Can I run the initial cleaning step with Valvoline MaxLife 10w30 "semi synthetic" oil in my crankcase? I did not see it listed on the approved oils list in the FAQ.
I am not knowledgeable as to what you are looking to accomplish with respect to running Auto-Rx in the same sump with Maxlife. If it is oil leaking or burning issues that you are trying to eliminate I would offer the following. The maxlife is designed to slow or stop leaks or oil burning by use of an ester group in the maxlife formulation designed to swell seals, such as rear main seals or valve stem seals. And to some extent the product has been somewhat successful on high mileage vehicles. However, I do not think that cleaning with Auto-Rx is the best idea when seals are swollen and suseptable to additional wear. The better approach would have been to first see if cleaning and rinsing would have alleviated the leaking or oil burning problem. The other benefit of cleaning and rinsing first is to get rid of contamiants in and around the seals before subjecting them to an oil containing esters that swell the polymer seals. Also by cleaning first the use of an oil with esters designed to swell seals the esters would be working on clean seals and rotating shafts or valve seals and guides.
From a cleaning perspective it is always best to have no other esters in the mix when cleaning with Auto-Rx. All esters are polar or have an attraction to ferrous metal surfaces. So to some extent the esters in maxlife and the cleaning esters of Auto-Rx are competing for the same metal surfaces. This is not the ideal combination for Auto-Rx to get you the best results. I would wait to add Auto-Rx until your next oil change and run it with a simple conventional oil. And then run the next oil change interval with the same. At this point if you desire to run Maxlife do so. Perhaps if I had a bit more information on your motor situation or desired expected benefits, I could guide you better.
