Fuel additive, YES or NO..??

[JohnnyO]

Many years ago my old Sport Trac at 60,000 miles suddenly developed a bad miss and CEL. I limped into the garage I used at the time, owner has retired, problem diagnosed as clogged injectors. They did the BG injector cleaning system and put a bottle of BG CF5 and BG Water Remover in the tank. Problem solved. He told me that the ethanol in the gas (here all regular gas is 10% ethanol) absorbs water which then boils off at the injector and causes deposits at the injector tip. He said I should use a good fuel system cleaner like Techron at every oil change. Up until then I never used a fuel injector cleaner but I drove that truck until 212,000 miles and never had another problem.

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[JohnnyO]

Over the last two years of this truck I have run many tests with different grades and -Eth, last tank by accident I put 89 with 10%eth and by the end of the tank I had lost 2mpg I went from 20 down to 17.5.... at first I was thinking did I just hit the winter changeover of the gas mix, but this tank I went back to 92 Non-Eth and I am back up to almost 20 again, if I idle a lot it goes down too, I lose 1 mile to empty for every 10 Min. of idle
I swear by Non-Eth, park the equipment over the winter and starts right up and runs no hassle
who the hells bright idea was it to put Corn in your tank anyway?

The government, of course.
And now the big corn producing states in the midwest are addicted to the subsidy money.

I usually run E15 88, it's the lowest cost of operation for me. I drive a lot.
If I can't get E15 then I run 89 but it's about 70 cents more. Ethanol-free here is $5 a gallon so even if the mpg is better it's going to cost more to use. I only used it once when I had my knee replaced last year and it was going to sit for a month in the garage. Seemed to run smoother but I didn't see a difference in mpg.

 

[Racket]

I usually run E15 88, it's the lowest cost of operation for me. I drive a lot.
If I can't get E15 then I run 89 but it's about 70 cents more. Ethanol-free here is $5 a gallon so even if the mpg is better it's going to cost more to use. Seemed to run smoother but I didn't see a difference in mpg.

Ive never run anything less than midgrade 89 or higher so I can't comment on 88. 88 is 15% ethanol - E30 is double the percentage of ethanol Ford says the truck can use but when I had access it was cheaper than midgrade and 94 octane. Highway mileage was close (just under) 10% premium 93 octane - which was virtually the same as 91 octane ethanol free.

The E30 in the Ecoboost was a real kick in the pants under boost and I drove enough that it didn't sit around sucking up moisture. I did empty the catch can frequently even in South Florida.

 

[mtsoxfan]

Bookmarked to pertinent section:

This is the second video from him on here that I've tried to watch. Both were unwatchable due to buffering. (I can watch other videos with no issues) Can someone give a synopsis of this?

 

[pismo1]

Dont mess with the oil,and fuel additives with PEA are ok.

 

[JohnnyO]

Ive never run anything less than midgrade 89 or higher so I can't comment on 88. 88 is 15% ethanol

Yeah, I run 89 if I can’t get E15. With 89 the mpg is better enough over 87 that it doesn’t cost more to use in the end. I burn a tank of gas ever 4-5 days so I save where I can.

 

[mtsoxfan]

E10 87 is $3.05
E10 89 is $3.49
E10 91 is $3.99
EO ? is $4.49

I've tried 91 for several tanks, and while i did notice some performance increase, it's not how I drive, so I do 87. I use truck as daily driver, and as a hauler when needed, which is about 20% of the time.

 

[ctechbob]

This is the second video from him on here that I've tried to watch. Both were unwatchable due to buffering. (I can watch other videos with no issues) Can someone give a synopsis of this?

What @pismo1 said.

No oil additives.

PEA fuel additives before an oil change to keep injectors tip top highly recommended, in conjunction with good fuel.

To add further.

Even with good fuel it is still recommended to run a cleaner. GDI's are super sensitive to anything even slightly clogging an injector and the result is that fuel dilution shoots up.

 

[Ranger Mel]

You don't need a fuel additive. Buy your gas from a Top Tier station and don't baby your vehicle....take it out on the highway once in a while and run it up to 120-130 for a couple of miles.
City & rural driving is like 'death by a thousand cuts' for a car.

