engine were divided into fans of flushing oils, express flushes and adherents of solvent and acetone bystanders. The latter believed so much in the miraculous power of solvents that they use them for any, even the most inappropriate case.

If we talk about the choice of flushing oils, then their use has a number of disadvantages:

up to 20% of the oil volume remains in the engine, which cannot be drained;
today there are units of high-quality flushing lubricants on the market. Manufacturers save on formulations. Therefore, they do not provide the required level of protection;
oil flush takes longer than express flush.

The optimal flushing method is using express flushes. These are compounds, for example, 5-minutes, which accelerate the process of changing the lubricant, and flush the engine. Before draining the mining, a 5-minute flush is poured into the engine so that the engine runs on old grease with the addition of the drug. The composition will remove contaminants, dissolve them in the volume of oil and reduce the amount of non-draining residue (viscosity will decrease within acceptable limits, but it will merge better).

There is also a soft flush for the LAVR engine. This is poured 200 km before the oil change. And just before replacing, you can use a five-minute flush. By the way, these engine flushes can be bought at.

Oil change stages

Watch the video on how to change the engine oil with your own hands.

First, we clarify how much oil is poured into the engine. We look for information in the manual or on the Internet. Be careful, the same car brand may have several options for the power plant with different volumes of the oil system.
We start the engine and warm it up to a temperature of 80-90C. We jam.
Open the oil filler cap, pour a 5-minute LAVR engine flush into the engine.
We start the engine, let it idle for 5 minutes.
We roll the car onto a pit, overpass or lift, turn off the engine, unscrew the oil filler cap.
We install a container with a volume of more than 4 liters under the drain hole. suitable container, unscrew the plug and drain the used oil. Caution, the dripping oil has a high temperature.
Carefully remove the oil filter.
Pour a small amount of fresh oil into the new filter. We put the filter in place.
We change the drain plug gasket and screw it back.
Fill the engine with fresh oil in parts. We monitor the level so as not to overflow. Fresh oil drips down for a long time, it takes longer for the dipstick to show an accurate level. As soon as we have reached the desired level (between the upper and lower marks on the dipstick), we twist the filler neck.
We start the engine. We are waiting for a few seconds until the oil pressure lamp goes out. Then let the motor run for a few minutes.
We turn off the engine. After 5-10 minutes, we check the amount of oil in the engine. Top up if required.

Permissible oil consumption

If for some engines oil consumption is a common occurrence, and automakers are aware of this. That is the normal state of other units, when between replacements the level does not drop by a millimeter. As a rule, the technical documentation contains information about the permissible oil consumption for a particular engine. Before making your own diagnosis, read more about the motor, perhaps your concerns about the condition of the engine will be in vain.

However, if the engine has begun to show an exorbitant appetite, and from replacement to replacement you add more than 1 liter of lubricant, there is a reason to think about the state of the cylinder-piston group and conduct professional engine diagnostics.

Let's start with the fact that flushing is needed in order to clean the parts and inner walls of the engine from deposits. What are deposits and what type they are, you can read in the article - Any deposits in the engine can be considered harmful - there should be no deposits in the engine! And in most cases the engine needs to be washed.

There are four main ways to flush the engine.

Method 1. Disassembly of the engine and manual cleaning with rinsing of parts with special means.

At a service station or with a friend in the garage, you can disassemble the engine, clean every part with a technical solvent (diesel fuel, kerosene, solvent, etc.). This method is perhaps the fastest and most effective, but also the most laborious. I'm not talking about the need for a special room - a garage, certain conditions and knowledge. Not every car enthusiast has a warm garage, the ability and skill to disassemble, clean and reassemble an internal combustion engine. That is why there are special means for flushing the engine, which will be discussed below. It should be noted that there are cases when flushing the engine by flushing is harmful and dangerous, as well as starting it in general. Therefore, in some cases, manual engine cleaning is the only option!For example, in this case:

That is, nothing will help here, except how to disassemble and manually clean everything, along the way to analyze the wear and the possibility of further use of this engine.

Method 2. Flushing oils.

