Fuel additives?

[bootymac]

I use Seafoam at every oil change for the fuel system. I pour a can in and then fill up with gas. I've been doing it for years and have had solid engine performance in every car I've done it in.

I might give this a try on an older vehicle. So you simply pour an entire can into the fuel and drive normally? No need to replace spark plugs or oil? Was there a smoke show with the Seafoam?

[bootymac]

And I agree that engine/gear oil additives are not a good idea. Better off using quality synthetic products in the first place. Radiator leak stuff should be avoided altogether but some coolant additives are good, such as Water Wetter.

Hence why this thread is about fuel additives only

[KuroNekko]

I use Seafoam at every oil change for the fuel system. I pour a can in and then fill up with gas. I've been doing it for years and have had solid engine performance in every car I've done it in.

I might give this a try on an older vehicle. So you simply pour an entire can into the fuel and drive normally? No need to replace spark plugs or oil? Was there a smoke show with the Seafoam?

Seafoam is a product that can be used 3 ways.
1) Add to fuel tank to mix with gasoline or diesel fuel.
2) Add to crankcase (engine oil) to mix with oil as a flush.
3) Add to intake. There are different ways to do this, but I've done the PCV valve method.

The intense smoking only occurs when Seafoam is used in Method #3. In fact, they now have Seafoam as a spray to make this process much easier than pouring liquid into the PCV system.

I use Seafoam at every OCI by means of Method #1 in my Kizashi. I simply pour in the entire can of Seafoam, fill up with gas, and drive normally.

I've used Seafoam before in all three methods, but that was in other cars with much higher mileage. I've only added to gas for the Kizashi.

Here's more info: http://seafoamsales.com/sea-foam-motor- ... ent-works/

[bmw&kizzyownr]

I've owned dozens & dozens of vehicles over the years. I've put over 200K and 300K on several of them. I've never experienced a major engine problem on any of these cars (maybe I've been lucky) and have NEVER used fuel additives.

I'm also a self-defined car nut/buff (maybe just in my own mind) who subscribes and has read almost every edition of Car & Driver, MotorTrend, Automobile, Road & Track, and Consumer Reports magazine over the past 10 years. And a ""majority"" of the articles I've read from these publication, regarding fuel additives, written by car mechanics say to NEVER put them in your vechicle as it's not needed and in almost all cases, will not lead to any tangible result. I think we all recognize theres a difference in the concepts of fuel system cleaners and increased engine performance/performance enhancers. Yes, they may be related and one may lead to the other. However, it is clear from my experience and from what I've read that these additives don't accomplish what they claim. In fact, today, all gasolines sold in the U.S. include detergents designed to keep fuel systems clean. (http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/ethanol ... hEKFK.dpuf )

I've also found 100's of videos/articles on the web that disprove the performance and cleaning aspects of fuel additives. Here are a sampling of both:

"Why Fuel Additives Won't Improve Performance and Gas Mileage"

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-effi ... veness.htm "5th Gear - Myth about fuel additives"

But here's one video about Seafoam you REALLY, REALLY, need to watch:



OK, I'll summarize. There are a lot of opinions out there about fuel additives. I grant you there are probably 1000s of videos/articles from auto mechanics that purport that fuel additives are the best thing for your fuel system and engine you can buy. HOWEVER, there are just as many (if not many, many more) experts that state the contrary. In my opinion (and just my opinion), they are a waste of $$$ and don't accomplish the stated objectives. However, if you still use them and believe they accomplish the stated outcome....GREAT! More power to you and I really hope they work for you, however...all the folks that blog in that state they don't...well I think they have science on their side and might also know a thing or two about engine and fuel system performance. Thanks & happy motoring, good dialogue!

[KuroNekko]

I've owned dozens & dozens of vehicles over the years. I've put over 200K and 300K on several of them. I've never experienced a major engine problem on any of these cars (maybe I've been lucky) and have NEVER used fuel additives.

I'm also a self-defined car nut/buff (maybe just in my own mind) who subscribes and has read almost every edition of Car & Driver, MotorTrend, Automobile, Road & Track, and Consumer Reports magazine over the past 10 years. And a ""majority"" of the articles I've read from these publication, regarding fuel additives, written by car mechanics say to NEVER put them in your vechicle as it's not needed and in almost all cases, will not lead to any tangible result. I think we all recognize theres a difference in the concepts of fuel system cleaners and increased engine performance/performance enhancers. Yes, they may be related and one may lead to the other. However, it is clear from my experience and from what I've read that these additives don't accomplish what they claim. In fact, today, all gasolines sold in the U.S. include detergents designed to keep fuel systems clean. (http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/ethanol ... hEKFK.dpuf )

I've also found 100's of videos/articles on the web that disprove the performance and cleaning aspects of fuel additives. Here are a sampling of both:

"Why Fuel Additives Won't Improve Performance and Gas Mileage"

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-effi ... veness.htm "5th Gear - Myth about fuel additives"

But here's one video about Seafoam you REALLY, REALLY, need to watch:



OK, I'll summarize. There are a lot of opinions out there about fuel additives. I grant you there are probably 1000s of videos/articles from auto mechanics that purport that fuel additives are the best thing for your fuel system and engine you can buy. HOWEVER, there are just as many (if not many, many more) experts that state the contrary. In my opinion (and just my opinion), they are a waste of $$$ and don't accomplish the stated objectives. However, if you still use them and believe they accomplish the stated outcome....GREAT! More power to you and I really hope they work for you, however...all the folks that blog in that state they don't...well I think they have science on their side and might also know a thing or two about engine and fuel system performance. Thanks & happy motoring, good dialogue!

