Valvoline Restore and Protect: The Motor Oil That Cleans and Protects Your Engine

Imagine your car feeling a bit sluggish and guzzling more gas than it used to. Over time, engines accumulate sticky deposits – carbon, varnish, and sludge – that rob power and fuel economy. Valvoline Restore & Protect motor oil is formulated to tackle that problem. It’s a premium full-synthetic engine oil with built-in cleaning agents. In fact, Valvoline claims this first-of-its-kind innovation removes up to 100% of engine-killing deposits with regular use.

In this post, you’ll learn what makes Restore & Protect special, how it works, and how to use it in your own car to keep the engine running clean and efficient.

What is Valvoline Restore and Protect?

Valvoline Restore and Protect is a premium full-synthetic motor oil engineered to actively clean your engine while it lubricates. Unlike standard oil that mainly provides lubrication, Restore & Protect contains proprietary additives (branded as Active Clean and Liqui-Shield technologies) designed to dissolve existing deposits and prevent new ones. In simple terms, it’s like adding an engine cleaner to your oil every time you change it. Valvoline markets this oil as the first motor oil to actively restore engine cleanliness and protect against future damage. In other words, it not only lubricates moving parts but also works behind the scenes to strip away varnish and carbon build-up on pistons and rings. This makes Restore & Protect stand out from ordinary or even other high-mileage oils.

Why Engine Cleanliness Matters

Even a well-maintained engine naturally collects deposits. As fuel burns and oil circulates, tiny carbon and oil residue cling to piston tops, ring grooves, and valve areas. These deposits insulate heat and increase friction, which can make the engine burn more fuel for the same power. Hidden deposits… rob [the engine] of power and fuel efficiency, notes Valvoline. In practice, that means a dirty engine can feel less responsive when you hit the gas, and it may use more gasoline. Over many miles, heavy sludge can also clog oil passages or cause wear. Cleaning these deposits is important: a cleaner engine runs more smoothly, burns cleaner, and lasts longer. Just like brushing your teeth removes plaque buildup, an engine-cleaning oil like Restore & Protect gradually washes away the gunk inside the motor.

How Does Valvoline Restore and Protect Work?

Valvoline Restore and Protect contains advanced detergents and base oils that target engine deposits. It uses two key technologies:

• Active Clean Technology: This consists of high-solvency cleaning agents (think of them as strong but safe solvents) that dissolve existing carbon and varnish on pistons, rings, and cylinder walls. With continuous use, Valvoline’s tests show Active Clean can remove up to 100% of piston deposits in lab conditions.
  
• Liqui-Shield Technology: This forms a protective film on metal surfaces to prevent new deposits from sticking. In effect, it keeps your engine cleaner for longer by resisting future gunk buildup.
  

Both work during normal driving. Every time you run the engine, these additives circulate in the oil and lift off deposits a bit at a time. Over a few oil changes, the effect blends. Valvoline’s product literature emphasizes that with consistent use, Restore & Protect removes up to 100% of engine-killing deposits and prevents future deposit formation. In everyday terms, it means each oil change with Restore & Protect is also an engine-cleaning session. (By contrast, most conventional oils focus only on lubrication and basic detergents, without this level of cleaning power.)

Key Benefits of Restore & Protect

Using Restore & Protect offers several potential advantages for a do-it-yourself mechanic:

• Engine Cleaning: It actively strips away sludge and carbon. Valvoline’s data suggests that after about four consecutive oil changes, piston deposits can be nearly eliminated. That restores the engine to a cleaner state, closer to factory new condition.
  
• Improved Fuel Economy: A cleaner engine has less internal friction. The product page notes that a clean engine minimizes friction between metal surfaces, which helps improve fuel economy. In practice, even a few percent gain in MPG can result from removing drag-causing deposits.
  
• More Power and Life: Remove the coating of gunk, and the engine breathes and operates more efficiently. Valvoline highlights that Restore & Protect helps maximize fuel economy, horsepower, and engine life. While gains depend on your car’s condition, owners of higher-mileage engines may notice snappier throttle response as deposits vanish.
  
