Fuel Additives: Do you? If so, Recommendations?

Hey guys,

 

Just wondering how many people do this and if so which ones do you use and why? I want to keep my car in about as tip top shape as I can so just getting a general consensus.

None, if you buy good gas, drive the car for long distances you'll be fine.

 

If you only drive short distances and shut it off, you may want to use a name brand fuel injector cleaner.

 

That's based on my history and reading here for the past years.

 

Some of use with high mileage cars have never had a injector problem. IMO it seems people that only drive short distances have injector problems.

 

My 09 Spec B has 52,000 miles on it. It sits for weeks at a time. But when it's driven it's mostly highway miles and normally it's 10 to 12 miles at a time oneway. Or it goes to VT for the weekend.

 

My 05 wagon is my DD, my drive to work is 32 miles, mostly highway. Still has the OEM injectors, never touched them.

 

One other item of note, the wagon has been off the OEM map since 8000 miles, the Spec I bought used at 22,800 and it was on Cobb AP.

 

You don't want these cars on the OEM map. It's not good for the engine. If you can, get it off the stock map.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Max Capacity

Techron is a great product. Chevron adds it to their gas at the pump, but there's no Chevron where I live.

my grandfather is 90 and swears by marvel mystery oil in every car he has owned. I like seafoam on a regular basis, compliments spirited driving well.

Chevron sells a fuel system clear or there is the redline product. Both are the two best cleaners on the market.

 

I throw one in with every oil change. After 130K on the lady's beater I dropped in the redline. She asked me what I did to the car. It was running so smoothly.

Berryman B-12 Chem Tool available at AutoZone for about $4. I used to rep 17 different kinds of fuel additives (Pyroil, Pennzoil, STP, 3M, Gumout, ProGard, Gold Eagle, Marvel Mystery Oil, and a few more) including Chevron with Techron and the Berryman is far above any of the fuel system cleaners on the market today. Most of the cleaners on the market today are simply denatured Kerosene or #1 Fuel Oil (smell them if you want to see for yourself) and they do nothing to actually clean. They do lubricate but that's not exactly what you want as a first defense. If you use the Berryman and THEN put one of the others in as a follow up, then you're clean and lubricated.

 

Styrene is the by product of gasoline (which you see as varnish on carburetors and fuel injectors) and this is what fouls and makes things sticky. The Berryman products have the most solvent in their formulation that dissolves the varnish instantly when it touches it. Buy a can of this and find an old carburetor with a lot of varnish or even put a couple of tablespoons in your lawnmower or small engine and you'll immediately hear it run smoother and if you disassemble the carburetor, you'll see it clean and shiny inside.

 

I don't sell any of these anymore but I've been using the Berryman for quite a while in all of my vehicles and you'll notice better mileage, smoother acceleration, starts better, and runs quieter. I used to get as much of any of them I wanted for free for samples and I've tried just about every one of them.

 

By the way, the Techron contains about 20% of the same chemicals as the Berryman and it's absolutely better than the rest of them except for the Berryman.

 

Many owners love Techron, I've had great results from Ventil-Sauber fuel additive/cleaner and most of the Lubro-Moly family. Brought back plenty of fouling or sporadic injectors and cleaned some valve deposits. But more frequent oil changes and decent fuel quality are the most effective in terms of engine maintenance once clean.

I asked a tune shop once if they recommend any oil/fuel additives and they looked at me like I was the biggest moron that ever lived

my grandfather is 90 and swears by marvel mystery oil in every car he has owned. I like seafoam on a regular basis, compliments spirited driving well.

 

I Lost two engines while using this product. May be coindicent....amy not...but I think I'm starting to see a trend. Gonna Stay far away. I know a lot of mechanics recommend Techron, and Redline is supposed to be good, but all I've used on this GT is Gummout, not regularly though.

Do tell about the engines

Rotfl. Somewhere along the highway. Touché...exactly the the response I would give..

 

Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow, I fear no man because Faith is my arrow.

