HarrierAWD

Assuming it's just the oil gelling (not sludge,) the $25 Auto-RX might clean it over the long haul after several bottles, though one Auto-RX user's photo showed some small debris that may clog up oil passages and stuck piston rings.

IMHO Berryman's Chemtool B12 would do a better job. It worked wonder on my last car with just one $3 bottle, after all else failed.

pk3

Hi all,

Been away for a spell. Looking for some resolution again. It appears I should:

1)get the dealer to check for sludge (for free I presume)

2)Determine if it is gel or sludge? How exactly. On the dipstick it appears to be nothing but oil. However I scratched at the area in the engine right under the oil filler cap and to my surprise, I could scrape away a fairly thick layer of crud (1/16” maybe). I wouldn't really call it sludge or gel.

3)Try to fannagle my dealer to “do the right thing” (kinda doubt this with my local).Any one know what exactly they do?

4)Use either Auto RX or Chemtool B12? Given my slight elaboration does this still hold?

Any comments are welcome.

Regards, PK

rx300s415

The stuff under your oil filler cap is normal, I think most of us have it here. I forget the explanation for the crud on it, but I have it myself and my engine is rather healthy at 133,xxx miles. I'm actually on my rinse phase with Auto-Rx (I did it just to be the first of my friends to give it a try to see if it does anything for us). I've heard several success stories, but since I have been using synthetic oil since 60,000 miles or so I guess the AutoRX barely found/did anything. Give AutoRX a try...$25 is pretty good for something that can't do much harm (that is, if it doesnt clog up oil passages and what not). Hope everything works out. Don't let the same thing happen to your transmission, change the tranny fluid often (15,000 miles) too!

BurnishedGoldRX

If your engine is sludged, it would be difficult for any treatment to solve it:

rx300s415

yummy chocolate syrup!

salimshah

One needs to consider the damage caused by sludge build up. Removing the sludge after you have had damage due to reduced lubrication may be of little good. At that point, you need an engine over-haul or get a rebuilt engine put in. Dont throw good money after bad by resorting to engine treatments.

Salim

pk3

Thanks all,

Holy cow! thats for real...normal maintenance & normal milage? I can see your point, hard to imagine and additive that could dissolve that away. But, a $25 ( sludge treatment) in the face of a $4-5000 engine isn't a big gamble. Is there an easier way to gage the mess short off pulling valve/cam covers I wonder? to monitor whether an additive is doing anything.

Heres what I don't get: Sure that looks ugly as sin but, all moving parts are clean as you would expect though (sort of, a rolling stone gathers no moss), and the only pathway for oil get into the cylinders to burn are also in constant motion (valve guides, piston and rings) to the tune of about 2,500 times per minute.

The only thing I can see is some oil gully's getting plugged and starving something related to the combustion chamber for oil, thus causing it to wear abnormally for lack of lubrication, like pistons/rings or valve guides.

So I'd think if your burning any oil at all, even if you caught it early, your motor is worn and probably needs more than a de-sludging.

Anyway, just musing

Regards, PK

pk3

Well then I won't consider that an indicator of anything,

I don't think I have much to loose at this point. I'm going to try to get my dealer to diagnose the sludge for free. Then see if I can't get them to fix it (though out of the 8yr. 3 month warranty, theres an application for remediation in the settlement mentioned above).

If that fails I may just do the AutoRx...maybe twice and drive it. It runs fine, passes bi-annual smog. The only drag is the poof of smoke once and awhile and the qt. of oil about once every couple monthsl.

Ha Ha, that blew out at 70k I guess it's about ready for a fluid change then.

Thanks for the input,

PK

carguy07

Sludge hell: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/sludg...ng_sludge.html

pk3

THANKS for the great link,

That tells me everything I wanted to know, explains it all. It sounds like my engine may not be shot, but for the work involved it might as well be... friggn' remarble.

Regards, PK

BurnishedGoldRX

Two more pictures. The first one shows the area of the engine where the drain hole is. I read that the hole was enlarged in later-year engines, but if the oil has to travel over all the sludge, you can see how the problem just compounds itself. The second is what a clean engine should look like.

pk3

Thanks (again?)

Do you by any chance have any way to “Photoshop” (or other image software) that pic to point out the plugged hole? I have a funny feeling my Lexus dealer isn't going to do me any favors.

I looked at the Auto-rx site There were a before and after pictures. The before picture looked downright clean...I should be so lucky based on these pics.

Funny thing, the drains holes being the problem, the only other car I've owned that could be such a disaster at such a young age was a BMW 6cyl. The water paths (holes) through the head were to close to the combustion chamber. Over heat it once and you cracked the head.

Regards, PK

unir2b1

Thanks to all on this forum for the advice. I do NOT have any signs of sludge in my '99 RX300 w 97k miles, but only recently learned that this model is prone to sludge problems. What is the best prevention? Synthetic? If so, what brand? Should I add AutoRX before symptoms occur? Should the engine be flushed before switching to synthetic?
Thanks again,
-Dave

Lexmex

Dave,

What type of oil have you been using?

Ron

unir2b1

Ron,
My last service was in August at a Penzoil Shop, they recommended an oil for high mileage SUV's...they used a 5W30. The receipt says "QTPZ530SUV."
-Dave