Q: Using Auto-Rx in Frigid Cold Conditions
A: Auto-Rx is a highly concentrated combination of ester based cleaning components. In its concentrated form Auto-Rx is not flowable from its container below 32 degrees F. However, once dispersed into your host motor oil, it has little to no effect on the pour point of the host oil. In cold weather conditions, follow these instructions: dispense hot tap water into a bowl or container that will have adequate capacity to submerse the Auto-Rx container up to the bottle neck. Insert the bottle so that the neck is above the high water mark. Allow the bottle to stand in the warm water for 2 minutes. If the bottle of Auto-Rx has been subject to below freezing temperatures, you should repeat this process twice - refilling the hot water container and re-submersing the Auto-Rx. In the meantime, warm the motor to operating temperature. With a warm motor and Auto-Rx warmed to at least room temperature, you are ready to proceed with your Auto-Rx application.
Q: I am no mechanic, so I need to use products that are easy to apply. Is your product like this?
A: Absolutely! Auto-Rx® was created specifically for the do-it-yourselfer. Anyone can easily apply our product using these simple application instructions:
Install a new oil filter to catch all the debris that will be removed from your engine.
Pour one 12-ounce bottle of Auto-Rx® into the oil reservoir, as though you are adding oil.
Drive your car as you would normally for 1,500 miles (see Application Instructions)
Get a regular oil change and replace the oil filter.
Q: How many times do I need to apply Auto-Rx®?
A: We have seen customers get extraordinary results after only one application of Auto-Rx®. But for best results, we recommend that you use it every 25,000 miles. Engines with more than 100,000 miles will need two applications of Auto-Rx® as there is so much oil debris buildup that needs to be removed.
As an alternative to the 25,000 interval, you may add a maintenance dose of 3 ounces of Auto-Rx® with each oil change. This will assure that sludge will not build up after the initial cleaning and will provide full-time protection.
Q: What is the Auto-Rx Maintenance Plan?
A: The Auto-Rx Maintenance Plan is your assurance that the gains you received from your application will continue. Left unchecked, contaminants and sludge will return. For most engines a maintenance dose of 3 ounces with each oil change will maintain the benefits you received from your Auto-Rx application. For those engines that are prone to sludge, you should use 3 ounces as your maintenance dose. Once a full cleaning has been completed then you can maintain your engine on just the maintenance dose in the future.
Oil analysis with the maintenance dose on the Auto-Rx web site shows reduced wear metals in extended drains. But the real beauty from running the maintenance dose is retarding the formation of engine deposits in the future.
Q: Do I have to use new oil when beginning the Auto-Rx® treatment?
A: Using fresh oil is an option most of the time; exceptions would be contaminated oil, which would have to be changed. Many people want to see the color of the new clean oil after an Auto-Rx® application, which is understandable. However, another person may not want the added expense of starting with clean oil. Oil does not wear out; it just gets dirty. No oil, new or old, regular or synthetic, cleans carbon off metal so there is nothing bad in old oil, just plain dirt. Auto-Rx® is going to suspend the dirt in the old oil while it goes about cleaning the oil-lubricated rotating parts. Auto-Rx® has an additive package built in its chemistry to ?perk up? dirty oil while it is in use.
Q: Will this work for every vehicle? I have an SUV.
A: Auto-Rx® can be added to any engine with 4, 6, or 8 cylinders (even inboard boat engines).
The only engine Auto-Rx® will not work in is a 2-stroke engine, such as those in motorcycles or lawnmowers, because Auto-Rx® does not mix with gasoline.
Q: Is there any potential for damage to my engine when using Auto-Rx®?
A: Auto-Rx® will not damage any oil-lubricated parts of an engine, including seals. Auto-Rx® is a specially formulated green chemistry (not harmful to the environment) that cleans metal without using toxic substances. It does not act like so-called friction reducers designed to disguise mechanical problems that need the attention of a professional mechanic. In fact, 99 percent of the time, poor performance will be caused by oil debris buildup between piston rings. Auto-Rx® addresses engine problems caused by brown carbon (sludge).
Q: Is Auto-Rx® the same as those inexpensive solvent flushes you can find at the auto parts shop?
A: No! The inexpensive solvent flushes that you find in the auto parts store use powerful solvents that can be destructive to your engine and seals. These products are ?shock solvents?; they can only be kept in the engine a short time and have a tendency to break off large chunks of sludge that can get trapped in the engine’s oil passages. Clogged oil passages can cause engine failure. Oil is also negatively affected by the introduction of a solvent; it changes the chemistry of the oil, whereas Auto-Rx® does not. Auto-Rx® works slowly, methodically and efficiently and will take 1,500 or so miles to do its job. Engine deposits are formed layer by layer; they should be removed layer by layer. Auto-Rx® does exactly that.
