Really monitor any drastic oil pressure changes. This will happen before the oil light would come on.
Auto-RX in 3.0L Camry
- Thread starter zyxelenator
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Did seafoam. Put about half in brake booster vacuum line while holding around 2k rpms. Started smoking a lot, after about 30 sec doing it. Shut the engine down, added around ounce under pcv valve (were I scrapped out loads of [censored]). Added rest to gas tank. Waited for about 10 min. Car started right away(not like usually in videos on youtube) had little rough idle for around 5 sec. Drove it around, and there was not so much smoke, it was gone after about 3 minutes. Then took to highway to give it a kick. After all that it seems it accelerates little better and little less vibration thru steering wheel on idle. Or maybe it's just me. Will see how much oil it will drink now.
Originally Posted By: zyxelenator
Did seafoam. Put about half in brake booster vacuum line while holding around 2k rpms. Started smoking a lot, after about 30 sec doing it. Shut the engine down, added around ounce under pcv valve (were I scrapped out loads of [censored]). Added rest to gas tank. Waited for about 10 min. Car started right away(not like usually in videos on youtube) had little rough idle for around 5 sec. Drove it around, and there was not so much smoke, it was gone after about 3 minutes. Then took to highway to give it a kick. After all that it seems it accelerates little better and little less vibration thru steering wheel on idle. Or maybe it's just me. Will see how much oil it will drink now.
SeaFoam's treatment of the top end tries to get you to have the engine stall by flooding the back cylinders(most cases) via the Brake Booster line. That is the only way it can do more than what you experienced. You were expelling it as soon as it was introduced, which is why you smoked very little.
IMO, use something like the Amsoil Power Foam instead, it's a foam and not a straight liquid(that is why people have problems starting it up right after and risk damaging the engine)...
Youtube Amsoil Power Foam and check out some of the vids. I've used it with better success than any other top end foam, including Mopar CCC, which is the same price for a smaller can.
Did seafoam. Put about half in brake booster vacuum line while holding around 2k rpms. Started smoking a lot, after about 30 sec doing it. Shut the engine down, added around ounce under pcv valve (were I scrapped out loads of [censored]). Added rest to gas tank. Waited for about 10 min. Car started right away(not like usually in videos on youtube) had little rough idle for around 5 sec. Drove it around, and there was not so much smoke, it was gone after about 3 minutes. Then took to highway to give it a kick. After all that it seems it accelerates little better and little less vibration thru steering wheel on idle. Or maybe it's just me. Will see how much oil it will drink now.
SeaFoam's treatment of the top end tries to get you to have the engine stall by flooding the back cylinders(most cases) via the Brake Booster line. That is the only way it can do more than what you experienced. You were expelling it as soon as it was introduced, which is why you smoked very little.
IMO, use something like the Amsoil Power Foam instead, it's a foam and not a straight liquid(that is why people have problems starting it up right after and risk damaging the engine)...
Youtube Amsoil Power Foam and check out some of the vids. I've used it with better success than any other top end foam, including Mopar CCC, which is the same price for a smaller can.
well,there was no smoke puff at cold start this morning. Maybe because of seafoam, or because it is much warmer outside today. Changed filter today at 1430 (total)miles and 930 miles on filter. Fram actually is better made than Super Tech I cut open previously. It didn't fall apart. It had less black hard pieces inside, then previous filter. Just wasted time cutting it open. Nothing interesting to look. And I guess will never be. Same as there it doesn't make sense to change it every 1000 miles in my case. Put new acdelco filter.
doesn't sound promising.
if i were in your shoes i would need more patience.
CHANGE THE OIL AND KREEN IT!! just kidding lol
keep us posted
thanx
if i were in your shoes i would need more patience.
CHANGE THE OIL AND KREEN IT!! just kidding lol
keep us posted
thanx
I would find a small independent and remove the pan and valve covers to clean this engine out.
This engine sounds to me like its way beyond help that ANY additive may be able to correct.
IMO Its time to take a different avenue before more damage is done.
This engine sounds to me like its way beyond help that ANY additive may be able to correct.
IMO Its time to take a different avenue before more damage is done.
Well today it was smoking like a [censored] at start ups, 2 times. don't know what changed, except some seafoam in gas tank and lower (quarter)gas level. Maybe thats why.Will remove cover, when I get time(started new job with 12 hour shifts today). If it's sludgy, will take it to local tuning shop to clean it out, power flush, with pan removal and suction screen cleaning, when I get some spare money. If it's not probably rings change or PCV system cleaning/change. But will try Amsoil power foam before that.
