Auto-Rx Customers Questions & Answers

The questions here are what oil to use during your autorx treatment, which treatment to use (i.e. basic or sludge), and how many treatments to use (1 or 2).

Type of Oil
Please take a look at this page: Autorx oil guidelines, which discusses types of oil to use with autorx.  Synthetic oils can be either a "group iii" or a "group iv", and we recommend using a group iii oil in both the cleaning and rinsing stages (note: Mobil 1 is a group iv oil).  Using a group iii oil over just a short 3000 mile oil change interval will not hurt your engine, and will allow autorx to clean best.  On the oil guidelines page you will find several group iii synthetics approved for use with autorx. 

How many treatments
With that many miles we recommend two treatments (a cleaning phase, a rinsing phase, a second cleaning phase, and a second rinsing phase).  If the car's maintenance history is excellent, it is possible that the second phase is not needed, but in general a car with 180k will benefit from two treatments.

What type of treatment
Your engine does not have a reputation as a sludge-prone engine (it does have a tendency toward some oil emulsion, which is not sludge), but at 180k miles its very possible that you do have some sludge so to be safe you should follow the sludge treatment instructions: Autorx sludge treatment instructions.  The main difference between the basic treatment and the sludge treatment is the changing of the filter midway through the first cleaning phase.  Not the oil, just the filter.  If you have sludge in your engine, autorx will lift much of it off the interior engine surface in the first several hundred miles, and that means your oil filter will be collecting all that, which is why its important to change the oil filter after that first 1000-1200 miles.

Here is a recommended schedule for your ML320.

cleaning phase 1
180,000 - change oil, add two bottles of autorx, change filter
181,000 - change filter

rinsing phase 1
182,500 - change oil, change filter (no autorx is added)

cleaning phase 2
185,500 - change oil, add two bottles of autorx, change filter

rinsing phase 2
188,000 - change oil, change filter (no autorx is added)

191,000 - change oil and filter using Mobil 1, return to normal oil changing schedule

Feel free to ask any questions and please keep us updated on your progress.



-- Edited by johnoh on Monday 14th of March 2011 07:33:06 PM