Do any additives actually work?

BillyHW · Oct 8, 2017

Do any fuel, oil, or other fluid additives actually work?

I figure most of them are snake oil, but my brother and cousin (who is an engineer), who both know much more about cars then I do, say that they occasionally use fuel injector cleaner (like Techron, Gumout etc.) in their gas tank as a preventative measure.

Do any of you use fuel injector cleaner, or is that snake oil too?

I heard that there are some additives that (supposedly) work for specific problems, like oil burning, or slipping gears.

So do any of you use anything in particular that actually works? I'm interested in knowing what is and isn't snake oil out there.

Thanks.

cherokeesteve · Oct 8, 2017

I use Lucas fuel injector cleaner and have seen slight gas mileage improvements after adding. I usually add at/shortly after each oil change.
I have also used Royal Purple’s Purple Ice coolant additive. When stuck in bumper to bumper traffic there is no difference in coolant temps with or without. Open highway driving I’ve noticed 4-6 degree lower temps. No help when slowly off roading. All depends on the type of driving you do, I guess.

wheels082 · Oct 8, 2017

I would not add any type of additive to the oil. I do think using a FI cleaner is a good idea though. I have not noticed the low priced cleaners do anything. I use this one periodically and think it helps.
https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...t/fuel-additives/gasoline/p-i-performance-improver-gasoline-additive/?zo=226468

demarpaint · Oct 8, 2017

It depends on what exactly you're trying to fix. In some instances there are products that work to clean an engine's internals, or clean up fuel injectors for example. You're also opening Pandora's Box asking. So I won't mention any products. LOL

agalloch07 · Oct 8, 2017

If you have a older jeep with a flat tappet cam you should be running some kind of ZDDP additive. You have to measure it out though and do the math to get zinc up higher but not to high. I have been running 2-3 ounces (depending on the Zinc already in the oil) of Lucas ZDDP per 6 quarts of motor oil since 2002.

https://www.thoughtco.com/debunking-the-motor-oil-additive-urban-legend-726162

demarpaint · Oct 8, 2017

agalloch07 said:
If you have a older jeep with a flat tappet cam you should be running some kind of ZDDP additive. You have to measure it out though and do the math to get zinc up higher but not to high. I have been running 2-3 ounces (depending on the Zinc already in the oil) of Lucas ZDDP per 6 quarts of motor oil since 2002.

https://www.thoughtco.com/debunking-the-motor-oil-additive-urban-legend-726162

That is a good point. I discussed that at length with a member of a well respected race team engine builder regarding an old 4.9L Ford van I own. He suggested a ZDDP additive even though the engine is well broken in. That contradicts what a lot of people say, and what's on the web. In this case I went with his recommendation and will have lab results early next year.

crazychile · Oct 9, 2017

I use Seafoam in fuel periodically. Including lawnmowers, 2 cycle mix. everything.

I also owned some Toyotas with a 6 cyl that was prone to sludging and every couple of years I would add a few ounces to oil about 100 miles prior to oil change. It cleaned stuff up nicely. I wouldn't do that to a newer Jeep though. At least not under warranty.

CaptPaul · Oct 9, 2017

I ran Lucas Fuel Treatment in my Jeep for a while, but didn't see any noticeable improvement in mileage or driveability. I did see a significant improvement in the mileage on another of my vehicles though. I also run it in my Roadrunner as it is a lead substitute as well.

SuperTJ · Oct 9, 2017

cherokeesteve said:
I use Lucas fuel injector cleaner and have seen slight gas mileage improvements after adding. I usually add at/shortly after each oil change.
I have also used Royal Purple’s Purple Ice coolant additive. When stuck in bumper to bumper traffic there is no difference in coolant temps with or without. Open highway driving I’ve noticed 4-6 degree lower temps. No help when slowly off roading. All depends on the type of driving you do, I guess.

I use Lucas FIC I don't see any fuel improvements but it seems to run better.

maxtor · Oct 10, 2017

I used to run fuel injector cleaner every 4th time I filled my tank, could notice a slight 'stutter' between the 4th and 5th tank if I didn't.

