Diesel additives to clean injectors. Snake oil?

[Momac]

A modern engine is covered in sensors and adjusts itself according to how well the fuel works. Your non sensored putt-putts, just perform to the best of their inability on whatever they are given.

Yes that's the reason
So there is no benefit in using the more expensive fuel in a modern petrol engine.

 

[fisherman]

The question in my head is - in the cases where a bottle of Wynns followed by a damned good thrashing solved a smoking problem, would just the damned good thrashing on its own have done the job? A roundabout way of wondering whether the additive actually did anything.

Nephew had MOT fail on a VW golf. Same emissions as the previous year, tighter regs. I told him put premium fuel from a non supermarket outlet in an empty tank and Italian decoke, which he did, passed.

 

[fisherman]

For sure the tankers all fill at the same place, but is it not true that cheaper outlets don't get the additives?
I used branded or premium petrol in the Volvo S70, for 4% extra cost got 7% extra miles, as far as I could tell.

 

[Refueler]

For sure the tankers all fill at the same place, but is it not true that cheaper outlets don't get the additives?
I used branded or premium petrol in the Volvo S70, for 4% extra cost got 7% extra miles, as far as I could tell.

Whenever I put a dose into an engine ... yes I do it occasionally .... I 'imagine' an improvement ... I put it down as human nature.

We either say its brilliant .. or its shite ! Rarely in-between or don't know ..

Additives can be added at Truck Gantrys .. I already mentioned that ... but most outlets are using same product.

Remember the rash of cars that had problems after fuel was 'contaminated' when an operator opened the wrong valves in a storage facility on the Thames ? Its not the fact of the additive being for a different fuel ... the matter illustrates that cars were affected regardless of which petrol station they used ... (we also know that some owners jumped on the 'wagon' to get their cars 'fixed' that were nothing to do with it .... ) ... but the fact was the contaminated fuel was found in different brand stations ....

 

[westernman]

Nephew had MOT fail on a VW golf. Same emissions as the previous year, tighter regs. I told him put premium fuel from a non supermarket outlet in an empty tank and Italian decoke, which he did, passed.

Probably the Italian decoke which had the effect.
I very much doubt that the premium fuel had any effect other than on the wallet.

 

[B27]

For sure the tankers all fill at the same place, but is it not true that cheaper outlets don't get the additives?
I used branded or premium petrol in the Volvo S70, for 4% extra cost got 7% extra miles, as far as I could tell.

Some years ago, I knew a bloke driving fuel tankers.
Sometimes the additives were added at the depot, sometimes when delivering at a station.
It depended on whether the delivery run was all to one chain of stations.

 

[fisherman]

Whenever I put a dose into an engine ... yes I do it occasionally .... I 'imagine' an improvement ... I put it down as human nature.

I logged the car computer over a long time. Round here, to and from the boat and fish market, towing a trailer a lot, 27mpg. Unlikely to be in any way accurate, of course, but consistently showed 29mpg on premium fuel.
Bro had a 1932 Bentley, (poor bugger couldn't afford a new car), he said he and his old car colleagues would never use supermarket fuel.

 

[jon and michie]

Back to the additives - wouldn't Redex do the job ?

 

[Refueler]

Back to the additives - wouldn't Redex do the job ?

Redex ? You mean the Upper Cylinder Lubricant ... or the later offshoots ??

UCL is no use at all for this thread of cleaning out an engine ..

Brings back memories of my Lambretta days ... 1/- of 2 stroke and a shot of Redex please !!

 

[Refueler]

Some years ago, I knew a bloke driving fuel tankers.
Sometimes the additives were added at the depot, sometimes when delivering at a station.
It depended on whether the delivery run was all to one chain of stations.

mmmmm he was a good bloke then if he added the add's when delivering ..

Road tankers are typically divided of into compartments and they can carry different grades .. up to 6 .. 8 different on the larger artics. The compartments designated to deliver to x or y etc.

One of the jobs we had when I was boss of BSI Inspectorate .... then later via my own company - was to monitor the deliverys to various brand stations.

