Question: Detergent Oils??

[Donne Trav]

Has anyone had the occassion to use any of the detergent/cleaning
oils? If so, how long do you run this oil--a few minutes or is mileage
involved. I have 75,000+ miles and it seems as though with each oil
change (every 3000 or so) the oil appears to be dirtier. Although I'm
past do this time, maybe a couple hundred miles.

THANKS

 

[93Rubie]

Usually, if you use the "high mileage" oils you just use them like regular oil, no adjustments in use needed. You dont really need them, regular oil has lots of detergents in it. If your engine isnt visibly dirty ie. pull the fill cap and you can see sludge and stuff, then no need for the "high mileage" stuff. Just make sure you change it on a regular basis.

IF you do have sludge build up, run some ATF in the engine. What I do is before I change oil on my Focus I pour in half a quart of ATF, drive the car normally for about 15 miles, then when I am getting ready to change the oil, I pour in the other half of the quart and let the engine idle. Doing this on a regular basis has helped clean the engine up inside from sludge and stuff, that previous owners caused.

ATF is basically nothing but detergents. Ever see the inside of automatic transmission, it is spotless, unless something really bad happened.

 

[Hib Halverson]

All engine oils except those specifically labeled "non-detergent" contain more than enough detergents to keep an engine clean as long as they are changed at the manufacturer-recommended drain interval or sooner.

The idea that you have to buy a special "detergent/cleaning" oil for properly-maintained, high-mileage engines is BS.

Also, those who pour ATF in the oil then drive the car are making a foolish mistake. Yeah, ATFs are high-detergent lubricants but adding it to oil decreases oil viscosity and running in the engine under any load may damage the engine.

The idea that ATF is "basically nothing but detergents" is inaccurate. In fact, only a small proportion of ATF is "detergents" the rest is a hydraulic fluid that doubles as a lubricant.

If you are using the correct oil in your Corvette or your Ford Focus and changing it regularly, you do not need to use ATF or any other cleaner before oil changes.

 

[TedC]

I tried the "snake" oil on my neighboors "beat" Mustang GT 5.0 with 90,000, and the High Mileage oil solved two issues. Clicking lifters and eliminated an oil pan leak. Oil pressure was the same when cold and higher when hot (HM 5W-30 vs. standard 5W-30 from the same company). So I tried the stuff in my vette with only 60,000 and indeed the oil pressure remains higher when hot. Oil came out much darker (almost black) vs. prior changes which I can only guess was due to extra detergents. My brother is a Mobil 1 user, and when he switched over from conventional oil to Mobil 1, it came out black for several changes on two different cars.

 

[Rex S]

Perhaps I don't understand the question but with Mobil 1 why would you need anything else? 93 w/103,000 90 ZR1 w/45,000 & 92 ZR1 w/86,000 and all are spotless inside.

 

[93Rubie]

All engine oils except those specifically labeled "non-detergent" contain more than enough detergents to keep an engine clean as long as they are changed at the manufacturer-recommended drain interval or sooner.

The idea that you have to buy a special "detergent/cleaning" oil for properly-maintained, high-mileage engines is BS.

Also, those who pour ATF in the oil then drive the car are making a foolish mistake. Yeah, ATFs are high-detergent lubricants but adding it to oil decreases oil viscosity and running in the engine under any load may damage the engine.

The idea that ATF is "basically nothing but detergents" is inaccurate. In fact, only a small proportion of ATF is "detergents" the rest is a hydraulic fluid that doubles as a lubricant.

If you are using the correct oil in your Corvette or your Ford Focus and changing it regularly, you do not need to use ATF or any other cleaner before oil changes.

I am not going to disagree with you Hib, and I will admit saying ATF is basically nothing but detergents was a broad statement. Nor am I an expert on ATF.

I realize I am thinning the viscosity, but given I am using it in small quantities and I understand the risks, I will continue to do so in my DD unless you have a better solution to sludge build up from PREVIOUS owners who cannot seem to change oil on a regular basis. By all means Hib, if you have a safer solution I haven't heard of, I'm all ears. Sludge is a killer just as too much ATF could be.

Basically, folks if you use the recommended oil in your car and change it at the recommended intervals, you should never have a problem with sludge and the like.

 

[Hib Halverson]

If you're going to use ATF (Marvel Mystery Oil is another one) I wouldn't run the engine under a load. I'd put the stuff in and run it at idle or fast idle for a while.

Lastly, if the engine is heavily-sludged, it may never be clean inside until you overhaul it.