• Stronger Anti-Wear Protection: In addition to cleaning, this oil is highly protective. Valvoline claims it offers 79% stronger anti-wear performance compared to the minimum industry standard (API GF-6). This extra protection comes from advanced additive chemistry, helping metal parts last longer.
  
• No Vehicle Restrictions: This oil is safe for any gasoline-powered car or light truck, new or old, as long as you pick the correct viscosity (e.g., 5W-20, 5W-30, etc.). It meets current API specifications, so it’s suitable for modern engines (including turbocharged ones) and older engines that call for synthetic oil. Valvoline even notes it’s perfect for any age vehicle, from a new car’s first oil change to high-mileage vehicles.
  

Benefits at a glance:

• Gently cleans existing engine deposits (sludge, varnish, carbon)
  
• Guards against new deposit buildup (via protective additives)
  
• Improves fuel mileage and restores lost horsepower
  
• Provides extra anti-wear protection (79% better than GF-6 standard)
  
• Works in any compatible gasoline engine (standard synthetic oil replacement)
  

These benefits make Restore & Protect more than just a lubricant — it’s an engine maintenance product. Think of it as combining a high-performance oil with an engine flush, all in one product.

How to Use Valvoline Restore and Protect?

Using Restore & Protect is straightforward because it is the oil itself. At each oil change, simply pour in Restore & Protect instead of your regular synthetic oil. Follow these steps:

Check compatibility: 

Make sure the viscosity (e.g., 5W-20, 5W-30) matches what your vehicle’s owner manual requires. There is some Restore & Protect that comes in common grades, which as given below:  

• Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W30
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 0W20
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 10W30
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 10W40
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W20
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 15w40
• Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W40

It meets the same API and ILSAC standards (GF-6A/B) as other modern oils.

Change the oil and filter: 

Warm up the engine first so the oil flows easily, then drain the old oil. Replace the oil filter. (Replacing the filter is important: you don’t want an old filter trapping the very deposits you’ve loosened.)

Add Restore & Protect: 

Pour in the correct amount of Valvoline Restore and Protect. The label will guide you, or use the same quantity as your previous oil.

Drive normally: 

Take the car out for regular driving. There’s no special procedure — the oil’s additives work during normal operation. Stick to your recommended mileage interval for oil changes.

For maximum cleaning, use Restore & Protect for several consecutive oil changes. Valvoline’s testing indicates that the full deposit-removal effect occurs after about four back-to-back oil changes with this product. In real-life terms, that means if your engine has moderate buildup, start using R&P for the next 3–4 oil changes (about a year of driving) before switching back or continuing. Most users simply make it their regular oil: every change renews the cleaning action.

Practical tip: Keep an eye on the engine’s behavior. Some owners report that after using Restore & Protect for a while, engines idle more smoothly or even quiet down. You may also notice a stable or slightly improved MPG once deposits start clearing. If your engine was very dirty, give it time and multiple changes — don’t expect miraculous results overnight.

Tips and Precautions

• Standard maintenance still applies: Restore & Protect isn’t a replacement for regular servicing. Continue checking your oil level periodically and changing it at recommended intervals.
• Oil filter matters: Always install a new, high-quality oil filter with each change. As Restore & Protect cleans, the filter will trap loosened particles. A fresh filter ensures these don’t recirculate.
• Don’t mix with old sludge: If your engine is extremely gummed up (severe sludge or stuck oil passages), a mechanical cleaning or an engine flush may be needed first. Then use Restore & Protect on subsequent changes for maintenance. For typical levels of carbon and varnish, however, R&P’s chemistry should be sufficient to do the job gradually.
• Use it in gasoline engines: This product is designed for gasoline (petrol) engines. It’s not marketed for diesel engines or manual transmissions. Always double-check that the oil grade and specs match your engine’s requirements.
• Consistent use yields best results: If you switch to Restore & Protect for one change and then go back to regular oil, you’ll see minimal effect. Plan to use it regularly (for example, every oil change for a few cycles) to fully cleanse the engine as intended.
• Safety note: Like all motor oils, handle it with care. Avoid skin contact and dispose of used oil properly at a recycling facility.
  

In summary, treating your engine with Restore & Protect is simple: change oil and filter as usual, just use this oil, and drive on. Over a few changes, the cleaner chemistry gets to work under the hood.