Does Auto RX actually work?
- Thread starter bottgers
- Start date
- Status
I'm following the instructions to the tee, but that isn't going to gurantee ARX is going to cure my problem. If my problem is due to mechanical wear, ARX isn't going to help. If my consumption is due to gummed up rings or seals that need to be revamped, then it should work. I'm using the ARX for two reasons; one is to find out why my engine is consuming oil, and the other is to stop the consumption.
JHZR2
Staff member
Auto-rx is a great product for cleaning and resolving situations due to dirt, buildups, etc. It is not a miracle cure - there is no such thing, regardless of product. You need to determine the cause of your issue. Auto-rx may not be able to fix the problem, due to the nature of the problem - but at the same time, your engine will be cleaned, and it will be an effective tool to diagnose what the actual issue is.
You can be assured that Auto-rx will clean your engine, so that it is enabled to run in an optimal way, as designed. I think that there are more than enough results shown, even more than enough pictoral evidence to indicate this. It is a cost effective cleaning tool, and in you case, a cost-effective, dual-purpose cleaning/troubleshooting tool... not too bad.
I know there are many situations on here where folks have followed instructions to a 't', and didnt note any improvements in the usual metrics - Ill be the first to admit that I am one of them (though there was a very slight oil drop on my BMW which it DID fix slowly during the tail end of the rinse phase and after the return to synthetic oil!). However, lack of MPG improvement, no dirt in filter pleats, no closing of a leak, etc, etc, doesnt mean that it was a bum batch, or that it didnt do anything. All that it indicates is that the cleaning that the engines it was applied upon either wasnt necessary because it was quite clean (which in my case I knew was so), or that any buildups that were removed were not troublesome to the point that they influenced operation of the engine.
I would say to first be patient and wait the whole operation out. Then, come back with a troubleshooting-oriented open mind - a null response from ARX doesnt indicate anything other than the fact that your usage issue was not due to something that ARX can influence and fix. Be sure that everything else in the engine is in good tune, the PCV, etc. have ben replaced, and so on... does this engine reccomend a valve adjustment at some point? Our 94 previa reccomends a valve clearance adjustment once every 100k or so (I dont recall the exact interval off the top of my head).
Good luck,
JMH
P.S. A friend has an older tercel, and he has an issue where it smokes blue at cold startup, for a few seconds. The car runs as good as it can (MT helps a lot) afterwards, and he is still happy with it, after he gets it started and running smoothly. He seems to be having better luck and less usage issues since he has changed to 15w-40 oil in his, from 10w-30.
[ September 06, 2005, 09:03 AM: Message edited by: JHZR2 ]
Just my $0.02, but when I used ARX I got great results. You do have to go throught the whole process which takes time and mileage for the whole thing to come together. When my '03 Avalon was acting sluggish before 15,000 miles a friend reccomended Auto-RX, so for $25.00 I ordered some. Where can you find a mechanic that will even open his tool box and lift the hood to even look at your car for $25.00 ? My car now run's like new, more pep and much better MPG, so I am one happy camper. Where do you get a gurantee from a mechanic that will gurantee his work on a $25.00 bill, or give you your money back ? I was so happy with the product I ordered a bottle for each of my grown kids that had each bought used cars and had no idea of how their car's had been mantained. They are all now happy campers as well.The only hard part about ARX is taking the time and patients to go through the full process but the results are worth the wait!
Heres a great way to tell if its working. At the end of your 2nd rinse, pop off the valve cover and check things out, it should be pretty spotless. If your still consuming oil after your RX phases, something more serious is at hand. If you get the engine rebuilt ask the mechanic to SHOW YOU the inside of the engine. Dont just ask "Is my engine clean" because he would probably say no just to get more business some how out of you.
Jim, You have your PM turned off. Suggest you turn it on so we can PM you.
[ September 19, 2005, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: 59 Vetteman ]
[ September 19, 2005, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: 59 Vetteman ]
"I noticed yesterday the puff of blue smoke is still there during cold starts and I checked the oil level and it does appear to be dropping somewhat. Aparently the ARX isn't working yet, but I still can't explain why the engine didn't use any oil during the first 300 miles after I added it and now it's using oil again. That doesn't make any sense."
A Honda Civic that we use to have would blow lots of blue smoke at start up, an older Taurus that we have doesn't, but they both used a lot of oil. I was guessing that blue smoke at start up was from worn valve seals, letting oil leak into the combustion chamber when sitting, and that the Taurus had sticky rings which let it use a lot of oil while running. I don't think that a cleaner will help worn seals, unless the condition is due to a build up of sludge or varnish on the metal allowing leaks. A cleaner should help sticky rings. I've used Rislone, Seafoam, LC, and am now using a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in about half a cup of Seafoam, with the LC as an experiment.
The Taurus has gone from using a quart of 10W30 every couple of hundred miles to just sipping 5W40, but it went thru periods of increasing and decreasing consumption. It seems more stable now, and might still be slowly improving. I'm guessing that the rings were freeing up a bit, sticking again, etc., which accounted for the changes in oil consumption.
A Honda Civic that we use to have would blow lots of blue smoke at start up, an older Taurus that we have doesn't, but they both used a lot of oil. I was guessing that blue smoke at start up was from worn valve seals, letting oil leak into the combustion chamber when sitting, and that the Taurus had sticky rings which let it use a lot of oil while running. I don't think that a cleaner will help worn seals, unless the condition is due to a build up of sludge or varnish on the metal allowing leaks. A cleaner should help sticky rings. I've used Rislone, Seafoam, LC, and am now using a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in about half a cup of Seafoam, with the LC as an experiment.
