What are the hazards of engine cleaners to the engine?
3 Answers
Engine cleaners can harm the engine because they have strong dissolving capabilities. If a car owner uses engine cleaners too frequently, it can cause certain damage to the engine's internal seals and cylinder block. If a large amount of engine cleaner residue remains inside the engine after cleaning, it can also affect the balance of the engine oil components, leading to degraded oil performance. Below are related details: 1. Function of engine cleaners: Engine cleaners can provide some cleaning effect when the vehicle has not traveled many miles, the carbon deposits inside the engine are not severe, and the sludge and dirt accumulation is minimal. After cleaning, they can remove carbon deposits, sludge, and dirt, enhance the fluidity of new engine oil, reduce engine temperature and noise, improve lubrication performance, and decrease wear, thereby extending the engine's service life. 2. Engine maintenance: For engine maintenance, car owners should pay more attention to following the maintenance cycle specified in their maintenance manual and perform regular maintenance. Timely replace or add engine oil, and if the filter shows signs of clogging, replace it promptly to avoid internal contamination, which can accelerate engine wear.
Our repair shop often encounters cases where car owners misuse engine cleaners and end up damaging their vehicles. Many low-quality cleaners contain highly corrosive chemicals that can easily damage rubber seals and plastic components inside the engine, especially in older cars where already fragile oil seals may fail completely, leading to various oil leakage issues. More seriously, the loosened carbon deposits can get stuck in piston rings or clog oil passages and oil pump screens, directly affecting lubrication. Over time, this can cause abnormal engine wear or even cylinder scuffing. Therefore, we advise against randomly pouring cleaners into the engine. If carbon buildup is severe, it's safer to opt for direct disassembly and manual cleaning.
I'm in the auto parts business, and some vehicles develop issues after using cleaning agents, primarily due to overly aggressive formulas or improper usage. For instance, certain strong solvent-based cleaners can indeed dissolve sludge and carbon deposits, but they also degrade the original protective properties of the engine oil, leaving the engine in a state of increased wear risk immediately after cleaning. In turbocharged engines, high temperatures may cause residue from the cleaning agent to coke, potentially clogging the turbo bearing oil passages. Additionally, aluminum components are particularly vulnerable to acidic cleaners, which can corrode them and generate metal particles that contaminate the oil. If you must use a cleaning agent, opt for neutral formulations from reputable brands, run the engine for about ten minutes before an oil change to flush it out, and avoid prolonged soaking at all costs.
