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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
I've got the ML430 in the garage tonight investigating the PS return hose when I decided to look inside the oil filler cap. Geeze Louise, at the sludge! Obvious victim of the notorious Dino oil fiasco of the later decade. I'm agonizing whether I should flush it before the next oil change or just leave it alone. Opinions please.
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
cmitch - 2/20/2007 9:42 PM
I've got the ML430 in the garage tonight investigating the PS return hose when I decided to look inside the oil filler cap. Geeze Louise, at the sludge! Obvious victim of the notorious Dino oil fiasco of the later decade. I'm agonizing whether I should flush it before the next oil change or just leave it alone. Opinions please.
I would dump it and get some good synthetic in there asap. |
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
cmitch - 2/21/2007 2:42 AM
I've got the ML430 in the garage tonight investigating the PS return hose when I decided to look inside the oil filler cap. Geeze Louise, at the sludge! Obvious victim of the notorious Dino oil fiasco of the later decade. I'm agonizing whether I should flush it before the next oil change or just leave it alone. Opinions please.
I would not flush it, but put Mobil 1 in and a new oil filter, then check the state of the oil and replace oil and filter again in at least 5K miles or sooner if it is obviously dirty.
Plus I would use the excuse to go on a decent long journey, meaning at least 500 miles in one day (to give the motor a good workout), somewhere into mountains or somewhere interesting, the UK is so boring, I hope you Americans realise just how lucky you are with your mountains and wide open spaces.
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
I've been running Mobil 1 0W40 since I've had it (about 70,000 miles). This is crap from the previous owner and MB service. Every time I change oil, the stuff I drain out is black and the new looks like that after about a 1000 miles. I've been changing the oil and filter every 3500 miles but the mobil 1 is obviously not cleaning it up any. The only fear I have of a flush is loosening up a huge plug of gunk and it stopping up everything.
Edited by cmitch 2/21/2007 8:45 AM
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
cmitch - 2/21/2007 1:43 PM
I've been running Mobil 1 0W40 since I've had it (about 70,000 miles). This is crap from the previous owner and MB service. Every time I change oil, the stuff I drain out is black and the new looks like that after about a 1000 miles. I've been changing the oil and filter every 3500 miles but the mobil 1 is obviously not cleaning it up any. The only fear I have of a flush is loosening up a huge plug of gunk and it stopping up everything.
Well, it seems like you just answered your question, if 70K miles of Mobil 1 has not flushed it then the only alternative is a proper flush with flushing oil.
As to the question of a huge plug of gunk blocking up something, I assume that flushing oil is designed to disintegrate lumps rather than shift them in one piece, I would monitor the oil light whilst doing it though.
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roadsession
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| RE: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
cmitch - 2/20/2007 9:42 PM
I've got the ML430 in the garage tonight investigating the PS return hose when I decided to look inside the oil filler cap. Geeze Louise, at the sludge! Obvious victim of the notorious Dino oil fiasco of the later decade. I'm agonizing whether I should flush it before the next oil change or just leave it alone. Opinions please.
gunky sludge on your oil filler cap is normal if you drive short distances regularly.
don't panic.
it's quite normal.
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
roadsession - 2/21/2007 9:36 AM cmitch - 2/20/2007 9:42 PM I've got the ML430 in the garage tonight investigating the PS return hose when I decided to look inside the oil filler cap. Geeze Louise, at the sludge! Obvious victim of the notorious Dino oil fiasco of the later decade. I'm agonizing whether I should flush it before the next oil change or just leave it alone. Opinions please.
gunky sludge on your oil filler cap is normal if you drive short distances regularly. don't panic. it's quite normal. It's not in the cap I'm talking about. I got a flash light and looked into the valve cover through the oil cap. Nasty! |
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| RE: Well, I done did de dirty deed!
Dirty, it was. BLACK oil came pouring out. I also found a few particles of grit in the oil filter. I'm going to let it drain for about an hour and refill it with Mobil 1 10W40. This is a new mix that wasn't available until a few weeks ago, so with our climate around here, I sprang for it.
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texasdanml430
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
I use AutoRx. google it. seems to work. I use it in several engines, without problems. FWIW. You get to use cheap dino oil with it. takes a while, but patience is a virtue, n'est-ce pas? skanky crankcase oil always bugs me, but frequent M-1 changes are pricey. good luck |
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| Re: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
texasdanml430 - 2/23/2007 2:04 PM I use AutoRx. google it. seems to work. I use it in several engines, without problems. FWIW. You get to use cheap dino oil with it. takes a while, but patience is a virtue, n'est-ce pas? skanky crankcase oil always bugs me, but frequent M-1 changes are pricey. good luck Dino oil is what had me in this position. I just don't believe in driving a Mercedes and then putting cheap gas and oil in it. |
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texasdanml430
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
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| Re: To Motor Flush or not to Motor Flush?
auto rx is much less harsh than the more agressive solvents that may mess with rubber/vinyl seals. You put it in, drive 1500 miles, drain, re-fill with dino oil, drive 2000 miles (so-called rinse phase), then change again. back to mobil 1 if you like. Auto Rx does not work well with synthetics. but you only do this for 2500 miles, so its not the end of the world.
Geez, I sound like a salesman for auto Rx which i am NOT. just trying to be helpful with options.
clearly, to me at least, mobil 1 is not magic. |
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