Designed for flushing lubrication systems of automobile engines without disassembling them, when changing engine oil. Flushing oils have gained immense popularity in Russia. In the West, in mind of the mentality "why am I going to spend extra money?" flushing oils have not gained much popularity.

Typically, flushing oil is an ordinary mineral oil, the simplest and cheapest oil is mineral water (why should it be expensive? Do not ride it), to which detergents and antiwear additives are added.

Here is the laboratory analysis of Lukoil flushing oil

That is, according to the analysis, we see that antiwear additives (Zinc phosphorus) have been added and detergent neutralizing additives (calcium) have been added. They are added in a much lower content than in standard engine oils. In fact, this flushing is in order to mix with the non-drained residue of old oil (in the crankcase as well as engine parts are still in dirty oil) and to neutralize the acidic environment in the engine. All this is drained along with the flushing - this is the main and main purpose of the flushing oil. I'm afraid that it is not capable of washing a dirty engine in sludge or varnish ...

The principle of using flushing oils is approximately the following: They started the car, drove for 10-20 minutes at idle speed, drained the used engine oil, filled in flushing oil in the same filling volume as required by the automaker for engine oil, drove at idle speed for 10-20 minutes, drained the flushing oil and poured fresh oil.

In the west, flushing oils have not taken root and are not in demand, there you will not see flushing oils (for civilian vehicles) brands Mobil, Shell, Castrol, etc. on the shelves (BP met in Japan) - manufacturers voice the standard opinion “When using our engine oils - flushing no engine required! " And in their own way, the manufacturers of motor oils are right. If you buy a new car in a car dealership, change the oil more often (sometimes even more often than the official dealer requires), pour good gasoline - then there will be no deposits in the engine! Why waste money? Spend them on ice cream for kids! But unfortunately not everyone has new cars, not everyone got a clean engine, and the intervals are not always strictly observed. It is for such cases that flushing oils exist.

In Russia, flushing oils are presented in a sufficient range. Because demand, in this case, generated supply. For example, a very serious and large domestic company Lukoil does not consider it shameful to produce what the world manufacturers of motor oils disown. The brands Spectrol, Felix, Novoufimsky Refinery, XADO Verylube, Luxe, Volga oil, Sibtek, Unico, Rosneft, G-energy, ZIC, etc. are also represented on the market.

To pour or not to pour flushing oils - decide for yourself! I decided for myself that I did not need them "money down the drain!", And I adhere to the version "with reasonable intervals of change - flushing oils, like flushing, are not needed." But if, for example, you've tightened up at change intervals or bought a car with an unknown oil change history, flushing oil can help remove non-draining acid residue.

Method 3. Flushing the oil system or "five minutes".

There are also special flushing "five minutes" that are poured into the old oil when changing, the engine is allowed to run for 5-10-20 minutes (read the instructions!) And drained along with the used oil.

There is a generally accepted opinion among motorists in the Internet community - "Flushing" five minutes "- EVIL!" There are horror stories on the forums that "Five minutes wash the pieces that fall off, clog the oil channels, clog the filters, the oil receiver grid and the engine breaks down!" "Five minutes have a detrimental effect on the gaskets and oil seals - and after flushing the engine will certainly" run "" five minutes are not compatible with your future oil, they remain in the crankcase with a non-draining residue and spoil the next oil, as well as your engine. "... I will not argue with these statements, especially since I myself once had the same opinion, I will simply show it clearly and bring the reader to a conclusion. See everything for yourself and with your own eyes!

Again, we ask ourselves a question, and who from the manufacturers of motor oils makes five minutes? There are Shell, Valvoline, Wynn’s, Liqui Moly, Motul on sale - that is, some manufacturers, paying attention to the demand of motorists, in this or that country, still release five minutes. I conducted two visual experiments with washes of two well-known and well-respected brands Liqui moly and Motul.

I conducted two visual experiments with washes of two well-known and well-respected brands Liqui moly and Motul.

Experiment 1 rinsing "10-minute" (German name Liqui Moly Pro-Line Motorspulung).