The Taurus has gone from using a quart of 10W30 every couple of hundred miles to just sipping 5W40, but it went thru periods of increasing and decreasing consumption. It seems more stable now, and might still be slowly improving. I'm guessing that the rings were freeing up a bit, sticking again, etc., which accounted for the changes in oil consumption.
It is possible that the mighty Tercel was suffering from really dirty/carbonized ring packs. In 300 miles this is the only area of the motor that arx could have impacted so quickly. By the same token if the ring packs are now actually performing, you should see a little improvement in motor performance. Any improvement? Keeep the right foot light, you may see some economy. Try not to abuse the new found performance.
Piston ring packs are the only spot in the motor that could likely be impacted by ARX in 300 miles.Alot of heat and pressure present promote fast cleaning. Other areas of your motor will take many more miles to clean. If your ring packs, mainly oil control ring were not functioning because they were welded together with the compression rings, then this would be the likely cause of your oil consumption. Hopefully you can start to feel some renewed performance as well. I nice light right foot will likely get you some economy. Otherwise enjoy.
I suppose that's possible, but if that were the case and the ARX did free up the rings, wouldn't the engine have stopped, or at least slowed down on the consumption? I also haven't noticed any difference in power, but then again that has never been a problem.
JHZR2
Staff member
I have to add one notable change.
I have a 91 BMW 318i, that I use day to day.
MPG has been fine, consistent, etc. Emissions except NOx have been squeaky clean. Power has been fine.
I put ARx in with my rotella 'synthetic' 5w-40 last OCI. I dumped it and refilled with the same oil this time.
I do a lot of driving, and can say that while fuel economy has remained unchanged (based upon 2 tankfulls as of now), and likely NOx readings will remain the same, that power at cruising speeds feels as if it has improved a bit (its noticable only at throttle changes while cruising, aceleration from a stop is still the same), and, suprisingly to me, engine /compression braking is stronger now (MT car), just even when the car is in gear and I let off the throttle completely.
I did ARX at the ~80k mark, using pennzoil Long-life HDEO, and didnt get this power improvement, and MPG was consistent with what it is now...
THis time, at 100K, I feel a power improvement when cruising (more significant than turning the AC on/off, which is noticable in this car for whatever reason), the compression braking improvement, and still no MPG increase, but thats OK... Obviously something has changed.
The engine was squeeky clean from the beginning, so a valve cover check is worthless... However, othr stuff has been cleaned.
JMH
I have a 91 BMW 318i, that I use day to day.
MPG has been fine, consistent, etc. Emissions except NOx have been squeaky clean. Power has been fine.
I put ARx in with my rotella 'synthetic' 5w-40 last OCI. I dumped it and refilled with the same oil this time.
I do a lot of driving, and can say that while fuel economy has remained unchanged (based upon 2 tankfulls as of now), and likely NOx readings will remain the same, that power at cruising speeds feels as if it has improved a bit (its noticable only at throttle changes while cruising, aceleration from a stop is still the same), and, suprisingly to me, engine /compression braking is stronger now (MT car), just even when the car is in gear and I let off the throttle completely.
I did ARX at the ~80k mark, using pennzoil Long-life HDEO, and didnt get this power improvement, and MPG was consistent with what it is now...
THis time, at 100K, I feel a power improvement when cruising (more significant than turning the AC on/off, which is noticable in this car for whatever reason), the compression braking improvement, and still no MPG increase, but thats OK... Obviously something has changed.
The engine was squeeky clean from the beginning, so a valve cover check is worthless... However, othr stuff has been cleaned.
JMH
Now that I have completed the entire ARX process, I can say it has not achieved what I had hoped. My engine is still consuming as much oil now as it did before. I know ARX isn't a cure-all, but I did promise to post my results once I had completed the process.
I will note one last thing. I noticed the 15W-40 Delo I used turned black very quickly. It got much darker, much sooner than did the Havoline 10W-30 I used during the rinse cycle. I wonder if the Delo has more detergents than the Havoline? The Delo has been in now for about 3K and it's pure black.
The Delo, being HDEO should hvae more detergents than the PCMO Havoline.
botteger, oil control and compression rings are two different rings sets with the oil control rings lower on the piston, You may increase compression ring seal while the oil control rings may be worn beyond help. In your case I surmise the VGS are the main culprit and consistent in that engine family sludging the upper engine ( head area). NO oil chemistry will assist valve guide seals worn away.
Coloration of oil can vary from mostly fuel dilution (most likely in your case) and activation of the oil add pack chemistry or dispersed particles.
Since we don't have a oil analysis look internally we don't know for sure what is worn,defective,properly operational in your engine except what you communicate.
I have no doubt from seeing RX in tests in the past 5 or 6 years that it will help this engine and indeed it is slow acting so it is safe.
Stick with the Havoline and keep us appraised of how it goes.
Terry
Coloration of oil can vary from mostly fuel dilution (most likely in your case) and activation of the oil add pack chemistry or dispersed particles.
Since we don't have a oil analysis look internally we don't know for sure what is worn,defective,properly operational in your engine except what you communicate.
I have no doubt from seeing RX in tests in the past 5 or 6 years that it will help this engine and indeed it is slow acting so it is safe.
Stick with the Havoline and keep us appraised of how it goes.
Terry
- Status
Similar threads
