Engine flush in a Common Rail TDI?

Hi,

My car has a 1.6 TDI Common Rail engine. It is slightly over 7 years old, and has done over 125,000 kms.

I have had oil changes done at the dealership, using the VW recommended synthetic oil.

However, the fuel quality around here is pathetic, requiring fuel filters to be changed every 15,000 kms. Similar is the case with air filter, due to this being classified as a high dust area by VW.

Considering some positive reviews of Liquid Moly Engine Flush, I found it to be appealing.

Is it a good idea to use it, or could there be an issue afterwards?

halfbytecode said:

Hi,

I have had oil changes done at the dealership, using the VW recommended synthetic oil.

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Got ripped off lol. Mobile 1 synthetic 5-40 and mobile one oil filter is the only way to go and only costs $50 to do yourself. Have you been sending your oil to Blackstone? Google Blackstone oil test. Start doing that and up your oil change to every 10K.


As to your question. Do it. It will not harm one thing at all. It probably won’t do a darn thing either.
Best thing you can do it lower your micron filter size, maybe nictane or ditzle mod and go 5 or 1 micron cat filters.
Add 1 table spoon of 2 stroke oil mix to each tank of fuel. This adds the sulfur back in. Trade off, more soot in your intake but better life out of your IP. Nice thing about LSF is you don’t have to worry about the EGR and the CCV mixing and making a HUGE mess ion 100K miles in your intake.

As it is, with this fuel we have your still going to see 300-400K miles without thinking about it.

I would disregard that last post. Your common rail tdi calls for a 507 spec oil (assuming it has a dpf). There is really no need or benefit from an engine flush treatment provided the dealership has been using the correct oil. Where are you that it is so dusty, Australia?

turbobrick240 said:

I would disregard that last post. Your common rail tdi calls for a 507 spec oil (assuming it has a dpf). There is really no need or benefit from an engine flush treatment provided the dealership has been using the correct oil. Where are you that it is so dusty, Australia?

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These cars around here are without a DPF, and the oil they use conforms to 505.01 spec.

People have noticed a difference after using the Engine Flush, but I am not sure if the difference was just due to the oil change, or due to a combination of oil change and usage of Engine Flush.

turbobrick240 said:

I would disregard that last post. Your common rail tdi calls for a 507 spec oil

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EH'HEM
https://mobiloil.com/en/motor-oils/mobil-1/mobil-1-esp
Specifications and approvals

Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30 has the following builder approvals:
BMW Longlife 04
MB-Approval 229.31
MB-Approval 229.51
Volkswagen (Gasoline/Diesel) 504 00/507 00
Porsche C30
Chrysler MS-11106
Peugeot/Citroën Automobiles B71 2290/B71 2297
GM dexos 2
Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30 meets or exceeds the requirements of:
ACEA C2, C3
API (Meets Engine Test Requirements) SM/SN
JASO DL-1
According to ExxonMobil, Mobil 1 Formula ESP 5W-30 is of the following quality level:
API CF
Volkswagen (Gasoline) 502 00/503 00/503 01
Volkswagen (Diesel) 505 00/506 00


I did get the weight wrong though. 5-30 not 5-40 so my bad there, but im not wrong bud.

People also say they feel a difference when they put on a cheap CAI; it’s just a symptom of the mental effect of doing work to your ride.

Let’s put it this way. If you feel an improvement and it’s measurable from just doing an oil change, you had more that is wrong with your car than you think, i.e., you let the oil go too long. The engine purge stuff does work, it actually does work, but there are no measurable differences. No HP gains, no anything other than removing some gunk that did not restore power or any gains. If your injectors are THAT BAD that this fixes an issue, i.e. a failed injector, then you have other issues, fuel filter, oil filter, and air intake issues. Here are some things for you to check out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6UeJXkzDW8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BocH2c4mYcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLhXqgEEYyI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdT4DPFXIkM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SoZnymBSC8

As you can see they do remove some crud, but it’s not making a beans worth of noticeable difference in power restoration.

Now on to your other issues that could be the culprit of why people feel that it fixes things. When you do these cleanings, you need to change your oil. It sounds like the people who use this stuff are hoping it cheaply solves an issue of neglect.
Read up on air filters and oil filters here
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=290373

Mongler98 said:

Got ripped off lol. Mobile 1 synthetic 5-40 and mobile one oil filter is the only way to go and only costs $50 to do yourself.

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God love the interwebs... he comes here asking about engine flushes and you school him about paying too much for a dealer to service his car.

Not everyone likes to change their own oil.

belome said:

God love the interwebs... he comes here asking about engine flushes and you school him about paying too much for a dealer to service his car.
Not everyone likes to change their own oil.

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So you just read 10% of what a posted about my 2 cents and judge me? Great job. Maybe read more! Maybe Post #6? But I guess you have not gotten that far because you jump to conclusions to fast. Besides, i was just joshing him for going to a "stealership" Not trying to "school, or ridicule" anyone.

I didn’t school him! Doing your own oil change is about as difficult as doing an engine chemical flush. With the oil we have now you can go 10K to 20K miles before an oil change. Most people just don't have the time and I get that, but this guy is asking about doing some work himself to his car. I think this guy can handle his own oil change bro.

