How often should the engine oil passages be cleaned?
2 Answers
Engine oil passages should be cleaned every 50,000 kilometers, which can quickly restore engine performance after cleaning. An engine is a machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy, including reciprocating piston engines, Stirling engines, steam engines, jet engines, electric motors, etc. The benefits of cleaning the engine include: 1. Preventing the mixing of old and new engine oil, removing sludge and oil films formed by old oil to avoid reducing the performance of new oil; 2. Improving engine efficiency, reducing noise, and decreasing fuel and oil consumption; 3. A clean engine lubrication system enhances oil flow, lowers engine temperature, and improves lubrication efficiency; 4. Preventing the engine from burning oil.
Just talked to a repair shop mechanic about this the other day. Actually, engine oil passages don't need regular cleaning at all! As long as you change genuine engine oil on time, the passages won't get clogged for decades. Those vehicles that require disassembly and cleaning of oil passages are mostly ones that have used inferior oil or gone over 100,000 kilometers without an oil change. Last time, I encountered a German car with 200,000 kilometers on it - only after removing the oil pan did we find the oil pump screen clogged with sludge. Such extreme cases are the only ones that require cleaning. For properly maintained vehicles, it's completely unnecessary to waste money on this. Better to spend the budget on buying high-quality oil. Regularly checking the dipstick and changing the oil promptly when it turns black is the most practical approach.