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Maintenance & Repair Fuel and Oil Additives
1246 messages, Last post on Sep 28, 2009 at 7:37 AM
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I've been lurking in some gas talk forums and also speaking to an acquaintance who is a Volvo mechanic. Everyone seems to agree not to waste your money on any fuel additives. If you plan to sell your car, go ahead and use them, otherwise don't because it causes a lot of gumming up. It also makes no difference in cleaning out any gum or varnish that may accumulate...the same with carbon. Apparently, even Techron that you buy at Chevron in a bottle is not the same formulation as the Techron that is in the pumps. This info kinda sucks because my Mazda has had it's intake cleaned a few times already under warranty. I don't know why it keeps gumming up, except for the fact that I occasional have used some Redline fuel additive whenever I gassed up at cheaper (no name) stations that just so happen to have a higher sulfur content than those like Shell, Chevron, or Texaco. I was also told to stick Top Tier fuels and every once in a while add some premium with added detergents, but the latter in my car won't do anything because the PCM will adjust for the premium fuel, supposedly. |
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Replying to: isellhondas (Jul 01, 2008 2:23 pm) It act like a jack hammer. But if a person doesn't know what they are doing, they can bend a rod or valve in a hurry with water. Risilone has some pretty hefty solvents in it that are pretty good at eating away at carbon deposits. Generally, we don't see a lot of carbon problems on the newer vehicles, unless they have had problems with the emissions, PCV system or lack of maintenance. I've seen a lot of confusion about additives and actual cleaners. 3M makes a great injector cleaner, but it isn't something you just add to the fuel. You run it through the fuel lines. And GM makes a pretty good intake cleaner (GM Top Engine Cleaner), that is designed to clean the intake system. And it isn't just something you spray into the intake and drive away. |
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I'm hearing about an additive that was developed by NASA and is marketed as an engine treatment which can reduce repairs by 85% and increase gas mileage by up to 20%. It's called Motor Silk. It comes in a kit to treet the engine, transmission and fuel system. It is suposed to treat the metal and last for 100K miles. My local dealers service manager has never heard of it. Have you any knowledge of it, its performance or its honesty in the claims made?
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Replying to: dandyone (Jul 09, 2008 2:41 pm) "I looked into it (which you could have done, making me suspicious of your question), and it looks like it was originated by a former Nasa employee, not by Nasa. Hard to judge the honesty of claims, at least the discriptions weren't out in left field. No third-party test results were easily viewed, further raising my concern, but I don't know. I'd be surprised if any kind of treatment could increase mileage that much - of course, you said 'by up to 20%", which means from 0-20%. Gotta watch that 'up to'."
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Replying to: dandyone (Jul 09, 2008 2:41 pm) |
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Replying to: texases (Jul 09, 2008 3:00 pm) He closed the question. Wonder if he is on commission. 
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I posted the original inquiry in good faith that you people would give an honest opinion. Only one gave a straight answer and I really appreciate that, the rest of the posts were laced with smart ass sarcasum. And you wonder why I closed the question.
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Replying to: dandyone (Jul 11, 2008 7:43 pm) It's almost like someone sincerely asking if this pill will make you younger, that cookie will make you slimmer, or this liquid drink will make you smarter. When the claims are "lose 50 lbs in one week" that's not the same as more modestly claiming "you may lose 2 lbs a week if you follow up with exercise". One claim (the latter of course) is reasonable and bears investigation and could be supported by science, the other is pretty unbelievable and will attract scorn I'm afraid. The facts seem to be that these claims are not reproducible and the "testing laboratories" are either falsified or conducted in a way to distort real world conditions. It simply makes no sense that auto manufacturers would not have dumped a can of "Magic Motor Medicine" into each and every one of their cars, and achieve for $10 per car what they cannot yet achieve even if they had spent $1000 a car. Why spend hundreds of millions developing a hybrid car that gets 45 mpg when you could have dumped Slick 50 into your Corollas? |
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Replying to: dandyone (Jul 11, 2008 7:43 pm) |
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Replying to: dandyone (Jul 11, 2008 7:43 pm) Be specific when you say that. Who exactly posted sarcasm? I'll be honest, I read the replies and my own reply to you and the only people that would view that as sarcastic would be someone who has a vested interest in the product. Understand that many of us see tons of these so called miracle oils, additives or what ever. Usually the only one who benefits from these products is the people selling them. So yes, a lot of us are fairly jaded towards them. We watch people, time after time, waste their money on these "cure-all, do-all" products and then we are considered sarcastic when we post our views of them? Thanks, we so appreciate that. |
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