Using Auto-rx To Clean Engine And Tranny

[tmhtmh]

monarch, for you to continue to pretend it isn't a well-known FACT that this engine has a tendancy to develop sludge and that the tranny has a tendancy to crap out just shows you think others are stupid. Obviously, all RX300s don't have engine and tranny replacements by 100k mi. However, quite a few DO. Even the example you just gave shows there is a problem. That person has changed the tranny fluid every 15k mi. ! I very much doubt the used one I bought had that done - why? - because why would anyone do that if they weren't trying to avoid a KNOWN problem? NO vehicle requires tranny fluid be changed every 15k mi.! An owner of the RX300 would certainly have had absolutely no reason to do this unless he knew about the specific PROBLEM.

I'd point out a ton of examples to you all over the internet, but I KNOW you are very familiar with these problems and you know they exist.

Lastly, please don't post in any thread I start. I come here looking to discuss ways to help maintain my vehicle. Many others are here for the same reason. You have some odd obsession with trying to prove to the Toyota/Lexus world that these known problems don't exist. That adds nothing to the thread so I politely ask you to spam someone else's thread and ignore mine.

[mikey00]

Auto-RX looks like a good thing, but only for the company that is selling it. No Auto-RX for me.

Not sure that helped much. No reasons, no info, no ideas.

Sorry, but it really bugs me when folks are nay-sayers, but without any logical reason. Just to be negative, I guess.

OBVIOUSLY, if you do any research at all, you can only conclude that Auto-RX has really helped MANY folks with engine clean-up. That can not be refuted. I'm not saying it should be used by all RX300 owners or even ANY for thatmatter, but to ignore that it does do what it claims is just being closed minded in the face of all the evidence. If someone can logically say why it's a bad idea then have at it. LOGIC, not just 'Toyota GOOD, all else BAD" crap.

Many of you act like this is a magic potion or something. Chemical cleanup of fouled systems is done all the time in industry. So, someone has applied this to sludge in and engine - why is that so hard to believe? Likely has some chelating agents in it or something. It's no "miracle" fluid, just something that gets the crud flowing again so it can be filtered or drained with the oil. I'd expect if one looked around there are other such treatments that can help also. Not rocket science, so stop being so afraid of something you just didn't know about and/or understand.

Sorry, you are right. I should have provided a little more info than just being a naysayer. I don't take this product seriously, it's like gas mileage pills and JC Whitney fire injector plugs, and didn't want to take more time than quickly entering a on liner on the thread. But I will try to rectify that.

Even though it's only $20 a bottle, as you said, why would anyone risk putting this stuff in your engine? Spend your $20 on something without risk of doing harm. Lexus is already providing you with an 8 Year unlimited mileage warranty for sludge. If for some reason you suspect your RX was neglected causing sludge, pull a valve cover and check. Don't look for a miracle cure and make a scammer rich in the process. Consumer Reports in their 2006 Annual Auto Issue lists engine and transmission flushes under mechanic rip-offs.

[bciesq]

Sorry, you are right. I should have provided a little more info than just being a naysayer. I don't take this product seriously, it's like gas mileage pills and JC Whitney fire injector plugs, and didn't want to take more time than quickly entering a on liner on the thread. But I will try to rectify that.

Even though it's only $20 a bottle, as you said, why would anyone risk putting this stuff in your engine? Spend your $20 on something without risk of doing harm. Lexus is already providing you with an 8 Year unlimited mileage warranty for sludge. If for some reason you suspect your RX was neglected causing sludge, pull a valve cover and check. Don't look for a miracle cure and make a scammer rich in the process. Consumer Reports in their 2006 Annual Auto Issue lists engine and transmission flushes under mechanic rip-offs.

