just some info for the members and readers....

my strada is 3.5 years old, 2006 model - odo is tripping at 80K already, relatively low for me but, what the heck.... any ways regarding the issue on engine treatments, and flushing, etc....


  • engine flushing before change oils - a big no no!!! the flushing agent is actually run through the entire engine for a few minutes and then drained again, what this does is that it cleans the entire engine and everything in it up to every nook and cranny that it can get into. why is this bad? - well removing the very fine layer of oil that is coating the metal surfaces of the engine internals leaves you with - metal to metal contact, meaning more friction, meaning faster engine component wear. the usual retort to this, "we immediately put the new oil into the engine anyway".. so what? the new oil stays in teh oil pan/crank case until the engine is started again and the oil pump circulates the oil inside the engine again.... so what is coating the components during the first few seconds of the run in time? nothing!! sure it's just a few seconds, but a lot of few seconds adds up to a lot of few minutes which adds to a lot of pesos in the long run....

- so if you're still using the same old oil, shun the flushing fluids. don't waste your money and kill your engine at the same time... if you plan on changing oil brand/type, it doesn't matter. just let it drain longer.


  • air cleaner replacement - there's alot of talk regarding when to replace your air cleaner - i haven't replaced mine, and i go to some of teh most ridiculously dusty places.... just make sore you properly clean your filter with compressed air every so often. or better yet, inest in the washable air cleaners"K&N". save the long run cost of buying the disposable and get one which will last the life of your vehicle.
  • fuel filter - again a lot of people are giving their own opinions egarding when to replace - my personal opinion - replace when you feel that there is a loss of power, or if you go station hopping.
  • differential oils - why change when there's nothing wrong with it? the only time you change your diff. oil is when it has been contaminated by water - and there is no way that a city driven vehicle will get water into the diffs ubless na ondoy yun!!! actually kahit nga na ondoy hindi pa din pinapasok eh.....


i know i will get a lot of flack for this, but bear in mind that these are just my opinions, you may believe me or not, it's your call. but bear in mind i've been driving diesels all my driving life and i deal with diesel engines in my life of work..

hope this helps!!