That's odd because nearly all dealers (including Suzuki) push "a fuel system cleaner" at certain service intervals. My understanding is that it's a concentrated petroleum product much like Seafoam injected via a specialized device or machine that attaches to the engine.

Many, including honest mechanics, see this as a money-making scheme that essentially does the same thing as what additives like Seafoam do. However, if dealership cleaners had absolutely no effect, it would be lawsuit-ripe material for fraud. In essence, logic follows that these dealership cleaners work, however not differently enough to justify the 100s of dollars it costs over a $10 bottle of Seafoam or the like.

Don't get us wrong. No one is saying that additives to fuel are necessary. Most quality gasolines have detergents in them that work in a similar way. However, not all gasolines are created equal. In fact, it's hard to control for the quality of gasoline as a vehicle owner. However, you can control fuel system cleanliness with additives.

P.S. I'm at work so I can't watch all the videos, but that one "debunking" Seafoam with the lawn mower is about the most unscientific thing I've seen. I'll watch it again more carefully, but from what I saw, it's damn near worthless drivel in debunking anything given it focuses on engine smoke and not component cleanliness after treatment.

[bmw&kizzyownr]

Car dealerships, for ages, have pushed various products or services to their customers as a way of increasing revenue for their dealerships. Just like "changing engine oil every 3K extends the life of your engine". That may have been true at one time ...but almost ALL honest mechanics would tell you that's not the case now. Same goes for fuel additives! Most of these claims are bogus but cannot be proved in a court of law. Car companies have also gone along with many of these claims as a way of making their franchised dealerships viable/profitable as they need them to sell more of their vehicles. In fact, car magazines have also, ie. consumer reports articles on Isuzu Trooper tip overs, made radical claims to sell magazines. Although Isuzu proved Consumer Reports wrong in a court of law, it did nothing to help the brand.... and I would argue that the article had a lot to do with their exit from the US market.

I also disagree with your premise on the Seafoam video. Most of the claims in YouTube videos by backyard mechanics state the reason Seafoam works is because during combustion, Seafoam burns much of the carbon deposits in the engine and the smoke that comes out is a result of the cleaning of the engine. This can be caused by excessive wear/use in the engine or because of the poor quality (lack of detergent) of gasolines used. I think the video CORRECTLY debunks these myths and does it in the simplest way possible to indicate that Seafoam doesn't do what it's advertised to do. Enough said.

Lastly, I'm sorry but I didn't mean to hijack this thread as I believe it started as a way to share info on fuel additives that individual users thought were beneficial. However, I felt the need to second the opinion's of several users that stated these additives were useless or of limited benefit. Again, if you think they are useful.... more power to you and good luck with them. However, if you're attempting to state a fact to the forum that they indeed work or are needed....I think you're sorely mistaken and I believe the jury is still out on that 'stated fact'. As a huge fan of Clark Howard, I hate to see folks waste their money on products that are of limited use or of use in only 'very unique' situations. Thanks.

[bootymac]

Yes, it's true that most cleaners do not work. However, the cleaners that contain PEA have been proven to clean deposits in fuel injectors and intake valves. Naturally, the effectiveness will depend on how dirty those components are.

If you use top tier gasoline and higher grades with PEA as a detergent, then you are less likely to benefit from a fuel cleaner. I've noticed this on my car that uses Chevron 94, which already contains some PEA.

Regular gasoline (87 octane) contains minimal detergents. Whatever detergents are mandated are not effective at actual "cleaning" and leave residue behind. PEA removes all this build up with no residue.

Here's an SAE paper on it: http://papers.sae.org/831709/

Bootleg version with pages in the wrong order (even pages are shown first): https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca ... UM4vTSjGRQ

[bootymac]

And you can try it yourself for $5-12. The following cleaners contain similar amounts of PEA:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004361AF ... ot_redir=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00092893 ... ot_redir=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CPI5Z ... ot_redir=1

[WESHOOT2]

....or why I buy premium gas....

[krell]

Hey i had a 69 Olds F85 back then, on my from Ohio on I-80 radiator sprung a nasty leak dump half a can of black pepper powder in the radiator .. made it home to Brooklyn and never fix that radiator 4 years lata i sold the car with the black pepper radiator... additives sure does work.