Why use Auto-Rx with synthetic oil?

[jmacmaster]

To begin with, I should say that I've never been a fan of oil additives, whether they're claimed to clean the engine, prolong its life, make it run better, increase hp and/or mpg, or whatever. In my opinion, oil treatments are snake oil.

In addition, since joining this board, and doing a lot of Google research independent of what I've read on this board, I've come to the conclusion, from the research and from what's been said on this board, that synthetic oil will keep your engine clean, unlike dino oil, and that you can even switch from dino to syn and the syn oil will clean any deposits caused by the dino oil.

I've so far resisted the urge to use Auto-Rx because of what I've said above. My question is this: If syn oil will keep your engine clean, and (at least eventually) clean an engine that's been run on dino oil, then why use Auto-Rx?

I drive an 03 Ford Ranger that I switched to synthetic oil at 9,000 miles and my wife drives an 03 Subaru Forester that I switched to synthetic oil at 26,000 miles. The Ranger is on its second 10,000 mile run of Mobil 1 and the Forester had a 10,000 mile run of Mobil 1 and then I put Mobil 1 EP in it. From now on I'm going to run Mobil 1 EP in both for 10,000 mile OCI's. I use a Pure One oil filter in the Ranger and a Napa Gold oil filter in the Subaru. I change my own oil and oil filters.

 

[uconn1150]

Even synthetics will leave deposits at the rings. THEY will LEAVE less, but nonetheless, the only product which will clean that area is A-Rx...hence the maintenance doses.

 

[dbdeland]

jmacmaster,

Perhaps this will help explain why you should use Auto-Rx and the maintenance program after you have cleaned and rinsed your engine good luck.

Daryl

Auto-Rx will allow you to lubricate all rotating parts. The difference in performance will be amazing; as oil can't lubricate through dirt. (Either can any oil additive or petroleum based chemistry) With Auto-Rx you're getting engine ring packs cleaned while you drive.

Dirt - Most people associate dirt with engine wear. It can also play a role in sludge formation. Wear of piston rings and cylinder walls causes an increase in piston blow-by. Since the exhaust gases contain many harmful by-products, their presence in the crankcase should be minimized. Nonetheless, some of these compounds will escape past the rings. Auto-Rx® will fight the harmful effects of dirt. The dispersant suspend and isolate the dirt, soot and other solid particles that work their way into the oil. That is why an oil change is necessary to flush the unwanted components.

Auto-Rx will clean using synthetic oil. When you get to the rinse mode you want to switch to non synthetic oil (synthetics use synthetic esters which polarize oil to metal, you want contaminants to wash off and go to filter this type additive is found in semi-synthetic and high mileage oil also) for 2000 mile rinse a good non synthetic oil is not going to disrupt your oil performance and when your done you can go back to synthetic.

 

[kgb007stb]

Dbdeland is absolutely right, not much movement around the oil rings, thus as oil flow slows temps rise, oil kooks away and hence carbon deposits. The reason you are so skeptical of oil treatments is because we all grew up in a society where just about every oil additive seems to have shady claims. Did you in your Google search find anyone file a suit against auto-rx for either damaging an engine or claiming something it is not capable of doing? Try taking apart any engine 100K+ with regular synthetic oil changes and you will see for yourself. I will be posting my cleaning experience with auto-rx soon, so you may draw your own conclusion.

 

[BrianWC]

Yes, switching back in forth between synth and dino is no problem. But expecting a synth to clean up everything is wrongly perpetuated poo poo. On my last saab, I ran short interval M1 changes for 90k miles seeing as I didn't know what had gone on the prior 100k. I never saw any evidence the engine was much cleaner than the day I bought it.

A lot of people talk about Redline with its ester formulation being able to clean up engines but all we ever see are engines that have always been run on Redline. I plan to investigate this for myself as I have 5 qts of 5W30 scheduled to arrive Thursday. I WILL take before and after shots, rest assured.