Q: Does it matter what type of oil I use with Auto-Rx®?
A: It does not matter what type of oil you use for the cleaning phase of the Auto-Rx® application. However, for maximum results we recommend that you use plain, non-synthetic oil for the ?rinse? phase. Please see Application Instructions for complete details.
Q: Why do you recommend non-synthetic oil for the rinse" phase of the application?
A: We recommend simple, non-synthetic oil (do not use-semi synthetic or high-mileage oil) for this important step in the Auto-Rx® Application. Synthetic oil has a complex additive package that polarizes the liquefied debris on the engine’s internal oil-lubricated parts. The goal is to rinse all the internal parts of this liquefied debris, and a good ?Dino Oil?, with its simple additive package, does the job very well.
Q: What is "dino" oil?
A: ?Dino? oil is an informal name for standard, non-synthetic oil. It is presumed that the remains of dinosaurs contributed to the formation of petroleum millions of years ago.
Q: I just changed my oil after running with Auto-Rx® for 1,500 miles but the oil does not seem much darker. Did Auto-Rx® really clean my engine?
A: If you are running your application with synthetic oil the oil color will not change much. This is due to the additive package found in synthetic oil which has a tendency to bind the softened deposits to the metal. It is during the ?rinse? phase that you can expect your oil to become darker (see next question below). However, if you want to see visual results quicker, you should run the entire application with non-synthetic oil.
Q: When is the Auto-Rx® treatment fully completed?
A: After you drain your oil and Auto-Rx® the new, fresh oil will ?rinse? any remaining residue from internal engine surfaces. Although engine benefits have already taken place, it will take another 1,000 miles or so (2,500 miles on a diesel engine) to fully clean the residue and it will be gone after your next regular oil change. Depending on the amount of contaminants removed your oil may be very dark after this rinse.
Q: Why is there still some varnish in the valves area after an Auto-Rx® cleaning?
A: Varnish is nothing more than a cosmetic stain, it does not affect the performance of your engine. Auto-Rx® does clean off the varnish, but due to varying engine designs it is impossible to give an exact timeframe. Be assured that functional improvements have taken place when Auto-Rx® is used according to instructions.
Q: I've heard that synthetic oil can adversely affect my seals. Does Auto-Rx® help?
A: We believe that high-mileage engines using synthetic/semi-synthetic or high mileage oil weaken the seal material and it loses its pliability.
In e-mails to people who have rear main oil seal leaks and want to use Auto-Rx® to try and stop them, we tell them to use non-synthetic oil to firm up the seal material after Auto-Rx® has cleansed it, as chemistry in non-synthetic oil makes seals harden just right to effect a tight seal. After your leak is stopped, you can use any oil you want
We question why anyone would want to go back to a chemistry that will start the process of seal material degradation all over again. A way around this problem is to use 3 ounces of Auto-Rx® with each oil change after a rear main seal leak is stopped. Now you are protecting seal degradation and can use synthetic, semi-synthetic, or high mileage oil without creating a new leak problem.
Q: Is Auto-Rx® compatible with my turbocharger?
A: Auto-Rx® is compatible with ball bearings, seals, etc. In fact, turbochargers create a lot of heat and are quite taxing on the oil or lubricant. Life expectancy of a turbocharger is typically tied to oil failure due to heat, and would thus be a perfect candidate for Auto-Rx®. Keeping the system clean is key to life expectancy.
Q: Will your product work in an air-cooled, 4-cylinder motorcycle equipped with a "wet" clutch? The clutch and transmission are bathed in engine oil.
A: The addition of Auto-Rx® to the host lubricant will have no harmful effect on the wet clutch pack surfaces. In fact, it may actually help by cleaning any contamination from combustion by-products that may have formed on the plate surfaces. The addition of Auto-Rx® will not adversely affect the sheer stability of the host oil. In fact, Auto-Rx® contains, as part of its formulation, an aliphatic ester, which is commonly used as the base oil in aircraft lubricants. This ingredient is designed to maintain oil film strength, so as to eliminate any chance of a dry spot within an oil film.
Q: I've heard that Auto-Rx is good at removing sludge. How can I find out if my engine has sludge?
A: Your mechanic or dealer can determine if your engine has sludge issues. To find out if your engine model is one of those that have had problems please read this article from Consumer Reports or for more information go to The Center for Auto Safety.