Not a fan of most additives though as I think they are mostly hype. Many of the oil additives are just thickeners and actually hurt mileage.

Hedgehog2JKU · Oct 11, 2017

i use bestline oil treatment at every oil change on my jk. it has a habit of making a knocking sound on cold start in the winter, and also has a bit of valve noise. i use the whole bottle and fill the rest with castrol edge. makes the engine run much quieter till the next oil change, so i can only guess that its lubricating a bit better than the oil alone.

OlYellerTJ · Oct 12, 2017

FWIW, I only use an additive in stored fuel. In a few 5 gal. jugs set aside for the generator, lawn mower, and snow blower. They are rotated into service, then refilled as used. They're mostly used for the lawn equip't, but with a couple extra in the mix for the generator when (rarely) needed.

I pour a bottle of fuel injector cleaner into every gas can before I fill them for storage. With this system, I haven't had to have a carburetor rebuilt in years. This was recommended to me by the shop that rebuilt the carb, and replaced the fuel lines on a new-ish snowblower stored in (spring/summer/fall) one year in the 1990s. [Edit: I forgot to include that I had been using Sta-bil, previously.]

Use FI cleaner in your gas cans/equip't, rotate/use the fuel regularly, briefly start/run stored equip't for a little while every few months; repeat. YMMV, and invariably will...

Old Dogger · Oct 13, 2017

^^^I use this every 5,000 miles.

My ATV sits at our cabin for about 6 months with non-use. I use stabil-aid fuel; treatment.

IcarusLSC · Oct 13, 2017

I don't tend to use additives now, but my 4.0 ticks loudly when cold which was quite annoying, so I've tried a bunch of oil additives and they all didn't do anything or only quieted it for a short time. I then tried Restore Engine Restorer and Lube, and it has been the only thing to quiet it down totally for a whole oil change fwiw...

I think most are hype, though I do use injector cleaner 3-4x a year, haven't seen a difference with that yet.
Tried Lucas in a different car and it did more harm then good (was the PS one they have.) Used Seafoam in a few cars too, not sure how much of a difference it made, but it did help smooth out the idle and clean up the TB and IAC on a Lincoln I had. Hate to admit it, but I used DuraLube in a Merc I had many years ago, blew the engine 4 days later, hmm :/ ...
I use Stabil in stored fuel (will have to try what OlYellerTJ mentioned.

)

Luckymac · Oct 13, 2017

agalloch07 repeats what I've recently read about ZDDP additive for flat tappet cams in motors with flat tappet cams like the one in my 4.2 YJ. I've not used it and my old heap seems to run OK.
Search ZDDP on this (and other) forums for more info.

I use Stabil in the gas cans that I keep around for yard equipment and in my generator that only gets used when the electricity goes out (3 or 4 times in the past few years).
I haven't used it in the 2 stroke fuel for my chain saw and with gas/oil mix that's probably a year old, it doesn't seem to make any difference.
I'd like to see some results by Consumers Digest (or some similar objective organization) about a heads up comparison of FI cleaner VS. Stabil to extend the useful life of stored gasoline.

I too, use fuel injector cleaner in my F-150 and my wifes Cadillac SRX when I do a twice yearly oil change. I don't know how much good it does, but for a few bucks, I don't think it can hurt.

I've used an engine flush at different times just before changing the oil in my old Jeep, and Seafoam at other times. I would get a lifter clack at startup when I first bought the Jeep in 2013, but since running the engine flush and Seafoam, I no longer get the clack.
Typically, I add the flush or Seafoam when I'm ready to do the oil/filter change, then run the engine at high idle (900RPM) for a half an hour, then do the oil/filter change.
I think the engine was possibly sludged up because the PO gave up on maintenance.

As an aside, IIRC, Harley Davidson used to recommend against using synthetic oil in H-D engines, saying that it was too slick and the roller bearings on the crank & connecting rods would slide, rather than turn (or spin) as designed.
Now they recommend that H-D owners use H-D synthetic.
I wonder what made them change their minds. Could it be that they now sell synthetic and didn't when they made their original recommendation?

