Plan for Buick w/ 3.8

[Benzadmiral]

Hey, Frank & Co.,

My 2003 Buick Park Avenue with the 3.8 N/A engine has 45,800 miles, so I guess the previous owner only drove about 10-11K per year. Right now the OLM says I have about 76% life left. Manual specifies 10W-30, but 5W-30 is okay.

The car seems well-maintained, but I'd like to Auto-Rx it to be on the safe side, and to see if I can eke out a bit more gas mileage.

Here's the plan:
Change oil & filter in mid-November (which, after a trip to Little Rock, should put me at about 48,000 miles), 4.5 qts. Chevron Supreme 5W-30 conventional, 1 bottle Auto-Rx

Change oil & filter again with the same or similar oil at 50,500 miles, or about February 1, for the rinse phase

Change again to Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 at about 53,500, or around May 1

After that, change in mid- to late October and mid-April, 5K miles each, with 3 oz. maintenance doses

Sound like a good plan? I'm trying to space this out so I don't have to fool with oil changes during the summer heat.

The alternative is to go into the clean phase before my trip. (Would nearly 2K of highway run allow Auto-Rx to work properly?) Then I'd change again for the rinse in mid-November, and then again to PP around March 1. Though I suspect PP could go from March 1 to mid-October, about 6000 miles, yes?

Let me know what you think!

 

[Frank]

Since i have ressurected a GM 3.8 with 150,000 miles housed in a 99 Buick Regal GS (including transmission) I used almost the same alternative plan you proposed. Exception i ran oil change for one 3000 mile cycle with no Auto-Rx Maintenace Program (to finish major rinse mode) than went to Auto-Rx Maintenace plan.

Engine -Transmission are in top shape however essential parts for A/C PW all breaking down.Moral maybe I better buy cars better made or less miles this one is a money pit for working creature comforts however it would go to CA and back at 26 MPG and with A/C (working) 23 mpg i burn cheap 87 octane and use Kendall 10-30 wt semi synthetic.

A Regal is no Park Avenue (you have a great car) keep us posted.

 

[SKUNKY]

Paul..sounds like a good plan..my wifes 2000 Regal has had 5-30/10-30 in it it's whole life 60k on clock..no problems..great motor..what I do is put Maxlife 10-30 in about every 3rd OCI...if the trans hasen't been flushed do it..@ 100 bucks...

 

[daman]

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My 2003 Buick Park Avenue with the 3.8 N/A engine has 45,800 miles

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LOL...well i can tell ya i've owned 4 of these engines over the many years and using Auto-Rx is going to be a waist of money, especially with only 45k on the clock, these mill's
are not sludge monsters, my currant 3800 has 188K and is
clean as a whistle in side,none of my 38's has had a problem
with sludge/carbon/varnish build up,save your money on that arx
and just buy another oil change.

that 3.8 in your Buick will out live 3 car body's before it would need any
help, and that's with running the cheapest oil you can find.

 

[Rick20]

Paul, I would run the cleaning dose of ARX in the transmission before doing the 100 dollar service to exchange the fluid. You will remove much more volume of contaminants that way.

As far as the motor goes I see nothing wrong with your plan. I would run one full oil change without the maintenance dose before going on to the maintenance plan as Frank suggests.

I think that there is alot of confusion over what a rinse phase of the ARX treatment really is. When you come right down to it, it is nothing more than an oil change interval with no amount of ARX installed.

I think that the highway trip used for the cleaning phase makes alot of sense. You could always extend the current OCI out the extra 500 miles after you return from the trip.

Then run a full OCI on the PP with no ARX. Then start in with the maintenance dose in the spring.

 

[Frank]

All engines get dirty which creates wear Auto-Rx cleans the dirt out of the engine and lets any oil lubricate every nook & cranny. Cleaning sludge is only one of several applications Auto-Rx can do.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Rick20, I planned to (a) use Auto-Rx in the next oil change, run 2500, change (but add no Auto-Rx), then at 3000 change again to PP and do the maintenance routine after that -- not during the rinse phase. So the highway run with the Auto-Rx in there is a good idea?