I really didn't want to be drug back into this thread, but lumping AutoRx into the same category as all the other snakeoil out there with a waive of the hand is irresponsible. I appreciate and encourage healthy skepticism, but if you want to responsibly criticize a product, then take some time to google for evidence to back up your position, otherwise you are just lowering the signal to noise ratio. If all you wanted to express was caution, then say so without the hyperbolic comparisons to gas mileage pills.

tmhtmh has done some research and I have provided some links on the first page of this thread for further reading at a very well respected oil analysis website. I won't speak for tmhtmh, but I've concluded that it's a good product based on both my research and my own personal use in a sludgy 1.8t Passat. If you have evidence to the contrary, then I'd like to hear it -- I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong and I'd certainly rather be proven wrong (even publicly), rather than to use a bad product on my cars or spread bad information.

While I'm on rant mode, let me also point out that it's irresponsible for others participating in this thread to diagnose the sludge situation in tmhtmh's car with the information that we have available. tmhtmh purchased the car used and is concerned about sludge. I don't blame him given the history of this model. Pointing out that a well maintained Corolla motor or even a well maintained RX300 motor did not have sludge is less than worthless, it's potentially misleading.

The best advice I've seen here has been from RXinNC who pointed out that tmhtmh should take advantage of a free sludge inspection from the dealership. See, that's good advice because it enlightens the discussion rather than clouding it (like I'm probably doing now -- the irony is not lost on me).

To recap, I don't know if tmhtmh should use AutoRx, but I will say that based on my research and experience it is a good, safe product and if anyone has information to the contrary, I'd love to hear it.

Rant mode off -- sorry for wasting bandwidth, I usually know better.

Ben

[tmhtmh]

Just one last thought on the topic and mikey's last post. I hope all here realize what a JOKE an 8 yr/70k engine sludge warranty is! If I was happy with 8 yrs. then I'd have purchased a yugo or ford escort. The reason to buy Toyota/Lexus is they had previously had TWENTY year engines in many cases! Most 8 yr old Toyotas run great and the owners expect many more years out of them.

I'm about 1 yr. from the 70k point and I just got this RX300! So I'm going to be satisfied with one year for any sludging to expoose itself and kill the engine, if it's going on? How stupid.

Certainly I will have the engine looked at. However, that doesn't rule out problems where they can'tbe seen. Why do you think so many have crapped out this engine? Carelessness? No, ONLY monarch still believes that Totota line.

The ignorance of the "snakeoil" posts, even after an invitation to reseach ita bit show laziness of thought. Google make information so redily available - go find some.

Can't wait for the 3 bottles of AUTO-RX to arrive. NC.RX, how should it TASTE for me to know it's OK???? j/k (previous thread reference)

[tmastres]

Heres a decent link to Toyota sludging info www.toyoland.com/sludge.html

[mikey00]

Just one last thought on the topic and mikey's last post. I hope all here realize what a JOKE an 8 yr/70k engine sludge warranty is! If I was happy with 8 yrs. then I'd have purchased a yugo or ford escort. The reason to buy Toyota/Lexus is they had previously had TWENTY year engines in many cases! Most 8 yr old Toyotas run great and the owners expect many more years out of them.

I'm about 1 yr. from the 70k point and I just got this RX300! So I'm going to be satisfied with one year for any sludging to expoose itself and kill the engine, if it's going on? How stupid.

Certainly I will have the engine looked at. However, that doesn't rule out problems where they can'tbe seen. Why do you think so many have crapped out this engine? Carelessness? No, ONLY monarch still believes that Totota line.

The ignorance of the "snakeoil" posts, even after an invitation to reseach ita bit show laziness of thought. Google make information so redily available - go find some.

Can't wait for the 3 bottles of AUTO-RX to arrive. NC.RX, how should it TASTE for me to know it's OK???? j/k (previous thread reference)

If you used Google yourself, you would find that it is an unlimited mileage warranty, not 70K.

[tmhtmh]

glad to see you AGAIN can't address the point of the discussion, mikey. Now YOU KNOW that you were very wrong about this engine problem and are embarrasing yourself trying to backpedal. Sorry, won't work.