I was going to mention this as well. The Motor Oil Geek on YouTube has a video explaining all that. Phillips, 76 and a few others are Top Tier and I guess do the same thing as Techron. I have a 76 just over a mile from my house and I went exclusively to their 91 octane when I first towed with the Ranger this summer. Seems to run better and the mileage improved a couple mpg anyway.

 

[subquark]

This is the second video from him on here that I've tried to watch. Both were unwatchable due to buffering. (I can watch other videos with no issues) Can someone give a synopsis of this?

From Gemini on this video:

This video discusses the effectiveness of motor oil and fuel additives, differentiating between beneficial fuel additives and potentially harmful motor oil additives. The host, a Certified Lubrication Specialist, conducts laboratory tests and presents real-world used oil analysis examples to support his conclusions.

Here's a breakdown of the video's key points:

• Introduction to Additives (0:00-1:11): The video begins by questioning whether additives are beneficial or just "snake oil." It highlights that, unlike motor oils, additives do not have to meet any API or OEM specifications.
• Testing Methodology (1:11-2:29): Nine different motor oil additives were blended with PAO base oil and sent for laboratory analysis to determine their chemical composition and effects.
• Chemical Russian Roulette (2:56-3:42): The host explains that motor oils are already complex mixtures, and adding more chemicals through additives can lead to unpredictable and potentially negative outcomes, likening it to "chemical Russian roulette."
• Fuel Additives (The Good) (9:37-11:54): The only additives recommended are fuel additives containing polyetheramine (PEA). These detergents effectively clean fuel injectors and combustion chamber deposits, which can otherwise lead to poor fuel atomization, increased fuel dilution, and accelerated engine wear.
• Motor Oil Additives (The Bad) (11:56-22:55):
  • Additive Competition (12:20-15:30): Adding certain motor oil additives can cause a conflict with the existing additive package in a fully formulated oil, leading to increased wear. An example is shown where residual factory oil competed with a new oil's additive package, initially increasing wear metals.
  • Thickeners and Dilution (16:20-20:55): Products like Lucas Oil Stabilizer are primarily thickeners with no beneficial additives. When added to a fully formulated oil like Mobil 1, they increase viscosity but dilute the oil's critical additive package (e.g., calcium, phosphorus, ZDDP). This dilution can drop phosphorus levels below API minimums and significantly shorten the oil's oxidation life, leading to more deposits.
  • Problematic Ingredients (17:18-18:14): Prolong, a chlorinated paraffin, is identified as a very problematic product due to its potential to become corrosive (hydrochloric acid) in certain engine environments.
  • Nano Additives (18:15-18:39): While some nano additives might reduce friction, they can also increase wear, as seen with Hot Shot Secret FR3 Nano additive.
• Motor Oil Additives (The Ugly) (21:17-23:01):
  • Rislone ZDDP: This additive increased the oil's acid number, potentially causing bearing wear and corrosion damage.
  • Oil Extreme: This product contains high levels of calcium and sodium (4,037 ppm calcium, 329 ppm sodium), which can cause low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) in direct injection engines, leading to severe engine damage.
• Real-World Examples of Damage (23:01-27:24): The video presents several used oil analysis reports showing increased engine wear (iron, copper, lead) when various motor oil additives were used, including:
  • Liqui Moly Cera Tec plus engine flush (23:51) causing high iron wear.
  • Hot Shot Secret FR3 Nano Technology (24:37) causing high copper wear and increased oxidation.
  • Rislone ZDDP (25:42) leading to drastically increased wear metals (iron, lead, tin, manganese) and reduced viscosity.
  • A blend of multiple oils and Lucas Oil Stabilizer (26:34) resulting in increased viscosity, diluted additives, and bearing wear (lead).

The video concludes by strongly advising against using motor oil additives, emphasizing that the science and real-world results clearly show they are often detrimental and can compromise engine life (26:29-27:24).

 

[JohnnyO]

From Gemini on this video:

This video discusses the effectiveness of motor oil and fuel additives, differentiating between beneficial fuel additives and potentially harmful motor oil additives. The host, a Certified Lubrication Specialist, conducts laboratory tests and presents real-world used oil analysis examples to support his conclusions.