Daman, it won't cost me any more. I still have a bottle left from the clean-and-rinse I was going to do on my previous car.

I'm planning to have the tranny fluid and filter changed at 50K, soon after I get back, so I might extract a little fluid and pop some Auto-Rx in there too. Just 6 oz., right?

 

[Frank]

There is no need to extract transmission fluid just add 6 ounces of Auto-Rx and drive 1000 miles drain and replace with new transmission fluid go to www.auto-rx.com and click on "Transmission" located on index.

 

[daman]

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All engines get dirty which creates wear Auto-Rx cleans the dirt out of the engine and lets any oil lubricate every nook & cranny.

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Engines in the past got by just fine before axr...

 

[daman]

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All engines get dirty which creates wear Auto-Rx cleans the dirt out of the engine and lets any oil lubricate every nook & cranny.

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Engines in the past got by just fine before axr...

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And they were more prone to slug/etc. then todays engines.

 

[lght1]

Hi

Not a good idea to run 87 gas in a L67. This is the way to chipped pistons. False economy to be sure..go back to 91 or better gas.

 

[XPR]

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All engines get dirty which creates wear Auto-Rx cleans the dirt out of the engine and lets any oil lubricate every nook & cranny.

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Engines in the past got by just fine before axr...

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And they were more prone to slug/etc. then todays engines.

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What makes you think that older engines were more prone to sludge?

 

[Frank]

Damon owners in the past stuggled with MTBF on internal parts there was more profit for the dealer in selling parts + service than in original sales price of the car.Buyers did not get long life with there engines. Out of this dilemma came synthetic oil -better engineering- uniform tolerances of parts. And always contaminants.

 

[dwendt44]

"What makes you think that older engines were more prone to sludge?"

Looser tolerences, less efficient pollution controls, inefficient carberators, lower quality oils.

 

[Benzadmiral]

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Hi

Not a good idea to run 87 gas in a L67. This is the way to chipped pistons. False economy to be sure..go back to 91 or better gas.

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lght1, if by L67 you mean the 3.8 engine in mine, it's normally aspirated. The owner's manual calls for 87. I think the supercharged version of this engine calls for 91 or better, but not this one.

 

[Benzadmiral]

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There is no need to extract transmission fluid just add 6 ounces of Auto-Rx and drive 1000 miles drain and replace with new transmission fluid go to www.auto-rx.com and click on "Transmission" located on index.

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Frank, this is the part of your instructions I don't get. Now I don't know how much room there is in the transmission when it's properly filled; maybe GM designed in some headroom. But if it's at the proper level, in any case, adding 6 oz. is going to bring it up above that level. Isn't overfilling bad for a transmission? Even more than for an engine?

I just think it would be vastly safer to extract, say, a pint, 8 oz. or so, of tranny fluid, add the Auto-Rx, then top off with fluid as needed.

 

[daman]

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"What makes you think that older engines were more prone to sludge?"

Looser tolerences, less efficient pollution controls, inefficient carberators, lower quality oils.

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^RIGHT!!!!

well said.

 

[mechtech2]

I wouldn't expect much at those low miles with an Auto Rx treatment [even though is is great when needed].
Are there any concrete reasons or specific issues that you are addressing?

 

[ConfederateTyrant]

6 ounces won't overfill by much, and according to Frank, the Auto-RX will work its way into the metal surfaces, so the fluid level should balance out. I wouldn't worry about 6 ounces unless you were already 1/2-1 pint overfilled.

 

[Benzadmiral]

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I wouldn't expect much at those low miles with an Auto Rx treatment [even though is is great when needed].
Are there any concrete reasons or specific issues that you are addressing?

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Not really, Mechtech2. I bought two bottles of Auto-Rx this spring and started a clean phase in my late C230. I traded the car in and never got to finish it. I still have one bottle, and I know nobody who'd like to take it off my hands, so I figure I might as well get some use out of it.

In the meantime, since I don't know how rigorously the car was serviced by the previous owner, two closely-spaced oil changes will be all to the good. (Especially since I long ago purchased the oil for the first one. Economists, I think, call that a "sunk cost.")