1994 Toyota Curren with 3s-fe engine. The engine is very dirty inside - deposits such as varnish and sludge. We open the valve cover, take pictures of the state under the valve cover - BEFORE... Then we drive with short shift intervals, applying a "five-minute" flush between shifts Liqui Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush... For this procedure, we strictly follow the instructions on the bank. If it says "10 minutes at idle speed" then we do it - this is important!

This amateur experiment nevertheless lasted for exactly 1 year. The mode is mainly city traffic jams and some highways. The motor oil was used, which is typical for gasoline engines with API SM North American Petro-Canada Supreme 5W-30 and Chevron Supreme 5W-30 (semi-synthetic in common people, but in fact mineral water of API group 2.). The same gasoline was used from one filling station.

In this case, the interval between shifts of 1500-2000 km is not chosen by chance - for the speed of the experiment and less influence on the experiment of the engine oil itself. 5 washes of the engine oil system were carried out - it took 5 cans. We open the engine and photograph the result

Expexperiment 2 flush 15 minutes with Motul Engine Clean.

The car is the same Toyota Curren '94, the engine is 3s-fe. The mode is the same - the city is 80% and the highway is 20%.

Made 5 shifts, used 5 cans of washing.
Toyota 5W30 SM + Motul Engine Clean \u003d 3000km
Petro-Canada Supreme 5W30 SM + Motul Engine Clean \u003d 3000km
Petro-Canada Duron Synthetic 0W30 + Motul Engine Clean \u003d 3000km
Mobil1 0W40 Life + Motul Engine clean \u003d 3000km
Petro-Canada Supreme 5W30 SM + Motul Engine Clean \u003d 1000km

Comparing photos BEFORE and you can draw certain conclusions about the effectiveness of flushing the oil system.

The reader may wonder “What about the oil filter? He will score! " As shown by opening each filter after each rinsing - they were clean inside - there were no serious accumulations!

And how does the engine feel after such washes? Excellent! Nothing ran or broke anywhere - enough time had passed. Moreover! I did a laboratory analysis of the engine oil for wear metals - the engine showed about zero wear.

Another example from another of our members of the forum Belkovod. A video where it is clearly shown how the five-minute washings are washed. They opened the engine, saw the deposits, collected it back, washed it with a 15-minute flush according to the instructions, and opened it to see "What has changed?" But nothing has changed! This is not a miracle flush. In general, see for yourself in the video:

Method 4. Flushing with engine oil - as the most gentle flushing.

There is also flushing the oil system with ordinary engine oil - in which nothing happens for sure. This flush will be compatible with your engine, oil seals, your future oil, etc.

The method is very simple: fill in your usual motor oil or the cheapest mineral water, the brand that you usually prefer (so as not to waste money), ride on this oil for 500-1000 km and drain. That's all! You can also change the oil filter just in case. But there is one big BUT! Motor oil has a very low detergency! In fact, it can only take out particles that have already come off the walls - and the engine, as it was dirty, will remain so - or it takes a lot of time and thousands of kilometers according to the principle "water wears away a stone". You can sharpen this stone even 500 thousand km - which negates flushing the engine with oil. Do not think that you have filled in oil, skated 1000 km and everything inside you shines. If the deposits are really serious, everything will remain the same! I have devoted a separate article to flushing with engine oil, since I have many years of experience - I set up such experiments.

Conclusion

And so we have listed 4 main ways to flush the oil system. The most important thing is to decide for yourself whether to flush the engine?
Take a flashlight, unscrew the oil filler cap, look inside (or rather remove the valve cover). If there is pure metal, then you have a clean engine and most likely you do not need any flushing. The throat walls are the same inner wall of the engine like all the others, moreover, located at the very top. Remember - the flush must have a foundation!

First, we make a diagnosis and answer our question: is the engine dirty or clean? And then we decide to treat or leave it as it is!

It makes no sense to wash a clean engine by flushing "For the sake of prevention"! You are wasting money ... In this case, it is better and more efficient to change the oil not after 10,000 km, but after 7500 km! A clean engine will feel much better than after 10 thousand km with flushes!