Auto-Rx and oil bypass filter

[sifan]

The car is 1995 Toyota Tercel with 293K miles. I have installed a Frantz oil bypass filter 6K miles ago, and replaced the toilet paper roll every 1K miles with 1 quart of fresh oil and full flow oil filter every 3K miles. I haven't done a full oil drain since the installation of oil bypass filter. The oil used is Mobil 5000. The engine does burn oil about 1/2 quart per 1K miles.

I bought the car last May with 275K miles on the original engine. The previous owner did not change the oil frequently enough (sometimes as long as 5K miles) since this particular engine is known for being a oil burner. As I poked around the inside of valve cover thru the PCV hole, I noticed the presence of grimes. Here are my questions:

1) Will Auto-Rx clean the inside of valve cover and the head?

2) Do I have to do a full oil drain first before starting the Auto-Rx treatment? Right now my full flow oil filter has another 1K miles of life to go. My toilet paper roll needs replacement now. The oil still looks golden honey. Should I replace the toilet paper roll now and add a quart of fresh oil to drive another 1 K miles, and then do a full oil drain with a fresh full flow oil filter prior the Auto-Rx treatment?

3) Once the Auto-Rx treatment is started, would you recommend not to replace the toilet paper roll every 1K miles but wait till 3K miles later to do a full drain? I understand that Auto-Rx won't be filtered out by the bypass filter.

Thanks.

 

[Steve S]

I don't smoke anything or partake in booze but I may have to start, Now.

 

[SuperDave456]

With that type of mileage I would think about running 3 clean and rinse cycles. And if possible use the cheapest filters you can find.
You may want to think about running a sludge application, even though changing out your SM rated oil every 5k miles isnt bad. 7k or 10k on SM dino would really scare me, although in some cars that see alot of highway time it is possible (preferrably with UOA to back it up).

Go check out their website and read up on applicaions here. Regardless of wether you NEED it, it will clean up your engine. I am pretty sure I havent NEEDED it in my '02 Taurus, but it sure has cleaned things up. And I am only on the first rinse phase.

 

[greencrew]

With a by pass filter you just add the Auto-RX and change the rolls as you have. That is a lot of miles, so if anything you could even change them sooner than 1k. Check them frequently to ensure they are hot which tells you oil is flowing through them. There is no reason for a full drain, just make sure you start out with a new full flow filter.

I don't know if it will clean your valve cover and head, but I would think it will clean it over time.

 

[Gary Allan]

What kind of weekly/monthly/yearly mileage does this vehicle see? I find your tp changes a bit too frequent.

Add the Auto-Rx and monitor your tp canister for heat at the end of your driving event(s). As was said, as long as it's warm ..leave it installed. I'd also adapt this method for the rest of time too. Pull the full flow @ 3k and, if possible, cut it open. Change out the sump at this time and go for another 3k without Auto-Rx. Continue to monitor the Frantz for assure it's getting hot. Repeat this for two full cycles (auto-rx, no auto-rx, auto-rx, no auto-rx) and then evaluate changes in consumption and see if cleanliness has improved. The visuals make take some time, but the ring packs should clean up rather quickly. If stuck rings are the source of your consumption, that should retreat after awhile. It may increase for a bit until things are settled.

 

[cronk]

I thought they quit making those toilet paper bypass filters due to engine oil passages being plugged with toilet paper lint!

 

[Gary Allan]

No. They became obsolete due to a number of evolutions in oils and car maintenance routines. They never were all that popular to begin with.