Here's a breakdown of the video's key points:

• Introduction to Additives (0:00-1:11): The video begins by questioning whether additives are beneficial or just "snake oil." It highlights that, unlike motor oils, additives do not have to meet any API or OEM specifications.
• Testing Methodology (1:11-2:29): Nine different motor oil additives were blended with PAO base oil and sent for laboratory analysis to determine their chemical composition and effects.
• Chemical Russian Roulette (2:56-3:42): The host explains that motor oils are already complex mixtures, and adding more chemicals through additives can lead to unpredictable and potentially negative outcomes, likening it to "chemical Russian roulette."
• Fuel Additives (The Good) (9:37-11:54): The only additives recommended are fuel additives containing polyetheramine (PEA). These detergents effectively clean fuel injectors and combustion chamber deposits, which can otherwise lead to poor fuel atomization, increased fuel dilution, and accelerated engine wear.
• Motor Oil Additives (The Bad)(11:56-22:55):
  • Additive Competition (12:20-15:30): Adding certain motor oil additives can cause a conflict with the existing additive package in a fully formulated oil, leading to increased wear. An example is shown where residual factory oil competed with a new oil's additive package, initially increasing wear metals.
  • Thickeners and Dilution (16:20-20:55): Products like Lucas Oil Stabilizer are primarily thickeners with no beneficial additives. When added to a fully formulated oil like Mobil 1, they increase viscosity but dilute the oil's critical additive package (e.g., calcium, phosphorus, ZDDP). This dilution can drop phosphorus levels below API minimums and significantly shorten the oil's oxidation life, leading to more deposits.
  • Problematic Ingredients (17:18-18:14): Prolong, a chlorinated paraffin, is identified as a very problematic product due to its potential to become corrosive (hydrochloric acid) in certain engine environments.
  • Nano Additives (18:15-18:39): While some nano additives might reduce friction, they can also increase wear, as seen with Hot Shot Secret FR3 Nano additive.
• Motor Oil Additives (The Ugly)(21:17-23:01):
  • Rislone ZDDP: This additive increased the oil's acid number, potentially causing bearing wear and corrosion damage.
  • Oil Extreme: This product contains high levels of calcium and sodium (4,037 ppm calcium, 329 ppm sodium), which can cause low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) in direct injection engines, leading to severe engine damage.
• Real-World Examples of Damage(23:01-27:24): The video presents several used oil analysis reports showing increased engine wear (iron, copper, lead) when various motor oil additives were used, including:
  • Liqui Moly Cera Tec plus engine flush (23:51) causing high iron wear.
  • Hot Shot Secret FR3 Nano Technology (24:37) causing high copper wear and increased oxidation.
  • Rislone ZDDP (25:42) leading to drastically increased wear metals (iron, lead, tin, manganese) and reduced viscosity.
  • A blend of multiple oils and Lucas Oil Stabilizer (26:34) resulting in increased viscosity, diluted additives, and bearing wear (lead).

The video concludes by strongly advising against using motor oil additives, emphasizing that the science and real-world results clearly show they are often detrimental and can compromise engine life (26:29-27:24).

Two minivans ago, my wife's Town & Country developed a lifter tick that was getting louder. Apparently a common problem on Mopars, for us thanks to regular synthetic oil changes every 5k it didn't rear its ugly head until 165k. The shop I use told me to try Lucas to quiet it down as a short-term fix. It did work somewhat but luckily (?) it was totaled in a chain reaction crash before I spent any money on the motor. Luckily (!) this was during the Covid vehicle shortage and the insurance company paid us WAY more money than we would have got on a trade-in.

 

[scrubaducky]

You don't need a fuel additive. Buy your gas from a Top Tier station and don't baby your vehicle....take it out on the highway once in a while and run it up to 120-130 for a couple of miles.
City & rural driving is lilke 'death by a thousand cuts' for a car.

Are you seriously suggesting people drive at 120-130mph?

 

[Ranger Mel]

Are you seriously suggesting people drive at 120-130mph?

I think he meant 120-130kmh being in Canada. Otherwise, yes, that's a bit alarming!!

 

[Grandaccess]

Are you seriously suggesting people drive at 120-130mph?

I do, I make my friends ass pucker all the time, and right at 130 (MPH) tell them the tires are not rated for this LOL

 

[Canadian Ranger]

Are you seriously suggesting people drive at 120-130mph?

Not constantly lol. just a mile or two once in a while.
It's not a new concept, people have been 'cleaning the cobwebs' out of vehicles forever.

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