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Originally Posted By: zyxelenator
Well today it was smoking like a [censored] at start ups, 2 times. don't know what changed, except some seafoam in gas tank and lower (quarter)gas level. Maybe thats why.Will remove cover, when I get time(started new job with 12 hour shifts today). If it's sludgy, will take it to local tuning shop to clean it out, power flush, with pan removal and suction screen cleaning, when I get some spare money. If it's not probably rings change or PCV system cleaning/change. But will try Amsoil power foam before that.
Cool, keep us posted. The Power Foam will help with top end cleaning, but not sludge. More like carbon deposits.
Well today it was smoking like a [censored] at start ups, 2 times. don't know what changed, except some seafoam in gas tank and lower (quarter)gas level. Maybe thats why.Will remove cover, when I get time(started new job with 12 hour shifts today). If it's sludgy, will take it to local tuning shop to clean it out, power flush, with pan removal and suction screen cleaning, when I get some spare money. If it's not probably rings change or PCV system cleaning/change. But will try Amsoil power foam before that.
Cool, keep us posted. The Power Foam will help with top end cleaning, but not sludge. More like carbon deposits.
Talked to the owner of local tuning/service shop, that I mentioned before. He asked all the symptoms. Told that yeah, for sure, he can perform dropping pan,cleaning suction screen, removing valve covers, and cleaning all out+ their chemical treatments. But he said by the rate oil amount it consumes,there already some damage to engine was done, before I got it, and extra cleaning might case it burn oil even worse. And said that cleaning services won't change anything. Recommended to use Lucas Oil additive, and heavy (20-50) dino oil in summer,dump the car or change the engine
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So I guess, I will wait till 3k miles and drain all that [censored]. Put in heavier oil, and then try MMO, and Lucas. Last bottle of ARX will go to my Father's truck, at next oil change, it is fine, but just for cleaning purposes.
dont put heavy oil in a sludged up car. the rings are probably stuck and need cleaned.
you want to sell the car? id would clean it out myself just to prove it can be brought back to life
you want to sell the car? id would clean it out myself just to prove it can be brought back to life
Originally Posted By: electrolover
dont put heavy oil in a sludged up car. the rings are probably stuck and need cleaned.
you want to sell the car? id would clean it out myself just to prove it can be brought back to life
I agree here. Since it's still going to have money thrown into it, make it worth your while in the event cleaning it up helps. The only way it 'hurts' is if it clogs your oil pickup etc.
I still say stick with the plan. Using thicker oil is only masking the problem, like putting makeup over a pimple but it's still there and it's still a problem, just more convenient not having to look at it.
Translation? Trying to stop oil consumption isn't the first step because it's an end result not a first thing to fix(without an engine tear down), though it's hard to know WHAT is all causing the consumption issue. I would continue to use a good HM oil during the cleanup interval and even afterward in the hope it can rejuvenate the seals, but cleaning it up won't harm a thing and you've got more to gain. 10w-30 if you like a slightly thicker oil during the summer, but going heavier than that just to mask/limit the oil consumption is bad maintenance practice, IMO.
dont put heavy oil in a sludged up car. the rings are probably stuck and need cleaned.
you want to sell the car? id would clean it out myself just to prove it can be brought back to life
I agree here. Since it's still going to have money thrown into it, make it worth your while in the event cleaning it up helps. The only way it 'hurts' is if it clogs your oil pickup etc.
I still say stick with the plan. Using thicker oil is only masking the problem, like putting makeup over a pimple but it's still there and it's still a problem, just more convenient not having to look at it.
Translation? Trying to stop oil consumption isn't the first step because it's an end result not a first thing to fix(without an engine tear down), though it's hard to know WHAT is all causing the consumption issue. I would continue to use a good HM oil during the cleanup interval and even afterward in the hope it can rejuvenate the seals, but cleaning it up won't harm a thing and you've got more to gain. 10w-30 if you like a slightly thicker oil during the summer, but going heavier than that just to mask/limit the oil consumption is bad maintenance practice, IMO.
He's using autorx. Rings should be clean by now and seals well-conditioned. Use the thicker oil!
You should be able to use some basic tools to remove the valve cover off the front of the engine for inspection. Without that, everything else is just an assumption.
Another option is to add a jar type PCV catch can to see how much of your oil consumption is caused by engine blowby feeding the PCV system.
You should be able to use some basic tools to remove the valve cover off the front of the engine for inspection. Without that, everything else is just an assumption.
Another option is to add a jar type PCV catch can to see how much of your oil consumption is caused by engine blowby feeding the PCV system.
Originally Posted By: unDummy
He's using autorx. Rings should be clean by now and seals well-conditioned. Use the thicker oil!
You should be able to use some basic tools to remove the valve cover off the front of the engine for inspection. Without that, everything else is just an assumption.
Another option is to add a jar type PCV catch can to see how much of your oil consumption is caused by engine blowby feeding the PCV system.
Good point about the PCV, but I still say no to thicker oil. At least he can top off with fresh oil, sticking with some cheap PYB for shorter OCI no problem. OR something like MaxLife that is even cheaper most of the time, with a variety of options in grade if he chose to go thicker.
He's using autorx. Rings should be clean by now and seals well-conditioned. Use the thicker oil!
You should be able to use some basic tools to remove the valve cover off the front of the engine for inspection. Without that, everything else is just an assumption.
Another option is to add a jar type PCV catch can to see how much of your oil consumption is caused by engine blowby feeding the PCV system.
Good point about the PCV, but I still say no to thicker oil. At least he can top off with fresh oil, sticking with some cheap PYB for shorter OCI no problem. OR something like MaxLife that is even cheaper most of the time, with a variety of options in grade if he chose to go thicker.
Originally Posted By: unDummy
He's using autorx. Rings should be clean by now and seals well-conditioned. Use the thicker oil!
You should be able to use some basic tools to remove the valve cover off the front of the engine for inspection. Without that, everything else is just an assumption.
Another option is to add a jar type PCV catch can to see how much of your oil consumption is caused by engine blowby feeding the PCV system.
yeah its clean as the day it was built..
He's using autorx. Rings should be clean by now and seals well-conditioned. Use the thicker oil!
You should be able to use some basic tools to remove the valve cover off the front of the engine for inspection. Without that, everything else is just an assumption.
Another option is to add a jar type PCV catch can to see how much of your oil consumption is caused by engine blowby feeding the PCV system.
yeah its clean as the day it was built..
zyxelenator you want sell me the car so i can fix it?
no, no sale yet
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you sure? i already have a great plan of attack. its a pretty long haul back to texas so im going to run pyb and kreen and stop every 500 miles for an oil change and put regain in every tank. i bet most of the sludge is gone by the time i get it home
Originally Posted By: electrolover
you sure? i already have a great plan of attack. its a pretty long haul back to texas so im going to run pyb and kreen and stop every 500 miles for an oil change and put regain in every tank. i bet most of the sludge is gone by the time i get it home
Lol, that's a great idea, road trip FTW!
you sure? i already have a great plan of attack. its a pretty long haul back to texas so im going to run pyb and kreen and stop every 500 miles for an oil change and put regain in every tank. i bet most of the sludge is gone by the time i get it home
Lol, that's a great idea, road trip FTW!
I haven't been on this site in quite some time, thought I'd just drop by and see what was going on, thought maybe I'd drop some thoughts on this thread:
1.) Auto-RX works best when hot. It can take 20 minutes for your oil - not coolant - to get up to operating (read: hot) temp. If the majority of your miles have been under 20 minutes, then you're not really putting the Auto-RX in a position to work like it should.
2.) Auto-RX works best in high flow areas. While I'm for sure not a mechanic, the scenario's described before about how this engine circulates oil sounded credible. Given that, my reasoning would be to use the thinnest oil Toyota has cleared for use for your current temps in your engine. If they've cleared 20W, then run a dino 5W-20; not a 0W-20, those are synthetic and shouldn't be used while on the Auto-RX regime. Using the thinnest oil should allow the Auto-RX to get into/around/past as many places as it possibly can. I remember way back a pretty highly regarded poster named MolaKule advocated this, and it struck me as making sense. Unless there's some overriding reason to use a thicker oil than the minimum spec'd for your engine @ your current outside temps, thin is what I'd be using. As far as oils, just stick with the cheapest dino oil you can find that's SL or SM and ILSAC IL-3 or IL-4 rated. No Pennzoil Platinum, Ultra, Rotella 5W-40 (which I think Shell confirmed had esters in it now, so, that's a no-no for Auto-RX).
