Auto-RX caused a leak...again...

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I used ARX in my Saturn SL and in my Acura Integra. Both cars developed a leak around the oil pan. I believe the oil pan gasket on the Saturn is original. What kind of ticks me off is that I replaced the Integra oil pan gasket about a year ago so it's not an issue of the seal being old and deteriorated.
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I'm hoping the leak will stop…if it doesn’t; the slight performance increase ARX gave my cars isn't worth it. The cost, time, and effort for replacing the seal isn't worth it to me.
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I am not taking a position on what your saying but my truck with about 140k developed a leak.My son in law changed the oil pan gasket and I ran the ARX treatment.I did it for the seals mainly and also to clean out any sludge or deposits. After running a UOA I found a problem with too much fuel in the oil. Fixed that and now my truck has never run better.For most everyone the product works if used properly. My 2cents.
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After I had replaced an oil pan gasket, I developed a leak. Check your bolts for proper torque; I guess the gasket can compess some and bolts need to be snugged a bit.
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I would venture to guess that auto-rx didnt case the leak in the integra.

Ive had cars with hundreds of thousads of miles swith to synthetic and not leak, I did auto-rx in my GF's 94 integra without forming a leak either. Those gaskets may need re-torquing.

On the SL, dont those cars tend to sludge up? The gunk may be covering some other problem. You may want to drop the pan anyway on an engine like that just to see inside.

JMH
 
I've tried auto-rx on two vehicles that had no leaks at all, both developed leaks within 1000-1500 miles, I continued the treatments as instructed, the leaks have never cleared up, they are small but are still there. I know that most people here are big auto-rx supporters here, but I learned me lesson, stay away from "treatments" period.
 
I think this can happen and it's very similar to "synthetic" leaks - as pointed out - grunge is the only thing stopping the leak. Clean the grunge - leak "starts"....
 
Auto-Rx does not cause or help develop leaks in an engine. It is a natural cleaner that cleans metal parts in your engine. If your engine has sludge/build-up blocking a leaky portion of a gasket, Auto-Rx will clean that build-up away and the gasket will then leak if it does not reconform to the mating surface. This is more prevelant on oil pans and valve covers. Auto-Rx does not cause the defect, it exposes it in this case.

On rotating shafts Auto-Rx cleans the metal and allows the seal to reconform to the metal. If the seal is not torn or ripped, the seal usually does this during or after the clean cycle.
 
What kind of oil are you using in these two engines?
False Seals are not any help or protection, at some point those type seals will fail with drastic results.You should have good performance. What type application did you impliment on these engines?
 
I just used the single basic application that is posted on the website. I used SuperTech 10W-30 for clean and rinse. The oil pan gasket was replaced around 145k and the car has 159k now.

I used a brand new OEM honda gasket. The original gasket was hard and cracked. After the replacement, there were no leaks. I don't think i can retorque it. Over torquing will crush the gasket. I don't think i have a fuel problem, the car gets very good milage.
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Engines over 100,000 miles need 2 applications of Auto-Rx (please reread application instructions on www.auto-rx.com) your post says "Single Basic Application" i assume you mean application for engines under 100,000 miles? Auto-Rx is chemistry and not a one size bottle fits all off the shelf product.Suggest you finish application per instructions on both engines and post again.

Blue smoke normal on heavy carbonized engines just starting cleaning process.

[ February 06, 2005, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Frank ]
 
quote:

I'm hoping the leak will stop…if it doesn’t; the slight performance increase ARX gave my cars isn't worth it. The cost, time, and effort for replacing the seal isn't worth it to me.

Are we speaking seals that seal around rotating shafts (such as front or rear main selas) or are talking about gaskets?

Gaskets are usually flat pieces of materials and are compressed to fill voids. Many times I have found the oil pan/sump pan to have been warped from improper torquing/mishandling by either the owner or the shop.

In addition, after the cleaning process, you may want to drop the pan and see if it is warped or bent. Also make sure the block sealing surfaces are not nicked or cut as these can cause localized leakage. If not, clean all mating surfaces and apply a thin coat of black RTV on both surfaces of the gasket, wait a few minutes, and then rebolt the pan using progressively higher bolt torques on the pan until you reach the specified torque.

Oil flows when hot and when blown by the airstream. ARX could be cleaning the main seals as well and some seepage could be originating from those areas. This usually stops after the proper ARX procedure.
 
As far as gaskets go...
In the past year I replaced trans. filter and pan gasket on my Galant at least 3 times (I figured flushing out all that fluid, and hopefully, junk, wouldn't hurt). Anyway, first 2-3 times everything went perfectly well. The last time, about 200-300 miles after the filter and gasket replacement there's a leak all of a sudden. I traced it back to the trans. pan gasket. And this is without A-Rx, or any other cleaner, solvent, additive, etc. I figure I simply messed up on the torque sequence for the bolts or something. So I wouldn't be in a hurry to blame the leaks on Auto-Rx right away. Just my $0.02
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I would think since the gasket was replaced over a year ago and never leaked it would not be from improper torqueing of the pan. If it were it would have leaked long ago. I doubt its a false seal, since its a brand new gasket. So what could it be? I would recheck the tq just to be sure but thats odd.
 
Just to relate an actual experience which is NOT unusual (as many mechanics can tell you).

Last year I replaced the MerconV fluid in my daughter's Explorer. No ARX cleaning was done. Torqed bolts to specified torque.

Three months later she came home and I checked the ATF; down about a half quart or so.

I looked unterneath and saw tranny fluid all over the pan. Retorqued bolts on tranny pan and has never leaked since.

Moral, always retorque a few weeks later since gaskets compress and may leak.
 
Oh, and here's something else about gaskets. Apparently, when front cover gaskets are replaced on Ford 302 engine, it's fairly common for... oil pan gaskets to start leaking.
There's way too much involved in replacing gaskets/fixing leaks: amount of torque on the retaining bolts, torque sequence, positioning of gaskets, cleanliness of the mating surfaces, etc, etc. Projects of this nature are way too tedious and involved (if good results are desired), and are probably best performed by anal-retentive people
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I'm not trying to say that there's no way A-Rx can cause a leak, it's just that there are way too many other things that can go wrong during/after gasket replacement.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Frank:
Engines over 100,000 miles need 2 applications of Auto-Rx (please reread application instructions on www.auto-rx.com) your post says "Single Basic Application" i assume you mean application for engines under 100,000 miles? Auto-Rx is chemistry and not a one size bottle fits all off the shelf product.Suggest you finish application per instructions on both engines and post again.

Blue smoke normal on heavy carbonized engines just starting cleaning process.


frank, im furious because my idiot friend topped off his oil, then forgot the cap and almost all the oil sprayed out after a week or two LOL... so a lot of auto RX was lost and i dont know if the treatment was good enough we are going to order some soon and start over.
 
Did anyone notice how KEVZ dropped that little piece of derogatory comment and hasn't replied since?

Another potential hit and run?
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quote:

Originally posted by MolaKule:
Did anyone notice how KEVZ dropped that little piece of derogatory comment and hasn't replied since?

Another potential hit and run?
mad.gif


He did reply:

posted February 06, 2005 10:01 AM
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I just used the single basic application that is posted on the website. I used SuperTech 10W-30 for clean and rinse. The oil pan gasket was replaced around 145k and the car has 159k now.

I used a brand new OEM honda gasket. The original gasket was hard and cracked. After the replacement, there were no leaks. I don't think i can retorque it. Over torquing will crush the gasket. I don't think i have a fuel problem, the car gets very good milage.
 
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