Auto-Rx Customers Questions & Answers

Glenn · Newbie

New Member 1999 Saturn 5 speed 200,000 miles Symptoms

TurboJim · Moderator

Have you removed the valve cover to see if you have a sludge or contaminent build up? Have you been replacing the PCV valve on a regular basis?

If there is an excessive build up I would use the sludge application otherwise follow the normal application.

A bad catalytic converter is not the cause of your blue smoke. ARX will clean up the ring packs in short order. Valve stem seals take a bit longer.

Falcon LS · Senior Member

Welcome to the boards. When was the last time you replaced your valve stem seals?

Glenn · Newbie

Good morning folks. to reply to both of you...

Falcon,
-PCV valve replaced regularly
--have not taken off valve covers..ever. I'm not much more than a maintenance backyard mechanic, (oil changes..plugs..filters) though I'm willing to try anything that would.not put me into a postion of then having to tow the car somewhere due to not knowing what I'm doing. Would I just remove the screws around the covers and lift? Would be willing to do so, but would it be necessary? At 200,00 miles wouldn't it be expected that a sludge treatment would be in order anyway? Looks pretty gunky and black under the oil filler cap.

About three weeks ago I did a Marvel Mystery Oil soak (removing plugs and letting the MMO soak over night in there as reccommended on the Saturn board "Saturnalia" (which is also where I found out about ARX) Any reason not to use MMO in conjunction with ARX?

TurboJim,
-I'm sorry, I don't even know what valve stem seals are :( An explanation or description would help...but obviously, since I don't know what they are, I have never replaced them. Nor has any mechanic, since the car was purchased at 47K miles and has been rock solid until now..still runs fine except for the blowing of smoke. Not sluggish at all, idles evenly and quietly. Great MPG

Frank Miller · Guru

Since you have looked at the underside of your oil filler cap it probably looks like brown or gray spaghetti in the grooves,if so you have you have sludge.

Dial up www.auto-rx.com and click on the application for sludge (print it out) also read the FAQ, once your comfortable with how to clean sludge out and keep it out, post again regarding oil to use filters . We want you to be knowledgeable on how to use Auto-Rx.

Frank Miller Inventor

TurboJim · Moderator

I agree with Frank, you should follow the sludge application ( http://www.auto-rx.com/pages/heavy_sludge_app.html ). The only reason you might want to take the valve cover off is to follow you progress. I would imagine that with 200,000 miles the valve cover gasket would need to be replaced if you do.

-- Edited by TurboJim at 11:52, 2009-03-06

Glenn · Newbie

Thanks, Frank and Jim.

I'll do the sludge method. Probably start this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Since I see no leaks at all from around the valve cover, I'd prefer not to take it off and invite trouble.

I presume that, since Ill be changing oil and filter a number of time through the process, that I can just get the most inexpensive conventional oil and filters until I'm done. Am I right?

At that point I'd go back to my tried and true Castrol...which has carried all my vehicles through hundreds of thousands of miles (one Honda Accord was almost 400K, and I donated it; it ran fine, but had begun to rust (which my Saturn won't do becasue of the polymer panels)

Glenn

dbdeland · Senior Member

Glenn;

Thank you for becoming a member of our Discussion Board and purchasing Auto-Rx. In reply to your question about using inexpensive conventional oil filters yes that is ok to use them.

Daryl Baines
Administrator

bmwtechguy · Senior Member

Glenn, there is currently a sale on Castrol GTX, starting today at AutoZone, paired with a Fram filter, which is fine for 3000 mile oil changes. If Advance Auto is closer to you, they have 5 quarts of conventional QuakerState or Pennzoil paired with a Purolator oil filter for a dollar cheaper than the AZ deal. Or go to WalMart and get a 5 qt jug of MobilClean 5000 for $11 and a SuperTech filter for less than $3.

Any of these oils and filters would work well with your Auto-Rx Saturn project. Keep us posted on how it goes. I'm sure you will see improvements soon.