Fluid flushing/changing- need advice

[z1ggy]

I've got an 07 Impreza NA with about 53k on it. I normally change my own oil and the basic fluids, but since it was cold and rainy today ( and I was feeling lazy), I brought it to Valvoline. He told me I need a ton of fluids changed/flushed besides the oil. These included: The front and rear differentials, the radiator, power steering, and fuel injection cleaning. I was WAY over due on all of them, I don't think I have had any of those done yet at all, so I was worried I should have gotten some of them done. The radiator flush was freakin $99.99 so I counted that out until I got some advice. Also the differential said it needed to be done ever 15k miles..That seems a little excessive to me. So, which if any, should I get done? Oh, and he said I should get my oil flushed out too because since the dipstick was very dark and there wasn't much oil on it he said there is sludge in the motor.. $55 bucks later and my problem would be solved. I opted out until I got advice here, too.

 

[justfrank]

As far as the eng oil being sludged, how often have you been changing its oil? If every 3-5K miles, then the guy's hosing you. How exactly would they flush it anyway?

Skip the other BS too, especially from ANY quick lube place that employs min. wage "Hermans".

Look in your owners manual to see when fluids are suppose to be changed. Todays aluminum engines don't require regular coolant flushes. If your cars got an AT, if the fluid's still red it's good. Diff fluids today also go many miles before changing is needed.
PS fluid almost never needs changing unless it's dark.

Injector cleaning hasn't been needed since the 80's, early 90s when gas was worse but it hasn't been a problem in years due to all the additives used in gas now. Skip that too.

 

[z1ggy]

As far as the eng oil being sludged, how often have you been changing its oil? If every 3-5K miles, then the guy's hosing you. How exactly would they flush it anyway?

Skip the other BS too, especially from ANY quick lube place that employs min. wage "Hermans".

Look in your owners manual to see when fluids are suppose to be changed. Todays aluminum engines don't require regular coolant flushes. If your cars got an AT, if the fluid's still red it's good. Diff fluids today also go many miles before changing is needed.
PS fluid almost never needs changing unless it's dark.

Injector cleaning hasn't been needed since the 80's, early 90s when gas was worse but it hasn't been a problem in years due to all the additives used in gas now. Skip that too.

I've been changing oil about every 5k miles. I figure..I'm not beating the hell out of my car and I use good quality oil. Also my car is a manual. He told me they had some flushing system that flushes the old oil out, then flushes the cleaner through, then they put new oil in. I am pretty sure I have never changed the dif. fluid.. and they recommended every 15k miles.. So right now im on 53k. I should at least do the rear dif? He said the front dif also includes transmission fluid change, too.. but I thought on manuals.. especially newer cars, you don't really ever need to change it?

 

[justfrank]

but I thought on manuals.. especially newer cars, you don't really ever need to change it?

Again, look at your owners manual or call a Subaru Dealer. No car requires 15K diff fluid changes so they're hosing you.

As for eng. oil, I don't know what Subaru suggests today but Toyota's been doing 5K eng oil changes for years and that's never been a problem. Those with sludged engines are those who go far longer than that on oil changes and those who've used cheaper oils too.
I go 5K miles with my cars but then I use Mobil 1 synthetic too. Years ago, most manufactures suggested 3K mile change intervals for "severe" driving conditions but that's typically what most of us are driving by definition.

 

[booshaka]

It's been a while since I owned my WRX but I think I remember the manual saying a coolant, brake and tranny/diff flush at either 50k or 60k. They also changed the fuel filter around that time. Definitely not every 15k.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Most vehicles owner manuals recommend that at either 45 or 60k, all fluids are changed.

 

[Jeff7]

Subaru maintenance schedule.

 

[LTC8K6]

Is there some reason why people don't just look in the manuals for their car?

 

[zerocool84]

Is there some reason why people don't just look in the manuals for their car?

If people did that, 90% of car forums would shut down. There would be almost no posts here.

 

[SuperSix]

I managed a Jiffy Lube for a few years...

Go by the manufacturer's recommendation, not the oil jockey. Never use any engine flushing chemicals, or "professional" injector cleaning services.

 

[hanoverphist]

I managed a Jiffy Lube for a few years...

Go by the manufacturer's recommendation, not the oil jockey. Never use any engine flushing chemicals, or "professional" injector cleaning services.

i had a jiffy lube guy tell me my carbureted truck needed injector cleaning service.

 

[GEEBOSS]

Just pull up youtube on Jiffy Lube, Midas and wonder if you really want to take your car there for work and have them actually do it. Appear that many places have people under the gun to recommend additional work that never gets done yet the customer is billed for the work

 

[Pacfanweb]

Most differentials I've seen the manual for don't get changed until 90-100k or more miles.

If you are changing your oil every 5k or so, there's no way it's sludged, so the guy is just full of it on that one.

Just take that link above for the maintenance and follow it.


As far as flushing the oil, there are machines that do it. When I worked at a dealership, our owner (who knows nothing about service at all) was talked into buying a Bilstein Oil Flush machine. (probably a different company than the one that makes shocks). This was over the objections of our service manager, and we were told to use it because "it would make us a lot of money".

We called it the Bilstein Wallet Flush, because that's all it did. It hooked to the oil drain and I think where the filter mounts. Pumped solvent through the engine, then sucked it back out.

You should have heard how badly engines knocked and rattled when started after having one done. The rep came in and did a demo, and one of the advisors let him use his truck...it knocked like hell when refilled with new oil and restarted. I refused to ever sell one after that.

The only time most anyone would sell one was if someone was way over on their oil change....it WOULD get some sludge out, no doubt, but overall, it was a worthless waste of money, and actually did more damage IMO than good.