Valvoline Restore and Protect 2AZ-FE Observations & Questions

[NITester]

I'm glad you posted this, as I thought I was just feeling a change because I put Dr. Feelgoods magical VRP in the crankcase of my daughters 09 Camry. When I started it, I had never felt the engine run that smooth before. The car was mine prior to being hers, so it's like putting on a old glove when I get in it again. I know every part of that car and how it feels, and it felt so much smoother than ever before. AC was on MAX, which was guaranteed to rattle out your fittings normally.

Maybe I am not crazy.....

If you are, you're not alone. I'm overdue for changing the oil, just over 3000 miles but it's been about 6 months. Mine is running so smooth. I noticed it within a few hundred miles on the first interval. Normal idle before the Valvoline was a mildly violent affair. I could see the vibrations in the battery and hold down, upper radiator hose, wiper arms, rear view mirror, basically anything with any flex or give. I could even feel it in the steering wheel. I don't feel any idle vibration now, AC or no AC.

I was burning a few ounces(1-3) a week, or 1 Qt every 1600. I haven't seen any loss on the stick in a few weeks.

 

[NITester]

I've checked the stick three times since Friday and still no loss after 346 miles and 4 weeks. I check it every day and I'll add 2 ounces if I see a loss. A quart has the little tick marks every 4 ounces.

 

[svtrit]

If you are, you're not alone. I'm overdue for changing the oil, just over 3000 miles but it's been about 6 months. Mine is running so smooth. I noticed it within a few hundred miles on the first interval. Normal idle before the Valvoline was a mildly violent affair. I could see the vibrations in the battery and hold down, upper radiator hose, wiper arms, rear view mirror, basically anything with any flex or give. I could even feel it in the steering wheel. I don't feel any idle vibration now, AC or no AC.

I was burning a few ounces(1-3) a week, or 1 Qt every 1600. I haven't seen any loss on the stick in a few weeks.

My daughter came home the other night while I was in the garage. I swore it was a totally different car pulling in.....I need to hear a cold start now, but I am generally not home when she cold starts it.

 

[kschachn]

If you are, you're not alone. I'm overdue for changing the oil, just over 3000 miles but it's been about 6 months. Mine is running so smooth. I noticed it within a few hundred miles on the first interval. Normal idle before the Valvoline was a mildly violent affair. I could see the vibrations in the battery and hold down, upper radiator hose, wiper arms, rear view mirror, basically anything with any flex or give. I could even feel it in the steering wheel. I don't feel any idle vibration now, AC or no AC.

I was burning a few ounces(1-3) a week, or 1 Qt every 1600. I haven't seen any loss on the stick in a few weeks.

These vibration posts are amazing. Reduced it so much that you couldn't see the battery hold-down moving?

Have you performed the hand-to-manifold test?

 

[NITester]

These vibration posts are amazing. Reduced it so much that you couldn't see the battery hold-down moving?

Have you performed the hand-to-manifold test?

Not familiar with that test. I've never placed my hand on intake or exhaust manifolds while running. The exhaust is obviously gonna be very hot so I would avoid that. I've placed a piezo sensor on the valve cover with the beauty cover removed and that picks up a vibration at 25 Hz which is twice the crank speed at idle.

 

[kschachn]

Not familiar with that test. I've never placed my hand on intake or exhaust manifolds while running. The exhaust is obviously gonna be very hot so I would avoid that. I've placed a piezo sensor on the valve cover with the beauty cover removed and that picks up a vibration at 25 Hz which is twice the crank speed at idle.

There you go.

 

[NITester]

My daughter came home the other night while I was in the garage. I swore it was a totally different car pulling in.....I need to hear a cold start now, but I am generally not home when she cold starts it.

I heard a difference in cold starts immediately. It would make a clacky sound for a split second using STP full synthetic and absolutely no concerning sounds with the Valvoline. I have no idea if it was timing chain or guides, VVT solenoid, valves, no idea except it is now buttery smooth and quiet even after sitting for a long weekend.

 

[NITester]

These vibration posts are amazing. Reduced it so much that you couldn't see the battery hold-down moving?

Have you performed the hand-to-manifold test?

Vibration analysis is a very broad and interesting topic that I've only dipped my toes into. I had a way to collect samples at about 100 times a second until I had a mishap and burned up the voltage regulator on that little circuit board. When it worked I would do a fast Fourier transform on the data and look for the most prevalent frequency. Again, 25 Hz is what had the biggest spike.

Tonight I stuck the piezo on the dipstick tube again and got this. All pulses are even and the scope detects it as 25 Hz. There is another signal riding on that 25 Hz that I find interesting and that's where my little data collector would have been able to determine what frequency that is.

I also inserted the piezo into the exhaust pipe and got another 25 Hz signal that isn't quite as uniform as the dipstick tube but it's still pretty uniform and doesn't seem to point to any glaring problem. My car idles at about 750 RPM, so if my math is right that's 750 / 60 = 12.5 Hz.

 

[kschachn]

Vibration analysis is a very broad and interesting topic that I've only dipped my toes into. I had a way to collect samples at about 100 times a second until I had a mishap and burned up the voltage regulator on that little circuit board. When it worked I would do a fast Fourier transform on the data and look for the most prevalent frequency. Again, 25 Hz is what had the biggest spike.

Tonight I stuck the piezo on the dipstick tube again and got this. All pulses are even and the scope detects it as 25 Hz. There is another signal riding on that 25 Hz that I find interesting and that's where my little data collector would have been able to determine what frequency that is.

View attachment 299734

I also inserted the piezo into the exhaust pipe and got another 25 Hz signal that isn't quite as uniform as the dipstick tube but it's still pretty uniform and doesn't seem to point to any glaring problem. My car idles at about 750 RPM, so if my math is right that's 750 / 60 = 12.5 Hz.

View attachment 299735

Interesting, one of my first jobs out of college was setting up a vibration analysis program for a large coal fired power plant.

Where is your comparison with the other oil?

 

[NITester]

Interesting, one of my first jobs out of college was setting up a vibration analysis program for a large coal fired power plant.

Where is your comparison with the other oil?

Unfortunately, I didn't start playing with the sensor until after I started using the Valvoline R&P. That's a comparison I won't be able to make.