I've got 350k on my '98. Prolly 200k on it with Mobil1. Before that it was Penzoil 10-40 conventional oil for a while before I realized I should be running C oil rather than S.

Then it was Valvoline 15-40 conventional until I switched to M1.

Last time I had the valve cover off there were no depsits. Could've had 10k on it.

The point is if you are running the right oil there is nothing for the flush to remove and only potential damage from thinning the oil even if only for a short time.

KLXD said:

I've got 350k on my '98. Prolly 200k on it with Mobil1. Before that it was Penzoil 10-40 conventional oil for a while before I realized I should be running C oil rather than S.

Then it was Valvoline 15-40 conventional until I switched to M1.

Last time I had the valve cover off there were no depsits. Could've had 10k on it.

The point is if you are running the right oil there is nothing for the flush to remove and only potential damage from thinning the oil even if only for a short time.

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And this is why you send off your oil to blackstone once a year. You really dont understand how much you can learn from your oil. Literally EVERYTHING about your engine and its life.

Mongler98 said:

EH'HEM
https://mobiloil.com/en/motor-oils/mobil-1/mobil-1-esp
Specifications and approvals

Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30 has the following builder approvals:
BMW Longlife 04
MB-Approval 229.31
MB-Approval 229.51
Volkswagen (Gasoline/Diesel) 504 00/507 00
Porsche C30
Chrysler MS-11106
Peugeot/Citroën Automobiles B71 2290/B71 2297
GM dexos 2
Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30 meets or exceeds the requirements of:
ACEA C2, C3
API (Meets Engine Test Requirements) SM/SN
JASO DL-1
According to ExxonMobil, Mobil 1 Formula ESP 5W-30 is of the following quality level:
API CF
Volkswagen (Gasoline) 502 00/503 00/503 01
Volkswagen (Diesel) 505 00/506 00

I did get the weight wrong though. 5-30 not 5-40 so my bad there, but im not wrong bud.

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I meant for him to disregard the obnoxious attitude more than the oil recommendation.

Mongler98 said:

And this is why you send off your oil to blackstone once a year. You really dont understand how much you can learn from your oil. Literally EVERYTHING about your engine and its life.

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The one time I did that I got no useful info from Blackstone. The engine had spun it's bearings, but no elevated metals at all.

Did you guys ever notice that when someone asks a question and you all just start bickering that the OP just stops responding...

BobnOH said:

The one time I did that I got no useful info from Blackstone. The engine had spun it's bearings, but no elevated metals at all.

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Did you pull the oil cold or when hot? Metal settles and they require an oil pull 5 seconds after oil start pouring and that it be at a running temp. That’s crazy that nothing showed up. 42 samples on various cars over the last 10 years and me always got back reliable info that one saved a car from a head gasket failure and another from a blown engine. My Porsche Boxster had the air cooled IMS bearing. If it goes, the engine is toast. Drove it 5K every oil test because I new this could fail. Started to get signs of failure, saved me 6K.

turbobrick240 said:

I meant for him to disregard the obnoxious attitude more than the oil recommendation.

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That's not what you said but whatever, IDGAF

BobnOH said:

The one time I did that I got no useful info from Blackstone. The engine had spun it's bearings, but no elevated metals at all.

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Random oil analysis for automobile engine for the most part is a waste of money because there is no TBO (Time Between Overhaul) manufacturers recommendation for automobile engine O/H. If you have an engine that has a history of specific component failures as in Monglers case, oil analysis can be very useful.

Oil analysis is used as a part of an aircrafts maintenance program to determine TBO requirements for aircraft components. For aircraft, all aspects of operation and maintenance are regulated and enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration and if those regulations are not complied with an aircraft can't be legally flown.

Section 10 summarizes somewhat how oil analysis is used as part of a methodology to extend aircraft engine TBO requirements. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-113.pdf

Ol'Rattler said:

Random oil analysis for automobile engine for the most part is a waste of money because there is no TBO (Time Between Overhaul) manufacturers recommendation for automobile engine O/H. If you have an engine that has a history of specific component failures as in Monglers case, oil analysis can be very useful.

Oil analysis is used as a part of an aircrafts maintenance program to determine TBO requirements for aircraft components. For aircraft, all aspects of operation and maintenance are regulated and enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration and if those regulations are not complied with an aircraft can't be legally flown.

Section 10 summarizes somewhat how oil analysis is used as part of a methodology to extend aircraft engine TBO requirements. https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-113.pdf

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Cool, makes sense. The more you know right?!
For my sake i just do it to see how far i can go between oil changes! Metal analysis is the hardest part of the test. the coolant content and viscosity report is the best part of the test. One test came back, higher than normal water content in the oil. Replaced CCv valve, it was gummed up but i would never had known.

EOA certainly can certainly be a valuable tool and like any other tool knowing when to use it and understanding what it is telling you is extremely important.

Kinda like VCDS. Without a working knowledge of the system you are diagnosing, VCDS is just a flashy toy.