2 more Auto-rx mules, clean phase started 04/05/09

[noi8u]

Originally Posted By: ZZman
Cool.

Can you still snap a few shots on inside the valve cover for us to see anyway?


LOL, that's exactly where the varnish was in my engine. My mechanic was concerned.

 

[Gary Allan]

It will all eventually shinny up. It's just a matter of time.

 

[ADFD1]

The filter sure looks dirty, I'd love to see a shot thru the fill hole.

AD

 

[db130]

look at the fill hole pics from april on the first page and now pretend that the date stamp is 09/08/09 instead of 04/08/09.

voila! there you have it. fill hole pics from yesterday!

 

[ZZman]

Originally Posted By: sprintman
What do you expect to see under the valve cover which is only a splash fed area?


Well if those areas got that dirty they had some oil flow on them. If Auto-RX or Syn oils work then those areas should show some evidence of cleaning.

I don't expect varnish to be totally gone but lighter colored deposits or some deposits reduced should occur especially on the cam lobes.

 

[sprintman]

Minimal at best. Just had the valve cover gasket done on my turbo Mazda with 270,000+ kms on it. It doesn't look great but the engine now uses minimal oil and runs harder than any the dyno operator had seen, even those with less than half the mileage. Surprises everybody my old Mazda.

 

[Gary Allan]

Let me bring up the same image I always do...

This is what can be expected. It may take a while and surely depends on how porous the metal is. Note the varied clean spots where splash lube hit the edges and where "stuff" is being removed in layers as it gets exposed to the oil flow. Less oil flow ..less cleaning up.

 

[72customdeluxe]

Originally Posted By: noi8u
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Very interesting varnish formation on the cam lobes. I've never seen that before.

Yes, Rotella T Synthetic and Super Tech synthetic are Group III (RTS is actually III+). The Rotella is said to have zero ester content, but I don't know if the ST has any in it.


Reminds me of the varnish that was in my 240SX after a motor flush, not too long before a rod went through the block. I would just like to see one owners manual that has a motor flush on the maintenance schedule.
So it cleaned out your rod bolts and bearings too? I'm not entirely sure that's not just coincedence

 

[noi8u]

How does the Auto-Rx compare to the Amsoil Engine Flush and the Motul Engine Clean. Is the Auto-Rx from an oil manufacturer also?

 

[noi8u]

Originally Posted By: noi8u
How does the Auto-Rx compare to the Amsoil Engine Flush and the Motul Engine Clean. Is the Auto-Rx from an oil manufacturer also?


I also found on the Mobil web page that their high mileage oils remove sludge.

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/NAXXENPVLMOMobil_1_High_Mileage_Oil.asp

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: noi8u
Originally Posted By: noi8u
How does the Auto-Rx compare to the Amsoil Engine Flush and the Motul Engine Clean. Is the Auto-Rx from an oil manufacturer also?


I also found on the Mobil web page that their high mileage oils remove sludge.

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/NAXXENPVLMOMobil_1_High_Mileage_Oil.asp


You can add 1 more oil, that would be Pennzoil Platinum that claims to remove 46% of the sludge on the 1st oil change.

As far as Amsoil Engine Flush you could probably visit there website and get all the information.

 

[db130]

"i did have a recurring P0014 code from march 2008 to dec 2008 during which resulted in replacement of a variable valve timing solenoid and the camshaft position sensor before i learned that the engine code could also be caused by sludge buildup on the VVT hub and could also be caused by low oil levels and/or poor oil quality. i've been keeping an eye on the oil level and the car has not had the P0014 code since Jan 2009."

hmm the p0014 code came back yesterday for the first time in 9 months. coincidentally(or not) it happened just 7 days into the rinse cycle?

 

[Nederlander75]

PP has no esters according to tech support, all Group III+. Also, recent review of the RTS MSDS shows some PAO.

 

[Gary Allan]

Indeed RTS does sport this in the MSDS

Blend of synthetic hydrocarbon, polyalphaolefins and additives.

XOM starts using Group III oils to some extent ..and the best producer of Group III (XHVI) starts using PAO. Funny stuff out there in lubeland.

 

[db130]

This 20 month-long experiment will be coming to a close... Just finished an oil change on the XC after a 3331 mile rinse cycle #2. During the last 20 months, the car received a larger turbo(a TD04HL-15G from an mid 90s Volvo 850 Turbo) and an ECU upgrade to bump the horsepower from 190 to ~270. No changes to the splash area underneath the oil fill cap, which was the BITOG's projected consensus. The car started running poorly during rinse cycle #1 and #2 around the 2000 mile mark which was alleviated by installing a new oil filter. Nothing dramatic could be seen by the naked eye from the old oil filters that came out, but here is the filter with ~1300 miles from rinse cycle #2:

What I would like to know is why the pleats became twisted like that? That did not happen during any of the cycles. BTW the oil that came out from rinse cycle #2 was extremely dark after just 3300 miles.

Not sure what my thoughts are on Auto-rx at this point, this was basically a car that ran well before and after RX. Comments are welcome, and I plan to do an OC on the S70 T5 that is the other test mule later on today if I have enough free time left.

 

[badtlc]

the pleat waves are usually due to moisture.

Compression tests or idle fuel consumption measurements would be the easiest way to see changes produced by ARX.

 

[db130]

just finished draining rinse cycle #2 oil out of the S70 that was in the car for 5423 miles. nothing out of the ordinary to report, the oil was dark but not as dark as the rinse cycle #2 oil form the XC.

 

[Chris B.]

My 2004 XC70 looked like this when I bought it at 46,000 miles:

I did 2 ARX clean and rince cycles using Castrol GTX and after all that cleaning it looked like this:

Almost worse! PVC is working fine and the filters were free of any sludge but I do find a little gunk like on your paper towel picture in the oil filter canister. The engine is has been on German Castrol now for 15,000 miles and it runs fine and burns almost no oil in 5K OCI's so I'm no longer concerned if it is sludged up or not.

I feel the Auto Rx is [censored] that does absolutely NOTHING! Folks tell me that the oil fill hole does not get oil up there. Well how did the varnish/sludge get there then and why is it soaked in hot oil every time I open it? Auto Rx simply does not work. Here is some varnish in part of the engine that was also unchanged.

I had to manualy clean it and now it looks like this:

 

[Trav]

I had exactly the same experience after 2 clean and rinse phases.

I got all the excuses.
You didn't follow directions.
I did to the letter.

Very little oil get up to that area.
Hmmm i don't quite believe that.

Varnish is a cosmetic stain.
Hmmmm.

Its raises the compression,so what if its still dirty.
I bought it to clean.

I want my money back...wait for it...
Our record show you didn't buy any

My engines looked like yours and i did clean them in 3k with another product called Kreen,no clean or rinse phase,no dino oil and no Bull.


OP.
I see you live in MA if you are near north central MA i will provide sealed qt of Kreen free in the interest of a BITOG member product evaluation. If you would just follow up on how it works like you did with this product.Not 20 months just 3 mo or 3k mi.I am willing to drive 25mi from where i am to meet you and deliver it.PM if interested.
We have a golden opportunity to put something to bed here.

 

[demarpaint]

Wow Trav- That's putting your money where your mouth is, and believing in a product. I wish I was closer to you and had something that needed cleaning, I'd take you up on the offer!