I'd also like to see research by some objective organization on the benefits of oil thickeners like STP or Restore. My intuition is that they help, especially in older worn engines, but I have no proof.

Additives like radiator seal, transmission seal restorer, head gasket fix and the like probably do more harm than good (IMO).

Good Luck, L.M.

agalloch07 · Oct 14, 2017

I was just talking to a friend about transmissions and he was praising some kind of lucas transmission additive not sure which one. But years ago he bought a J10 that had been sitting in a barn for 20+ years it was a 258/TH400 quadrartrac. I helped him put a carbed 4.0 in it because the engine was shot and when we got it running the trans started slipping. He didn't have money at the time to rebuild it so he dumped some kind of lucas transmission additive and the trans started working again.

He said that it shifted well for a year after he put it in and it was the best additive he ever bought because it actually worked. I think it eventually started having problems with the quadratrac t-case chain jumping sprockets and he swapped an AX15 into it.

94Wranglerette · Oct 17, 2017

This has been debated for many years on many forums. Some say additives work, others say they are "all" snake oils.

That being said, I'm a firm believer in Seafoam and will use it until the day I die. Just dumped some in the Jeep to clean the injectors. I use it in every gas motor I own. I dump some in everything during winter layup. Always had no problem starting vehicles/equipment in spring. Would they start fine w/o it, maybe. But, if it aint broke don't fix it. I'll keep using.....

Even used a few ozs in the oil.

Does it really make a difference? Don't know. Never tore down an engine to find out.... But.........

Deuxlatch1 · Oct 17, 2017

94Wranglerette said:
This has been debated for many years on many forums. Some say additives work, others say they are "all" snake oils.

That being said, I'm a firm believer in Seafoam and will use it until the day I die. Just dumped some in the Jeep to clean the injectors. I use it in every gas motor I own. I dump some in everything during winter layup. Always had no problem starting vehicles/equipment in spring. Would they start fine w/o it, maybe. But, if it aint broke don't fix it. I'll keep using.....

Even used a few ozs in the oil.

Does it really make a difference? Don't know. Never tore down an engine to find out.... But.........

I swear by SeaFoam as well. Although most higher end gasolines have cleaning additives in them already, if you buy a used vehicle you never know what fuel they ran. In this case, a quick flush with SeaFoam will usually clean out the fuel system quicker than running good fuel from then on out. I use a can in the tank with every oil change for peace of mind.

FWIW, my old Chevy truck went through an overhaul at 500k mi and when the mechanic asked me when did I change out my injectors because they were so clean, I answered they were original. He said whatever I was doing to keep doing it.

Happy Joe · Oct 17, 2017

Do additives work? sometimes; kinda, IMO.
Should you use them? Probably mostly not, IMO
Do I use them? only on older more viscosity insensitive/old tech engines...
After looking at many injector cleaner MSDS sheets (seafoam was not a part of the search) I found that most seem to be in large part diesel fuel; so I don't buy them.
I do use ZDDP in the older non roller cam engines.
I do not use oils with seal softeners/swellers (so called "high mileage" oils) in engines unless the engine seals already/still leak after a year of high grade regular oil.
I found no improvement with synthetic oils... (your results may be different).
I found that gasoline typically lasts for more than 18 months without stabilizers (sealed containers).
Injected engines seem to start fine for me after not running for 3+ years, without additives (If the fuel smells like paint thinner; drain and replace it).

IF an engine rattles/knocks with the OEM recommended lubricant; I fix it, the exception being a Ford SOHC 4.0 which will be replaced next spring.

Enjoy!

walterblizzard1972 · Feb 13, 2022

Restore greatly improved blowby on my 05 liberty which was constantly fouling the plug on 1 cylinder, it also seems to have more power and get up and go. Did not do a compression check but it is noticeably better.

Do any additives actually work?

BillyHW

cherokeesteve

wheels082

demarpaint

agalloch07

demarpaint

crazychile

CaptPaul

SuperTJ

maxtor

Hedgehog2JKU

OlYellerTJ

Old Dogger

IcarusLSC

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Luckymac

agalloch07

94Wranglerette

Deuxlatch1

Happy Joe

walterblizzard1972

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