Extended use of AutoRx?

[slipnslide]

I've done 750 miles on the first treatment and I'm wondering what the downside would be of just changing the filter and leaving the AutoRx in there. The car's a '93 Geo Metro with 105K on it.

I can certainly understand the reason for changing the filter but why not just leave in the AutoRx? Does it lose its cleaning power after 750 miles? If some cleaning is good isn't more cleaning better? The oil still looks very clean so I presume (perhaps wrongly) that it's still doing a good job of lubricating.

Thanks

Peter

 

[UncleS2]

Did you put the A-Rx in a (reasonably) fresh oil fill? A couple of weeks ago, I had the oil changed on my mother's car, used Schaeffer oil & a full bottle of Auto-Rx. Then drove a 600 mile round trip, plus driving around austin for almost a week. At almost 900 miles on the fill, changed the filter & topped up the oil(almost 3/4 qt.)- that was Wed. After asking Frank about it, I plan to just run the oil & A-Rx a full interval- probably 3500-4500 total miles, maybe farther. It'll be the cleanest 4.6 V-8 in E.Tx!

So, if you put it in clean oil, just change the filter at a reasonable interval(cheap insurance), & run it a full interval.

 

[Frank]

Peter did you put new oil in your engine than added Auto-Rx ? thats a key question, do you keep your engine in above average shape ? another key question. Oil does not wear out however the additive package does and 750 miles of engine cleansing and oil full of third party abrasives
it's time to change. (Stuart e-mailed me and we
discussed his plan, he also is using a better than average oil) Peter after using Auto-Rx as outlined in application instructions, here is what
we guarantee when finished. "Use 3 ounces Auto-Rx
as maintenance amount in every oil change your benefits will be measurable, stable and cost effective. ie: Increased compression-effective combustion- no seal leaks-extended engine life-low operating cost per mile." Hope you will follow
application instructions.

 

[slipnslide]

I added the Auto-Rx at the same time I changed oil (Delvac1300) and filter. Based on Stuart Hughes’ comment, I think I’ll keep the Auto-Rx in for a while longer … maybe not the full interval but probably past 1500 miles. If the oil looked even a bit dirty I’d follow instructions to the letter and change now. However, there doesn’t appear to be a downside to leaving it in and logic would indicate that further engine cleaning will take place. I’ll follow up with the second dose and maintenance procedure.

I have to relate another ongoing Auto-Rx story: a happy one involving my wife’s ’94 Lexus ES300. I did an oil/filter change and added Auto-Rx to her car at the same time I did my Geo. For about a month prior to doing so, we had both noticed that the Lexus was leaving oil on our driveway. At first we though it was from one of our son’s cars but nope, it was definitely the Lexus. While my wife had her car in for brake maintenance, the mechanic noticed the leak without her mentioning it and showed her exactly where oil was running down from the rear main seal. He said the seal would cost $800 to replace so she was suitable horrified.

After running only about 500 miles with the Auto-Rx, THE OIL LEAK COMPLETELY STOPPED!!! I had been hoping for that final result but did not expect it to happen nearly so soon. The Auto-Rx website instructions give the impression that it could take a long time for the leak to gradually slow down and stop so this was a very pleasant surprise. When I changed oil and filter I had used the same oil viscosity that was previously leaking and a mechanic had confirmed that it was coming from the rear main seal. Frank: feel free to quote my success story as it has made a believer out of me.

When I changed the oil in my wife’s car, I noticed how truly filthy the inside of the engine is. The Lexus oil-filler cap doesn’t reveal the valve-train but simply shows a sort of internal shield that the oil is poured onto and drains into the engine. The visible sheet metal in there is utterly disgusting … no wonder they call Toyota a sludge-monster! The gunk looks like dark-brown epoxy glue that’s almost 1/8th “ thick is some places.

She has driven over 750 miles now with the Auto-Rx and while the oil leak has stopped, I can detect no change whatsoever in the appearance of the crap I see inside the oil filler cap. I can scratch it with my fingernail and nothing comes off at all. The oil on the dipstick still looks very clean so the Auto-Rx seems to be dissolving this stuff very slowly.

I’ll definitely be following up with a second bottle of Auto-Rx and maintenance doses however (for the same reasons I stated above for my Geo) I’m inclined to change just the filter and leave the Auto-Rx in to keep working on that crap. Are there any problems in doing that? Can I expect to one day open the oil-filler cap on her Lexus and see shiny metal?

Peter

 

[LarryD]

I have the same engine in my Camry and see the same brown stuff there too. I really don't expect Auto-Rx to do much that far up since it's not an area of oil circulation. Auto-Rx works where it counts, on the internal engine areas that are bathed in oil and are moving. The engine movement creates enough agitation (like a washing machine) to allow Auto-Rx to clean effectively. In non-circulation areas we are dealing only with fumes so it may take a long time for that splash plate to clean up. It's only esthetics we are talking about so I just ignore it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by slipnslide:


When I changed the oil in my wife?s car, I noticed how truly filthy the inside of the engine is. The Lexus oil-filler cap doesn?t reveal the valve-train but simply shows a sort of internal shield that the oil is poured onto and drains into the engine. The visible sheet metal in there is utterly disgusting ? no wonder they call Toyota a sludge-monster! The gunk looks like dark-brown epoxy glue that?s almost 1/8th ? thick is some places.

