Dirty Lifters? Thinner oil ... EASY fix?

[smcgowan]

This subject has been talked about a few times. Switching to thinner oil is recommended by most. About once every couple of weeks I crank the car 93 525IA and it feels that the engine is missing. Turn the car off and restart and it’s gone... I get no engine codes doing the stomp test. If you let the engine continue to run minute without restarting the engine, it will smooth out and runs fine. I asked my BMW doctor about it and he said the lifters are dirty causing this situation, and he proposed a treatment. The treatment was to change the oil and substitute a bottle and Tran fluid for one quart of oil. Run the car about half the normal mileage you usually do and do the same oil change again.
Seemed like a descent idea. The car was a quart low or oil and due for a change soon anyway, so I added a bottle of Tran’s fluid to top it off so cheap 10w30 Oil. Drove the car for a week and did a complete oil change with the Trans substitute for one quart. That next weekend I drove from Raleigh to Knoxville Tenn. for the Vols/Bama game. GO VOLS! The car got the best ever gas mileage since I’ve owned the car 29mpg. I was cool and didn’t have to run the AC help but this is up over 4 mpg per gallon. The car did have the rough start only once since then. Have anyone else heard of this?

Your thoughts anyone?

[chamilun]

This subject has been talked about a few times. Switching to thinner oil is recommended by most. About once every couple of weeks I crank the car 93 525IA and it feels that the engine is missing. Turn the car off and restart and it’s gone... I get no engine codes doing the stomp test. If you let the engine continue to run minute without restarting the engine, it will smooth out and runs fine. I asked my BMW doctor about it and he said the lifters are dirty causing this situation, and he proposed a treatment. The treatment was to change the oil and substitute a bottle and Tran fluid for one quart of oil. Run the car about half the normal mileage you usually do and do the same oil change again.
Seemed like a descent idea. The car was a quart low or oil and due for a change soon anyway, so I added a bottle of Tran’s fluid to top it off so cheap 10w30 Oil. Drove the car for a week and did a complete oil change with the Trans substitute for one quart. That next weekend I drove from Raleigh to Knoxville Tenn. for the Vols/Bama game. GO VOLS! The car got the best ever gas mileage since I’ve owned the car 29mpg. I was cool and didn’t have to run the AC help but this is up over 4 mpg per gallon. The car did have the rough start only once since then. Have anyone else heard of this?

Your thoughts anyone?

was at that game too!

[smcgowan]

Sec O row 23 same seats every-year. Nice to have an Uncle with season tickets. I try to make it once a year about the time the leaves are changing.
Makes for a pretty ride

[632 Regal]

id rather try a thinner oil than trans fluid in there whick is not very lubricative at all to engine rod/cam bearings. If it just rund under no load it cant harm much but if your driving it and put a load on to it I can see some major wear taking place. A buildup of crap is normal in Dino oil engines but if you thin that out even further...kneel down and pray. I guess its better than them paint thinner additives but whoa...I'm trying to quit. Id rather stick with synthetic and rebuild each lifter before Id add any "magic" oil treatments.

[smcgowan]

Since there is 5 quarts of reg oil plus one trans and I change it @1500 miles I hope this will not hurt anything. The wifes driving the car right now so there is no real "HARD DRIVING". I believe so far that's is helping both with no lifter noise and gas mileage is up. .... Better gas mileage = less friction. Changing the filter with each change also is a must. Using regular Dino oil now with the Trans. I switch to the 0w40w as soon as flush is completed.

[ryan roopnarine]

transmission is at thickest, 20 weight oil, and is designed to "grab" somewhat. some wear occured there, how much, no one knows. i wouldn't think that you would drive something with atf in the oil for more than 50-100 miles as a flush treatment....i guess one would have to analyze the oil to really know how much metal ended up in it.

[cary]

The trans fluid flush is an old trick. The problem is that most people think that the trans fluid works because it has more addtives. In fact ATF has less additives that clean than any normal motor oil. The ATF is about 10 weight oil, so what is fact happens is it thins out the oil and tends to flush some junk out in the process.

If it were my car, I would not do a flush and just go to 0w-40 Mobil 1. If you want to flush out the old junk, use Auto RX and 10w-40 mineral oil for the flush.

Cary