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Fuel and Oil Additives

1246 messages,  Last post on Sep 28, 2009 at 7:37 AM

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What is this discussion about? Fuel System, Engine, Fuel System, Oil, Diesel, Fuel Efficiency (MPG)

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#31 of 1246 Starting when by majorthomecho Aug 20, 2001 (12:00 pm)
I have a fairly new Echo which I purchased back in December and it now has about 12k miles on it. It currently doesn't have any loss of power problems or anything like that.   Is the time to start using fuel injector cleaners now when there are evidently no problems or do you wait until problems develop?   How often should you use fuel injector cleaners? Do these type of products have a "best used by" shelf life or are they good until the end of time?   I am looking at the concentrated fuel injector cleaner made by STP. It costs about five dollars per bottle normally, but I belong to a warehouse club and can get it in bulk (ie four bottles in a package) for about $2.50 a bottle.
#32 of 1246 majorthomecho by sdayalani Aug 20, 2001 (8:02 pm)
its a good idea to start using fuel injector cleaners before problems start surfacing.   i started using valvoline synpower in my '99 mazda protege at 10000km, but then later on switched to chevron complete fuel system cleaner (with techron concentrate) ...no particular reason for the switch, except that chevron is a more reputable brand and i know people who swear by it. whichever brand u end up using, just make sure u use it a tank prior to your oil change, as these things have a tendency to dilute the motor oil and deplete its additives. i just rec'd an email from chevron, confirming this fact.   on the flip side, many auto manufacturers categorically state that fuel additives should NOT be used as they are not necessary (gasoline in north america contain additives to keep the fuel system clean). moreover, if the fuel system cleaner contains methanol (i know PROLONG does), it could mess up your cars fuel system. so thats one thing you want to be careful about.   the reason i continue to use chevron is to insure against the odd bad tank of gas all of us get once in a while ...its much cheaper insurance compared to fuel injector repair bills.
#33 of 1246 Timing by majorthomecho Aug 21, 2001 (9:29 am)
I get my oil changed every 5k miles and I usually go 400 miles between fill ups so I guess I should add fuel injector cleaner when my odometer reads 14,600 and no later?
#34 of 1246 Timing by mrdetailer Aug 21, 2001 (10:59 am)
Yes, and make sure to run the tank almost to empty to get full benefits.   I'm in favor of the mechanic's decarbonization procedure every 15,000 miles as well.
#35 of 1246 STP? by majorthomecho Aug 21, 2001 (6:28 pm)
I was at the wholesale club picking up a cheesecake sampler and I looked at the fuel injector cleaner again because I wanted to hear people's opinions about this particular brand.   The fuel injector cleaner I am thinking about using is STP Super Concentrated Fuel Injector Cleaner. Normally it is about $5.00 a bottle. The Wholesale Club sells it in a four pack for less than $8.00.   Is this a good fuel injector cleaner? If I buy the four pack, will the last bottle still be good when I need to use it? I estimate that it might be about a year before I use the fourth bottle.
#36 of 1246 My experience by armtdm Aug 22, 2001 (4:36 am)
Well, on myxcompany cars I used to put in a bottle of Techron every 5000 miles or so. Don't know if it did any good or bad but never had a problem with it. Can no longer get at the Costco Wholesale place and I refuse to pay $5-6 a bottle now. On three cars I use Amsoil PI which is a concentrate fuel system cleaner, on my Toyota Camry I have used it at every tankful since 1000 miles (about an ounce at fill up) , now have 136,000 and so far no injector or fuel system problems. But who knows if it actually works.  It amazes me sometimes how people who do absolutely nothing to their cars, don't even know if the oil level is okay but have 150,000 miles on them and are running fine. Wish I knew if I was wasting money or not?
#37 of 1246 Gas additives are proven. by mrdetailer Aug 22, 2001 (9:13 am)
In fact they are mandated to be put into all gasoline by the Federal government. It will definitely not harm the engine if put in at the recommended intervals. It will clean some. The question is will it do enough. You should be fine since your vehicle is new and has fewer deposits to eliminate.
#38 of 1246 STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner by csandste Aug 26, 2001 (2:47 pm)
Major Thom-- Just bought an old Mercury Topaz for my youngest daughter. Checked out clean, however she immediately started complaining about surging. I drove it for about 40 miles and have only noticed a bit of problem, suspect it's mostly her driving technique. I have used Techron in the past but noticed that it said to put it in on an empty tank. I had just filled up. Found some STP complete fuel system cleaner at Wal-Mart for about the same price and that says to put it in a full tank. Think this is one click up in STP's hierarchy of crap to put in your fuel tank. Anyway, I'll see if it actually does some good. Have had pretty good results in the past with Techron and have used STP's low end stuff as insurance on other cars.   Had an old Nova which was gunked up terribly by my mother in law and nursed it back to running good by putting a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil in at every fill up. Not sure whether the Marvel actually did any good or I was just knocking the cob-webs out. She only drove about 300 miles a year. About the time I got the engine cleaned out the transmission went on me, so what do I know?
#39 of 1246 Full tank by armtdm Aug 29, 2001 (4:38 am)
I think what they mean is that you put the Techron in first and then fill the tank, that way the concentrate is disbursed around the tank and mixed with all fuel. I have always added before filling for this reason.
#40 of 1246 Techron before oil change? by rhmass Aug 29, 2001 (5:32 am)
I have been using Techron in all my three cars range from model 86 to 98) for a few years every 4000 miles or so. I did notice the cars appeared to run a bit more powerful with Techron in the tank. I have never experienced any adverse effect. However the service manager of my dealership told me they wouldn't recommend using the Techron in their newer model cars (BMW) and implied it might damage the engine. Now I read on this thread that it should be used prior to the oil changes as it might dilute the oil and compromise the additives already in the oil. I wonder if this fact might be the BMW service manager's point. Can someone with more technical expertise explain to me why something in the gasoline would ultimately get into the oil? I can't seem to find the connection here and of course, I am not a mechanically inclined person who just likes to learn a bit more on the subject. Thanks for any enlightenment on the subject.

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