If folks like mikey feel they can fool others in this forum about the DOCUMENTED issues with the RX300 engine sludge and tranny crap out then they are mistaken. It is becoming very obvious that MANY owners have either an engine blow out or tranny seizure before the 100k mark. THIS IS WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND EVEN TRANNY FLUID CHANGES, although the manual says you don't have to do them.

Many cars have problem inherent to the design flaws. As an owner, one has to do his best to avoid them once it is known. It's unfortunate for the many who learned from experiancing the engine sludge and tranny failure, but it's FORTUNATE for those of us who now know of these issues and can take action.

[RX in NC]

tmhtmh,

My guess is that a bottle of Auto-RX will taste very similar to ground-beef-and-pinto-bean-based homemade chili with a tomato puree base simmered in a 3-gallon cast-iron pot for approximately 4 hours with just a touch too much cumen and paprika for my palate. But again, that's just a guess. Once your additive arrives in the mail, be sure to taste-test it for yourself and report the results back here....

[bciesq]

tmhtmh,

My guess is that a bottle of Auto-RX will taste very similar to ground-beef-and-pinto-bean-based homemade chili with a tomato puree base simmered in a 3-gallon cast-iron pot for approximately 4 hours with just a touch too much cumen and paprika for my palate. But again, that's just a guess. Once your additive arrives in the mail, be sure to taste-test it for yourself and report the results back here....

That explains a lot -- even though I grew up in South Carolina, I lived in New Mexico long enough to develop a taste for spicy food.

I should have disclosed that up front. ;)

[mikey00]

glad to see you AGAIN can't address the point of the discussion, mikey. Now YOU KNOW that you were very wrong about this engine problem and are embarrasing yourself trying to backpedal. Sorry, won't work.

If folks like mikey feel they can fool others in this forum about the DOCUMENTED issues with the RX300 engine sludge and tranny crap out then they are mistaken. It is becoming very obvious that MANY owners have either an engine blow out or tranny seizure before the 100k mark. THIS IS WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND EVEN TRANNY FLUID CHANGES, although the manual says you don't have to do them.

Many cars have problem inherent to the design flaws. As an owner, one has to do his best to avoid them once it is known. It's unfortunate for the many who learned from experiancing the engine sludge and tranny failure, but it's FORTUNATE for those of us who now know of these issues and can take action.

Sorry again. Just pointing out that if you did the same research you are requesting me to do you would realize you have a unlimited mileage warranty not a 70k as you stated. But I guess you choose to ignore that. And I am not sure where your statement about me fooling others with engine sludge and tranny crap comes from. I was well aware of both of these problems and discussing them here long before you ever entered your first post on the forum. I change my oil every 5k with a semi-synthetic in hope of avoiding the sludge problem. I am on my second RX now and have 100k on this one without any hints of the problem yet. I bought both my RXs new, but if for any reason I felt they may have not been serviced regularly I would have pulled a valve cover to check for sludge. As far as the trans goes, I have stated many times that I do a drain and fill every 15K hoping that this is sufficient but feel that even with a weekly flush this trans will eventually fail due to design problems. Do a search here. You will see we have discussing this sludge and transmission situation for a long time and my position has not changed. So please don't accuse me of fooling others just because I don't share your opinion on AutoRx.

[tmhtmh]

mikey, then my apology for lumping you in with the "Toyota does no wrong" crowd. I misunderstood your reason for being an Auto-RX naysayer. You weren't saying "no problem exists" but more like "yeah, there may be a problem, but Auto-RX isn't the solution". My bad.

However, I will stick by my internet analysis of the validity of Auto-RX effectiveness on oil system cleanups. So many folks have used it successfully for older engines and some of the newer "sludge prone" ones. Almost 100% of those who reported their use were positive, from what I found. That was very surprising to me also, so I can see how many would be sceptical (as I was).

For tranny clean up, I haven't found the depth of evidence of successful use I would like. So I may not do the tranny cleanup right away. I might though, because I found no negative problems reported anywhere.

Good luck with your RX. I hope your good PM work does the trick for you. I personally don't like the odds in just that but many do.