ARX and '94 Grand Cherokee?

[Bob A.]

My youngest son owns a '94 Grand Cherokee with a V-8. It has 177,000 miles on it and seems to run fairly well. It leaks some oil. He's in a financial situation whereby he's probably going to have to maintain this vehicle for awhile; therefore, a prudent, safe and effective plan is in order.

Would it be prudent to try an ARX rinse? Or might that open up some real potential problems, that is, seals and other internal issues? Would it make better sense to leave things as they are -- kind of like leaving the proverbial sleeping dog alone -- and let the car live out its days?

In truth, it seems to be functioning O.K., but it is showing definite signs of being tired (engine oil leaks, transmission oil leaks, squeaks and groans . . . )

Speaking of the transmission, can you do an ARX rinse (or some effective stop-leak additive) for it? Any recommendations?

After an engine ARX rinse, what oil would folks recommend for that vintage Jeep? An HDEO like Delo or Delvac 1300 Super? I think the car is spec.'ed for a 5w30. How about Havoline or Chevron Supreme with SX-UP? . . . or maybe with Valvoline Synpower Oil Treatment (if we could find it) to keep the cost down? How about Gold GC, maybe combined with LC20? Thanks, in advance, for your input.

 

[NewGuy]

I have a '90 Jeep Comanche with the 4.0L engine and 159K miles on it. It was parked for several years in my Dad's barn before I saved it from ruin and began driving it again. It had a lot of the same symptoms that you described.

I ran 2 cycles of ARx and it helped the engine tremendously. It is now much smoother, more power and idles much better. I ran Havoline 10W30 during the cleaning and rinsing phase then I switched over the Havoline High Mileage. The HM engine oil works well in this engine. It is a thicker 30wt. I have Castrol 5W30 HM ready for the next OCI.

The ARx actually helped leakage and oil consumption on my 4.0L. I don't think that you have anything to lose and it can only help.

 

[Frank]

Before you order Auto-Rx please read the FAQ and take time to read and understand the application instructions. You can click the FAQ on the link above on bitog. We appreciate your interest
and would like you to be a satisfied customer.

www.auto-rx.com for engines & www.auto-rx.net for transmissions.

[ December 15, 2005, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: LarryD ]

 

[Bob A.]

Actually, after I sent the original message, I went directly to your site, Frank, and read your outline of instructions for the engine rinse. I also contacted your tech. site and listed some questions (which will likely be answered in your FAQ section). I'll go to FAQ info. immediately and read it carefully.

NewGuy: Thanks for the testimonial and oil recommendations.

Any others out there who own Jeeps and have been through the ARX process?

Thanks.

 

[Bob A.]

unDummy:

Thanks for the input.

He's had the vehicle for four years. Bought it at 110,000 (now 177K). He's done minimal maintenance, i.e., changed engine oil regularly, but that's about it. He runs Pennzoil 5W and 10w30.

I mentioned the transmission leaks. He did put a stop-leak additive in it and the leak has slowed considerably. I would like him to do an ARX rinse of the transmission besides the engine rinse, but I don't know what effects there might be given the fact he's used another chemical to treat the transmission. I suppose it would make sense to drain the tran. fluid and do the rinse with the new fluid.

Does everything work? Yeah, but the engine leaks at the main seal and the transmission still has a slow leak.

What other info. (besides the engine and transmission leaks) might he gain by changing all of the fluids? That's a serious question. Is there some other problem that might show up that I'm not anticipating that would preclude us from doing an ARX rinse? He won't want to go to the expense of the ARX process if there is some problem which the ARX wouldn't address. (Neither do I and I'm thinking about offering this to him for his birthday.)

 

[unDummy]

Was this a recently acquired vehicle?
Whats the vehicles maintenance history if any?
What fluids are being used now in the engine/transmission.....if known???

What I would do is change all fluids and filters and start a simple maintenance program and see how it responds to new (high mileage)fluids everywhere.
I also think that your location would benefit from using synthetics. But, with a higher mileage iffy condition vehicle, most newer mineral fluid$ perform well enough.

I wouldn't bother with any additives until you've "baselined" with new fluids and verified everything is working as expected. And, a valve cover removal/inspection and ATF pan removal are two things that I would do now.

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

Bob A.

The 5.2L V8 is a good engine. Check and see if it is burning any oil. If it is, the intake plenum is probably leaking and needs to be replaced. A replacement from Hugues or APS Precision are the best. Make sure the spark plugs, plug wires, cap and rotor are changed. If they have 67K miles, they are probably well overdue for replacement. email Nick at [email protected] for parts. He sells a kit that for the price of buying everything at AutoZone, couples a higher performance coil that helps the with complete fuel burning and helping throttle response.

If you do the transmission flush, make sure you use ATF+3. ATF+4 is the new standard for any Chrysler transmission but it is very expensive (5 bucks a quart) so go with a quality ATF+3 fluid like Castrol.

While he's changing fluids, make sure the differentials and transfer case fluid (if equipped with 4x4) have new fluid because if those are overlooked, fuel economy will suffer and the risk of major mechanical failure will increase.

Good luck and if you have any more Jeep questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[MarkC]

My Jeep has a 4.0, but I'll tell you what I did anyway. I did a double Auto-Rx treatment at 100K (now has 113K), then switched from Chevron Supreme 10W30 to Chevron high mileage 10W30, which is about the same as the above mentioned Havoline. My engine runs smoothly and quietly(at least for a 4.0)no oil consumption, no leaks.
Winters get a bit chilly in Yakima, don't they? I might not run a 15W40 HDEO in the winter there.

 

[Bob A.]

Thanks, JeepZJ4.0 and Mark C.

Yes, Mark, it can get cold here. It hasn't for the last several winters, but we've been in kind of a mini cold spell this past week. I'm not driving my PowerStroke much these days because I still have 1000 miles to go on my current OCI of 15w40 Delo. If it doesn't warm up a little pretty soon, I may have to get a good 5W-40. Been thinking about trying the Cenex Maxtron synblend 5W-40, although it's not very accessible. It does look great on paper and may be worth the effort to obtain it. Might be a great choice for my son's jeep, too, when we finish the A-RX washes.

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

No problem Bob A.

The 5.2L probably doesn't need a 40 weight. Newguy suggested Havoline High Mileage. Its a thicker 30 weight but not as thick at a 40w. ARX would be a good thing for the engine and transmission. I'm just about done with the ARX treatment in my 4.0L (i wish i had the 5.2) and it has some get up and go finally. It would help your son save money in the long run. Good luck!

[ December 16, 2005, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: JeepZJ4.0 ]

 

[Bob A.]

Great, JeepZJ4.0. Havoline High Mileage it is then.

My son really likes the 5.2. It will be good to get it in shape. I'll order the ARX on Monday.

Thanks again guys. And thanks to 59Vetteman for answering some additional questions I had communicated to him through some PMs.

Bob A.