How long do the effects of auto-rx last?

[kang]

I’ve read many stories on this board of how auto-rx quieted loud lifters, increased compression, stopped pinging, stopped a leak, etc. My question is: how long after you did your clean/rinse cycle did these effects last? I’m especially interested in the case of someone who does NOT run maintenance dose after the clean/rinse. Say you ran one clean/rinse cycle and you achieved some benefits, like quieter lifters, etc. How long after your rinse cycle did the lifter say quiet? Did the noise come back right away, or did it stay quiet for 10,000 or 20,000 or 30,000 miles?

I ask this question because I was thinking about stuff like that classic old STP oil treatment. Do you remember that? (Do they still make it?) It was like a 90,000 weight oil (OK, I exaggerate, but it was really really thick). You added it to your oil and it would quiet lifters and reduce smoking (by sealing loose rings). The thing was, once you changed your oil and flushed the stuff out, the effect was gone.

Now don’t think I’m comparing STP oil treatment to auto-rx. I know they are completely different beasts. But it does make me wonder how long the effects of auto-rx last. Once you complete the rinse phase, are the effects of auto-rx diminished?

 

[SD26]

If the engine is clean, and you use it, it will get dirty. How fast will it get dirty? I think that will vary on any number of variables.

My understanding is that after the rinse phase, the engine is clean. In some extreme cases, a second clean and rinse phase is necessary.

Keeping it clean would be a good thing, so a maintenance dose is recommended rather than making it all dirty and having to go through the process of cleaning and rinsing again.

I'm going through a rinse phase on my diesel currently.

ON edit...

How long will the cleaning last? How many variables do you want to add? Oils, environment, driving habits, mechanical defects, etc. I think if one could get it clean, one would want to keep it clean. Long term performance should be a benefit.

 

[Vspec]

This also depends on engine design, fuel used, lean or rich engine enviroments, mechanical condition, regular maint schedules, oil and filter used after you get the engine clean, length of time you run the engine (trips), elevation and a few other factors im sure.

Keep your engine maintained, regular oil changes with analysis, and make sure you engine always gets up to temperature are good starting points.

 

[Quest]

Originally Posted By: kang
I’ve read many stories on this board of how auto-rx quieted loud lifters, increased compression, stopped pinging, stopped a leak, etc. My question is: how long after you did your clean/rinse cycle did these effects last? I’m especially interested in the case of someone who does NOT run maintenance dose after the clean/rinse. Say you ran one clean/rinse cycle and you achieved some benefits, like quieter lifters, etc. How long after your rinse cycle did the lifter say quiet? Did the noise come back right away, or did it stay quiet for 10,000 or 20,000 or 30,000 miles?

I ask this question because I was thinking about stuff like that classic old STP oil treatment. Do you remember that? (Do they still make it?) It was like a 90,000 weight oil (OK, I exaggerate, but it was really really thick). You added it to your oil and it would quiet lifters and reduce smoking (by sealing loose rings). The thing was, once you changed your oil and flushed the stuff out, the effect was gone.

Now don’t think I’m comparing STP oil treatment to auto-rx. I know they are completely different beasts. But it does make me wonder how long the effects of auto-rx last. Once you complete the rinse phase, are the effects of auto-rx diminished?


AutoRx does not "quiet" lifters or it's effects diminish over time. This is a cleaner that cleans all the deposits and what-not that prohibits proper lubrication on all parts (just think of a noisy lifter being starved of lubrication due to deposits in critical passageways). Once you completed your rinse cycle and start using regular motor oil (what I mean is the lacking of large dosage of AutoRx thereafter), you would have restored proper lubrication to your lifters to the point where the noise associated with dirty lifters will be gone and good as new.

Remember this: even the best motor oil with a complete chemical package that meets/exceeds all the latest ILSAC/API specifications will gradually leaves deposits behind as mileage rakes up. These are the kind of deposits that AutoRx is good at cleaning up (so long as you diligently follows the instructions) to restore proper lubrication.


AutoRx maintenance dose helps in keeping your engine cleaner longer.

Q.

p.s. Just remember this: AutoRx is no ordinary solvent-based cleaner....it comes with ester blend that will do magic and makes motor oil lasts longer/cleaner and resists deposit accumulations in vital parts such as oil control rings, hydraulic lifters, etc.Also it makes already good motor oil blend works even better (due to polar bonding)

 

[kang]

OK, so the effects last until your engine gets dirty again. I can live with that answer. But I thought there was some general consensus that the benefits of auto-rx go beyond that of just cleaning, that it has benefits above and beyond that. Are those real, or just imaginary? Do they last beyond the time auto-rx is in the oil?

 

[Quest]

Unless you can ensure that the motor oils you use post-AutoRx cleaning+rinse phase will keep your engine clean (and not leave deposits behind), otherwise, just relying the use of good ole motor oils (doesn't matter whether it's real full-syn or semi-syn or blend, for they all eventually leave deposits behind as mileage rakes up in your engine) themselves isn't gonna be able to keep the engine clean as mileage rakes up.

AutoRx clean+rinse phase does help in restoring your engine oil-related matters clean but as the effect gradually wears off (and deposits will start settling in), you need to run another run of AutoRx clean+rinse further down the road again eventually.

Remember one thing: ester treatment is not permanent (not like electroplating or so): although it has very strong affinity in sticking to the metal surface and performs it's intended duty, nothing lasts forever. Thus the call for AutoRx maintenance dose to maintain that effect.

 

[INDYMAC]

I recall that the ARX website suggests follow up treatments every 25K miles (clean&rinse cycles) if you choose not to add maintenance dose plan to your follow on oil changes. I guess that's the answer you have been looking for?

 

[oilboy123]

I tried running my Taurus with out doing the maintenance dose and noticed the pinging coming back.

The next oil change I did 3 oz maintenance dose and it started going away again. Don't remember specifice miles etc.....

I am doing a 4 oz maintenance dose now. No problem with pinging so far.

 

[INDYMAC]

Did the pinging start coming back during the rinse phase, or on subsequent fills without ARX?

 

[[RT] ProjUltraZ]

and it depends on the engine itself. some run cleaner than others

 

[oilboy123]

"Did the pinging start coming back during the rinse phase, or on subsequent fills without ARX?" Yes subsequent fills.

Like ProjUltraZ said and I agree certain engines behave differentely. The Taurus vulcan can be prone to pinging.