3.) Without going back through the thread, it was mentioned to replace the PCV valve and the thermostat, I think if you haven't done this, it'd be a worthwhile - and cheap - preventative measure(s). From back when I was a regular lurker here, I do remember that 3rd party PCV's appeared to work, but, ended up not actually working correctly, and that OEM PCV's that appeared to be clean did not always work. As cheap as an OEM PCV would be from www.rockauto.com (check if your local stores have it for at least close to as cheap, support local businesses too!), this would seem to be a cheap and easy thing to rule out as contributing to your problems. Same thing for the thermostat...if you're running colder than you should, that doesn't help your engine or the Auto-RX (since it likes heat to work).
4.) I'm sure you don't have the receipts any longer, but, unless something has markedly changed (and given how many people are victims of their products, I would actually hope that's happened), Fram's haven't had the best track record for sealed filter elements and good bypasses. If it's at all possible, I wonder if a Motorcraft filter can cross-reference appropriately to your engine? If so, that might be a good idea to run one. Not only are they very well built, but their bypass is located in the front of the filter, so you won't be washing all the [censored] back into your engine at startup. If not, then a NAPA Gold/Wix would be the next good bet.
5.) This talk about using different chemical products while using Auto-RX doesn't sound advisable honestly. We (You) already don't know what's going on in there, even before the Auto-RX. Now it's not known what's happening with the Auto-RX. Adding to the risk of all the [censored] floating around in your engine, you're thinking about subjecting it to different chemical concoctions...how is that going to affect the seals in the engine? Answer: No one knows! IMO, just stick with the Auto-RX at this point, after the last rinse phase, run another 3k with just dino, to make sure the seals are back to their nominal state, then start playing around with other stuff if you want.
I wish you luck!
Chuck
1.) Auto-RX works best when hot. It can take 20 minutes for your oil - not coolant - to get up to operating (read: hot) temp. If the majority of your miles have been under 20 minutes, then you're not really putting the Auto-RX in a position to work like it should.
2.) Auto-RX works best in high flow areas. While I'm for sure not a mechanic, the scenario's described before about how this engine circulates oil sounded credible. Given that, my reasoning would be to use the thinnest oil Toyota has cleared for use for your current temps in your engine. If they've cleared 20W, then run a dino 5W-20; not a 0W-20, those are synthetic and shouldn't be used while on the Auto-RX regime. Using the thinnest oil should allow the Auto-RX to get into/around/past as many places as it possibly can. I remember way back a pretty highly regarded poster named MolaKule advocated this, and it struck me as making sense. Unless there's some overriding reason to use a thicker oil than the minimum spec'd for your engine @ your current outside temps, thin is what I'd be using. As far as oils, just stick with the cheapest dino oil you can find that's SL or SM and ILSAC IL-3 or IL-4 rated. No Pennzoil Platinum, Ultra, Rotella 5W-40 (which I think Shell confirmed had esters in it now, so, that's a no-no for Auto-RX).
3.) Without going back through the thread, it was mentioned to replace the PCV valve and the thermostat, I think if you haven't done this, it'd be a worthwhile - and cheap - preventative measure(s). From back when I was a regular lurker here, I do remember that 3rd party PCV's appeared to work, but, ended up not actually working correctly, and that OEM PCV's that appeared to be clean did not always work. As cheap as an OEM PCV would be from www.rockauto.com (check if your local stores have it for at least close to as cheap, support local businesses too!), this would seem to be a cheap and easy thing to rule out as contributing to your problems. Same thing for the thermostat...if you're running colder than you should, that doesn't help your engine or the Auto-RX (since it likes heat to work).
4.) I'm sure you don't have the receipts any longer, but, unless something has markedly changed (and given how many people are victims of their products, I would actually hope that's happened), Fram's haven't had the best track record for sealed filter elements and good bypasses. If it's at all possible, I wonder if a Motorcraft filter can cross-reference appropriately to your engine? If so, that might be a good idea to run one. Not only are they very well built, but their bypass is located in the front of the filter, so you won't be washing all the [censored] back into your engine at startup. If not, then a NAPA Gold/Wix would be the next good bet.
5.) This talk about using different chemical products while using Auto-RX doesn't sound advisable honestly. We (You) already don't know what's going on in there, even before the Auto-RX. Now it's not known what's happening with the Auto-RX. Adding to the risk of all the [censored] floating around in your engine, you're thinking about subjecting it to different chemical concoctions...how is that going to affect the seals in the engine? Answer: No one knows! IMO, just stick with the Auto-RX at this point, after the last rinse phase, run another 3k with just dino, to make sure the seals are back to their nominal state, then start playing around with other stuff if you want.
I wish you luck!
Chuck
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