---

 

[Frank]

Peter, I respect your right to make decision on your "Geo" the only thing important is positive results. Application instructions followed with Auto-Rx guarantees results. RE: Your Lexus and rear main seal leak is so "positive" and thank you for sharing it. Remember Peter, when we post application instructions they are based on worst case scenario and the rock solid Auto-Rx Guarantee
(if Auto-Rx does not perform to your satisfaction there is no charge). You don't send back anything just an e-mail to me if your not happy and your money straight back to you; no and's, if's, or but's; all we ask is you follow application instructions and if you choose to substitute your instructions instead, we feel we trust our customer base and they know our guarantee does not cover their experimentation, good (we hope) or not. Getting back to Lexus, keep conventional in engine and do follow application instructions for Toyota V-6 please. This is one application that has no room for improvising. Look foward to your posting your results!
Frank
Auto-Rx
Inventor

 

[slipnslide]

No problem Frank: I'll follow those instructions to the letter. Having been an Engineer for most of my working life, I appreciate that experience often derives a formula “that simply works best" but the exact mechanism by which it works optimally isn't obvious.

That said, I remain curious about the "why" of your empirically derived application instructions. It's easy to understand why removing the Auto-Rx earlier than 750 miles isn't a good idea. You’ve probably observed that less than 750 doesn’t give the chemistry an adequate chance to do its job.

The reason for not leaving it in for longer periods is less obvious. Can you speculate on why leaving it in longer leads to sub-optimal results?

Thanks

Peter

 

[Frank]

Peter, Auto-Rx was granted an "Application Patent"
because all stated performance results were proved
by third party independent tests in the climate that exisits in a segment of the oil business. Our reputation is all we have. Oil additive packages break down and Auto-Rx liquifies them and the oil and drives it all to the filter. We don't have any third party independent test data to substantiate keeping Auto-Rx in for 1500 miles.
Frank

 

[ALS]

I have to agree with Frank on this one. I comes down to High School Chemistry. There is only 12 oz of Auto-RX in the oil. Auto-RX will only change or dissolve so much of the contaminates in the engine. It still comes down to moler theory and the moles of active ingredients in Auto-RX verses the moles of contaminates in your engine. If Auto-RX works on a ratio for example of 1 to 4 (my numbers not Frank's). Than if there is 340 grams of Auto-RX in your oil than it will only be able to remove 1360 grams of contaminates. Frank has already tested this product long enough to know that by 750 miles the process has stopped or the filter is close to being full of the contaminates that have been liquified.

 

[slipnslide]

ALS:
You are probably correct: Auto-Rx's active ingredient probably depletes itself as more and more contaminant gets liquefied and taken out of circulation. Through personal experience and feedback from users, Frank has probably observed that for typical concentrations in typical engines, by 750 miles all the Auto-Rx has become “used up” through its reaction with crud. If as you say, the chemical process gets stopped at 750 miles, then it does indeed make sense to drain it and add a fresh dose to deal with any residual or newly formed contaminants.

That makes sense however it doesn’t answer my question. Here’s the point I was trying to make regarding my Geo Metro: applying High School Logic to your High School Chemistry leads to one conclusion: if the engine in question contains only a tiny amount of contaminants, then after 750 miles, those contaminants will have reacted and be flushed away however there must still be plenty of Auto-Rx’s active ingredient left in the engine. To my cheapskate way of thinking, that unused Auto-Rx should be left in to act as the “maintenance dose” normally prescribed for dealing with newly formed contaminant.

I’m delighted that Auto-Rx stopped the oil leak on my wife’s Lexus however the jury’s still out on how well it worked in my Geo Metro. When I first added Auto-Rx to the Geo there was a thin film of varnish covering the valve train. I haven’t noticed any change at all in its appearance or hardness ... perhaps it just needs more time to be liquefied?

The Geo’s tiny, 3-cylinder engine is in good condition and doesn’t burn any oil at all. It probably has less than half the internal surface area of typical engines so it’s fair to conclude that there’s less than half of “the number of "moles of contaminant" inside it that are in need of liquefaction. Based on your explanation, wouldn’t it make sense to let the still unused active ingredients continue to work inside the engine?

Anyone who drives a Geo Metro is cheap by nature. I don’t mind putting in the second bottle but not until the first one has stopped working. Unless I’m misunderstanding something here, it seems best to just change the filter and let the reaction continue. I’ll monitor the appearance and hardness of the varnish inside the valve cover and post my findings.

Peter

 

[Frank]

Peter the below post will cover your varnish question.Your oil will only "hold" so much contamination before it fails, thats why 750 miles. Auto-Rx chemistry will pump up your oil's additive package, however you would do well to get an oil analysis. posted June 02, 2003 11:30 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALS, Thanks for the positive post on Auto-Rx, your engine derives it's oil pressure from a single cam using push rod technology to build oil pressure (not like an overhead cam engine). You will get clean rocker arms and valve covers, etc., it will just take longer for reasons above. You bought Auto-Rx for the correct reason (improve performance) and you got great results just as guaranteed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 263 | From: Ormond Beach Fl | Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged |