quote:Originally posted by GN:
One of the problems with your situation is it's impossible to say, absent a professional and competent Journeyman Mechanic's thorough assessment of the engine's condition just prior to the catastrophic failure, what the exact cause of the failure was.
It might be related to the engine flush, it might not. Engines do fail, sometimes at mileage far less than 73,000. There is no causal relationship ... "this thing happened, this other thing happened next" by itself does not mean the first thing caused the second.
Before there was artificial light, humans went to sleep at sundown and woke up at sunrise. You could conclude that sleeping caused sunrises. You would be wrong, but that does not make it un-believeable, so it could easily be given the aura of fact.
As others have posted previously, there is a great deal of information, most of it essentially unrelated to the flush, that needs to be assessed before anything ... and I mean anything ... can be ruled out as a cause or effect.
Also, we can't be expected to assume anything ... for example, what, exactly failed in the engine? Did a part simply break, did a part break because of bearing issues, exactly what broke, if anything?
The engine at 73,000 might have experienced timing chain/belt failure ... could destroy the engine, probably not something a flush would contribute to, and hardly unheard of at that mileage.
For the record, I will offer my opinion, but take care to understand it's only my opinion and does not constitute factual evidence of any kind.
I do not believe any engine needs an engine flush, at any time, save for exceptional circumstances where you are faced with an engine that probably needs a rebuild and you are willing to try something to avoid that cost.
An example of such a situation is if you had just purchased a used classic vehicle that has not run in 20 years. After trying to start the engine and failing, you might try a flush in the off chance it will then run. You would probably be better off removing some parts and examining the engine condition, but like I said it's an option, if not the best one. If it works, you possibly saved the cost of the rebuild; if it doesn't, well, you were rebuilding it anyway, weren't you?
For a perfectly good engine in a perfectly good car, a flush is an attempt to fix something that isn't broken. There is a near zero chance it will break in the next 1000 miles if you just run it, and there is a slightly bigger chance it will break if you do something like a flush.
In other words, engine flushes normally have no earthly use, and are an attempt to part you and your money by playing on a fear, often a fear introduced to you by the seller of the "fix" or "preventative" remedy.
Most engine flushes contain simple formulas ... maybe even not a "formula" since the word implies more than one compound and it may just be straight kerosene ... a few dollars worth, at most ... with some colour or scent to mask it's true identity (allowing them to charge more for it).
It is not a bad thing for an engine to look "dirty" inside. This is normal, and one of the most significant skills that separate a good mechanic from a bad one is to be able to recognize what is a problem and what is not.
Pretty much everything will look "dirty" to someone who expects shiny parts, and it's a common method to convince people they "need" something by showing them some "dirty" part or fluid and then asking for their wallet, usually accompanied by some dire imaginary circumstance involving paying an actual mechanic "down the road" for something that is very unlikely to happen in the first place. This shill requires a somewhat reasonable amount of money for a cost to the remedy ... a number in your impulse buy region.
Say, less than $100, and is usually performed by someone who is not, in fact, an actual mechanic, let alone one who had the skills to assess wear as mentioned earlier. The guy at the quick-oil change is not a mechanic; he's barely able to follow basic instructions, probably. That's why his engine flush routine is from a script ... something where only a functional memory is required to perform perfectly, complete with some "demonstration" procedure a 10th grade drama student could probably master faster and execute better.
Clean oil, regular attention, reasonable driving habits, and run her. Do that, and chances are the car will outlive your tolerance for it ... not many people replace a vehicle because they wore it out; they replace it because they are tired of looking at it - cheap car dvd players for sale.
Such a detailed answer, thanks! These are very useful info, good job.