[YoungOG08]

Ok so I went to change the oil on my 2012 535xi 58k miles...

The service tech pulls out the oil takes out the filter and says "you need an engine flush" I looked at the oil and it looked like the oil was really burned...

To be honest I was going to let him flush it but then thought if anything fucks up my warranty was out the window!

My question is do our engines really need this performed? Any thoughts and opinions are really appreciated

[paul223]

Did u ask what is engine flush? But probably not needed.

[550Reasons]

service tech at BMW ? or local shop ?
a flush to me would be putting new oil, run the car, rev it a bit or drive it a couple miles, come back and change the oil again ...

[FenixMike]

Originally Posted by YoungOG_NYC

Ok so I went to change the oil on my 2012 535xi 58k miles...

The service tech pulls out the oil takes out the filter and says "you need an engine flush" I looked at the oil and it looked like the oil was really burned...

To be honest I was going to let him flush it but then thought if anything fucks up my warranty was out the window!

My question is do our engines really need this performed? Any thoughts and opinions are really appreciated

As stated, was this a BMW Dealer? The reason I ask is past dealers ive worked for offered a list of "Flushes" based on whoever their fluid/chemical supplier was. MOC brand fluids/flushes was a big one that many dealers use, but it varies by whoever has the contract. "Dirty" filters aren't really bad as it just means the filter is doing its duty (and with the service intervals being 10K-15K miles on these cars, its bound to be dirty), and thats also part of the sales pitch. The reason I asked about the dealer, is that is NOT part of the required, nor recommended maintenance on a BMW, its merely something at the dealership level they want to do to improve their income. The issue with doing something such as a Engine Oil Flush is the process they use, the fact that a $9 an hour tech is working on a $15,000 engine he doesnt care about, as well as the fact that our vehicles are turbocharged with a million small coolers and crevices where oil flows through.

Now technically, an "Engine Oil Flush" doesnt sound like a bad thing, and if you had a BMW tech doing it properly, id be willing to bet it likely wouldn't hurt anything if it was a product supported by BMW. The problem is most of the time, the tech is going to want to slam it in an out as fast as possible because they are on flag time and get the same amount regardless of how much time they spend on your car. When I watched techs do it at my old dealer many years ago, most would just dump the additive into the engine, run it for 5 min, then do an oil change. Really not much added value for the extra $100+ they charge for a "flush", and I couldn't in good faith tell you that helped anything at all, or did much more than you buying an over the counter additive and adding it in before your trip to get the oil changed. I did see others use the proper MOC (or similar) machine which hooks up to the oil filter outlet, supplies 10 quarts of oil and additive to the oil fil cap while sucking it out of the filter assembly and disposing of it, then finally having the filter reinstalled and fresh oil put in, however I also remember quite a few times of the oil pressure not being stable, knocking from low oil etc, and of course having that additive pushed through the VANOS system, fuel system, coolers and turbos with no idea how much is still in the system when the new oil is added (draining the pan wouldn't flush the system, only drain the contents in the pan out... you would have to do a 2nd flush with just synthetic oil to really get all the garbage out of there, otherwise as soon as you started the car, whatever quart or two of garbage oil running through the system would instantly mix in with the new oil). Unless someone did some testing on how those additives (as well as whatever was removed from the engine from the additives such as sludge, carbon etc) could do to the oil it is now mixed in with, I don't think its a good idea.

On the other hand, if you had $500 you didn't need, do the flush a few times with the first being with the additive, then again with just clean oil, then do a normal oil change... however id chalk that up to a complete waste and risking some big time issues. If it was a BMW dealer, at least if you nuked the engine, they would be on the hook for it, but it sounds like you're going to a generic service facility thats just trying to make an extra buck and offering you the same service they offer a 1980 Ford Escort that may actually benefit from it. Too much on these engines relies on oil pressure and tight tolerances for me to ever consider anything BMW doesnt stamp their approval on, and thats saying a lot because I'm usually quite open to trying new things to improve a car.

[Simple5]

http://www.auto-rx.com/

use this stuff!

[YoungOG08]

Basically a "engine flush" flush is when they pour chemicals in your engine flush it with high pressure pump and drain it to remove gunk build up btw it was at a car wash/ oil change place

[TJBentley]

Originally Posted by YoungOG_NYC

Basically a "engine flush" flush is when they pour chemicals in your engine flush it with high pressure pump and drain it to remove gunk build up btw it was at a car wash/ oil change place

Hey man what's going on in I'm NYC as well. Just curious where you take your car too for service and things as my 2012 is now our of warranty also.

[YoungOG08]

Originally Posted by TJBentley

Hey man what's going on in I'm NYC as well. Just curious where you take your car too for service and things as my 2012 is now our of warranty also.

Mines still has warranty...I take it the Park AVE BMW in South Hackensack NJ