By the way, the Techron contains about 20% of the same chemicals as the Berryman and it's absolutely better than the rest of them except for the Berryman.

 

Which Techron? IIRC there are 2-3 versions you can buy. The Techron Concentrate is the one I've always been advised to get.

Just be sure you're not logging or tuning while you have some in your tank. Regardless of brand, it lowers your overall octane rating, and thus your resistance to knock.

 

The B-12 is great as mentioned, and for lubrication I use Klotz Uplon upper cylinder lubricant. Mostly just because I have it laying around as I use it as a lube for my methanol injection system anyway.

FP Plus and LC20 by LCDinc, great stuff although I've only ever used the FP Plus. Has to be ordered online I believe.

 

http://www.lcdinc.com/products_fuel_power.php

Edited October 28, 2013 by BoozeRS05

I Lost two engines while using this product. May be coindicent....amy not...but I think I'm starting to see a trend. Gonna Stay far away. I know a lot of mechanics recommend Techron, and Redline is supposed to be good, but all I've used on this GT is Gummout, not regularly though.

 

A friend of mine has a Ferrari F355 and Ferrari lists Marvel Mystery Oil in their owners manual to add 1 cup to every other tankful as fuel pump lubricant. He was so shocked when he read it he showed it to me. I've not heard much bad about Marvel-I used to rep this product too and it was always well received, but if you've had bad luck with it, then I'm going to listen to you and not use it.

 

Chris-The Berryman is a LOT stronger than any of the Chevron. I believe that you're referring to the black bottle Chevron? As I said, Chevron is far better than any of the others, but the Berryman beats any of the Chevron products easily in testing.

Any response from the OP ?

MMO has a following on BITOG so it must be good

 

I'm still wanting to find out specifics about two lost engines to MMO, as well as how injector cleaners reduce octane and which then induce knock ...

I'm still wanting to find out specifics about two lost engines to MMO, as well as how injector cleaners reduce octane and which then induce knock ...

 

It displaces gasoline, and if it's a solvent, then it has a lower knock resistance. I experienced this first hand while tuning my Z32 on the dyno. I dumped a bottle of Redline cleaner into the tank, and began doing baseline pulls. Knock knock knockin on heaven's door.

 

Drained tank, refilled with straight 93 (with 10% ethanol) and no knock, same baseline tune. Gas wasn't more than 2 weeks old.

I am not discounting your experience but I also have to consider that a Z32 has a, what, 17 gallon tank at the least, correct? I am assuming you used the correct dosage so a bottle of 15oz of Redline cleaner? So we are talking about 15oz of cleaner to 2,176oz of gas. That is a ratio of 0.69%. And you are saying that was enough to not only lower a full tank of 93 octane, but lower it enough to induce a non-trivial amount of knock.

 

LE: according to Redline's site, if I am interpreting their statement correct, the cleaner does not reduce octane, but in fact bumps it by 2 points, which means a tank of 93 with the additive in it would essentially become 93.2

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=80&pcid=12

Edited October 29, 2013 by fishbone

I was as surprised as you are. We were listening to the factory knock sensor on headphones through a J&S Safeguard box. Injectors were 5k miles old, fuel filter was new OEM etc etc. Long pole in the tent was the original, 21 year old fuel pump. But a simple switch of fuel is all it took to be sparkling clean on the headphones. Frankly I don't know why I added the cleaner in the first place.

 

I don't use any at all on my LGT since my injectors and pump are new.

MMO has a following on BITOG so it must be good

 

I'm still wanting to find out specifics about two lost engines to MMO, as well as how injector cleaners reduce octane and which then induce knock ...

 

Maybe coincidental. But basically had to replace an engine in my Ford Escort then in my WRX..like I said, other contributing factors May have been the cause. But can't afford to keep on experimenting to narrow results and come to definite deduction. So I'll play it safe and eliminate that variable and go with the hypothesis.

 

Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow, I fear no man because Faith is my arrow.