Use of Auto RX

[match61]

I have a 1989 XJS V12 5.3 with 100,000 miles, and a 2002 XK 8 with 41,000 miles. Will Auto RX be benificial in either or both, seems to be various oppinions, Would appreciate any experience and advice.
Thanks, Maurice

[mike020150]

Hi Maurice, These days, decisions about oils additives are as much about personal preferences as hard evidence. Modern quality oils meet much higher standards than oils of say 25 years ago. As such, there are fewer benefits to be gained from using aftermarket cleaners and additives. Equally, fuel quality is higher which, coupled with more accurate combustion, means that there are fewer combustion contaminants reaching the oils of modern engines. On the other side of the coin, vehicle manufacturers take advantage of this situation by recommending longer and longer oil drain periods. If you change your cars' oils regularly, there is probably little to gain from using fuel and oil additives although there will always be a small risk that an aggressive additive not specifically tested on a particular engine type may have an adverse effect on seals. Looking back at Jaguar service bulletins, sometimes the company has recommended additives to overcome specific problems. In the mid nineties Jaguar recommended the use of an additive by Forte in AJ16 engines operated primarily on low speed short journeys. The objective was to remove valve deposits causing poor idle quality. However, in the UK at least, the introduction of low sulphur fuel should have cured that issue. Mike.

[match61]

Mike, Thank you for your reply, your advice and experience is truly appreciated, and helps to make a cosidered decision. Cheers, Maurice

[MarkyM]

Apologies as due to a laptop change I've been off the forum for some time.

I've used auto-rx in almost every car I've bought used in the last 10 years, the results have always been good.

Remember that magnatec is only a semi synthetic and before changing to Royal Purple 5w30 fully synth I auto-rx'd my engine.

My local specialist who had serviced the car before asked me if I'd had a new engine fitted to it when he took the covers off as he'd not seen an engine (not just off the production line) that looked as clean.

I agree with much that Mike has said but remember the oil and fuel filters on our cars use designs that are 20yrs old.

Since auto-rx'ing and switching to synthetic (but prior to my LPG conversion) I saw my economy rise sharply and have achieved 37.4 MPG on a 380 mile journey at an average speed of 66MPH. I don't think that any other XK8's out there could come close...so must have done something right (mines a 96 with a new engine in 2004).

I'm running

Purolator oil & fuel filters (purchased stateside)
apexi custom air intake
macleod X-pipe exhaust
Michelin pilot sports filled with nitrogen 32psi all around
iridium plugs

Regs

Mark

[match61]

Mark, Thanks for your interesting reply. Having a problem locating Auto RX in Canada, major auto supply stores never heard of it, will keep searching.
Maurice.