If you did google work, you should have somewhere come across arx's patent. Think of it as a highly souped up ester formulation that was specifically selected for safe, effective cleaning. Arx has plenty of folks who've documented its cleaning effect (including most recently myself). I've yet to see many folks post pics of how clean their sludged up engine was after switching to M1. I'm not saying some cleaning won't happen. Merely that synth oils are designed (like diesel oils) to KEEP engines clean, not to clean dirty ones.

 

[BrianWC]

doublepost!

 

[Rich21]

Another eason why to run an ARX cleaning would be to be sure that the crank seals are cleaned and rinsed before the conversion. You want to be sure that the seals are cleaned well before switching to synthetic. What little cleaning a synthetic might do on its own may cause seals to weep due to incomplete cleansing of prior deposits. ARX cleaning cycle followed by a dino rinse will reduce the chances 10 fold.

 

[skate1968]

quote:

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Originally posted by uconn1150:
Even synthetics will leave deposits at the rings. THEY will LEAVE less, but nonetheless, the only product which will clean that area is A-Rx...hence the maintenance doses.

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Hey Texan,

I'm far from an expert on this subject. But is it better to say that "the only product which will safely clean that area is A-Rx...?"

Don't mean to be nit picky, but it's been my understanding that there are many products that will clean the inside of an engine (someone once told me that people used kerosine

). But using these other products can also cause major damage your engine.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Some people ask "Why?. I ask, "Why not?"

 

[Rodbuckler]

I've "cleaned" a few higher-mileage engines with Mobil 1. There was always a considerable amount of particulate matter seen in the drain pan. This is what you don't want. I think the M1 cleans mostly by plucking stuff off of the engine surfaces, not by dissolving it.

 

[BrianWC]

M1 cleans in a similar manner (but weaker, I'd believe) than arx. It's a similar chemical reaction...

 

[Frank]

If by M1 you mean oil the fact is oil does not clean it lubricates. If you put enough detergents in oil to clean than oil could not lubricate. There is no similar chemical reaction as they are not similar products.

 

[marcre]

quote:

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Originally posted by skate1968:

quote:

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Originally posted by uconn1150:
Even synthetics will leave deposits at the rings. THEY will LEAVE less, but nonetheless, the only product which will clean that area is A-Rx...hence the maintenance doses.

---

Hey Texan,

I'm far from an expert on this subject. But is it better to say that "the only product which will safely clean that area is A-Rx...?"

Don't mean to be nit picky, but it's been my understanding that there are many products that will clean the inside of an engine (someone once told me that people used kerosine

). But using these other products can also cause major damage your engine.

---

I'd go as far to say that Auto-RX is one of at least a few which will clean safely. I think there is some misinformation when it comes to these other cleaners. SeaFoam being a perfect example. SeaFoam is a great product that works.

 

[BrianWC]

Yeah, there are numberous solvents that "clean" quicker and all. The question is do you want clogging of your oil screen?

Frank, my bad on the Mobil1 post, I was thinking it was the esters (of course not the same as in arx) that were responsible for whatever cleaning took place w/ it.

 

[uconn1150]

Safely and easily I would say. You could soak with SeaFoam/Kerosene, but then you'd have to pull the plugs, add the seafoam, wait, rotate the crank, put the plugs back in, change the oil,...etc. For some people, removing the plugs involves some tough work.

 

[Blue99]

I'm a chainsaw collector & have rebuilt many older saws with hard carbon deposits on the piston tops & in the ring grooves.

Seafoam will not touch these deposits. Throttle body cleaners, that typically contain a mix of some very strong solvents, will somewhat soften the deposits, but I don't want the exposure to these products for safety/health reasons.

The natural penetrating action of esters work the best for me. I use a mixture of MX2T ester based 2 cycle oil and a penetrating oil that also contains an ester. This softens up the deposits enough for removal with a mild mechancal action such as a plastic bristled brush.

I'm a fan of Auto-Rx, just never used it for the chainsaw rebuilds due to the cost factor!