 

[jon and michie]

Redex ? You mean the Upper Cylinder Lubricant ... or the later offshoots ??

UCL is no use at all for this thread of cleaning out an engine ..

Brings back memories of my Lambretta days ... 1/- of 2 stroke and a shot of Redex please !!

Taken from google ---

Will redex clean my diesel injectors?
During combustion, deposits build up on your fuel injectors and lead to an inefficient use of petrol. Redex Diesel System Cleaner stops this build up and cleans the injectors, for better engine health and performance. It also helps to lower emissions.

Redex System Cleaner

 

[Refueler]

Taken from google ---

Will redex clean my diesel injectors?
During combustion, deposits build up on your fuel injectors and lead to an inefficient use of petrol. Redex Diesel System Cleaner stops this build up and cleans the injectors, for better engine health and performance. It also helps to lower emissions.

Redex System Cleaner

That's not the Redex I remember ... UCL ....

I don't have much dealing with retail add's ... apart from some that I get hold off privately ...

If you want 5 tonnes of Lubricity Improver for Diesel - I have it here at home !! Its the additive that puts the lubrication back into low sulphur diesel ... the reduction of sulphur actually created a 'dry' diesel that needed add's to stop it destroying pumps...

 

[Stemar]

Having blended literally millions of tons of Gasoline and Gasoil for various international markets incl UK, EU, USQA and Africa .. I have not encountered any 'premium' additive ... it must be something that end supplier may be adding at truck loading gantrys ... similar to old days when guys were pouring in the Mileage Ingredient to Shell gasoline years ago ...

So snake oil, rather than anything that actually does any good.

 

[Poignard]

Back to the additives - wouldn't Redex do the job ?

That's what I add.

 

[Refueler]

So snake oil, rather than anything that actually does any good.

Who knows ?? Without a sample or full test results ... ????

 

[B27]

A chap on the Facebook group for my motorbike built his own injector cleaning rig and recirculated super BP extra £ petrol through some misbehaving injectors, along with whatever solvents were to hand, a couple of well known brands of injector cleaning additive were added. The injectors were from a 25 year old bike which had not been used for a few years.
One injector leaked slightly, another had a poor spray pattern and a slightly low flow rate.
It made very little difference.
Sending the injectors to the man, to be ultrasonic cleaned and tested didn't cost much more and actually worked.

 

[Aquaboy]

ATF.......If you have a basic diesel....dump a bottle into a tank of fresh fuel.....works wonders

 

[penberth3]

ATF.......If you have a basic diesel....dump a bottle into a tank of fresh fuel.....works wonders

Ah! Another variety of Snake Oil.

 

[jbweston]

I logged the car computer over a long time. Round here, to and from the boat and fish market, towing a trailer a lot, 27mpg. Unlikely to be in any way accurate, of course, but consistently showed 29mpg on premium fuel.
Bro had a 1932 Bentley, (poor bugger couldn't afford a new car), he said he and his old car colleagues would never use supermarket fuel.

Now for some thread drift . . .

I always use Tesco petrol in my 1922 Bentley (and in a 1980 classic sports car), unless I happen to need to fill up while out on the road. In which case anywhere will do.

I do use Tesco's 99 fuel not the standard octane, not because of the allegedly superior additives but because it's E5 rather than E10. Or at least it was the last time I looked. Ethanol isn't good news for old engines and fuel systems.

Maybe your friend and his colleagues don't use supermarket fuel for the same reason we Bentley owners don't drink Prosecco but only vintage Dom Perignon.

 

[The Q]

From the petrol point of view putting in E10, cleans much of the engine system including fuel pipes. The higher alcohol level dissolves / unsticks accumulated crap. That's why when E10 came out there were a lot of cars that had problems. Until they had a proper service and had all their filters changed.
Our own car suddenly went from 40mpg to 25mpg on the first tank of E10, a couple of weeks later and a service it was back up to 40mpg.

As for old cars like Bentleys, the reason they can't use E10, is it dissolved the old type rubber, pipes and gaskets only if they have hand the rubber components changed for more modern substances should you use E10..