Originally Posted By: Vizzy
More words of wisdom.....
When you insist on using an additive in your fuel system at least use one that is accepted by the petrolium industry and car manufacturers as COMPLETELY safe for use...
That would be any PEA detergent based additive...but in order for it to really clean it needs to be at least 35% concentration or more.
Stay away from solvent based products.
While your advice is no doubt well intentioned, and would probably save at least a few from doing damage to engines that are perfectly fine otherwise, I otherwise disagree.
First, the petroleum industry would generally prefer we ran no additives, as they like to claim the minute amounts of extra detergents they put in their 91 octane gas is what's needed. When it does little to nothing because there's just not enough of it present. This is a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
The oil makers likewise would have us all believe their oils are all that's needed, and no additives are beneficial. Of course, if they implied otherwise then one might question the product, even the brand, and look to a different brand. Again, maintaining the status quo. Though this doesn't stop them from producing (or buying) their own additive brands and products, such as Slick 50 (just one example) which is owned now by (I believe) SOPUS. Slick 50 isn't the most reputable of additives and is considered by most to be nothing more than snake oil. So much for what big oil recommends.
And as many of us here already know, car makers may tell you not to use additives, yet they keep their own service departments well stocked with at least their own branded additives. Of course this way when you bring in your car to have something you could have done yourself, they ensure their product (more dealer and corporate profit) is used and maybe get to make a little more in "labour" for the time it took to pop the hood, unscrew the cap, and dump the additive in. Slight vested interest.
PEA cleaners are good and have their place. As do other products, including solvents. My current list of additives includes:
- tc-w3 (my usual upper cylinder lubricant)
- MMO (my occassional fuel additive and current oil additive)
- Regane (PEA fuel system cleaner I cycle every 3k or more, as needed).
- Lubro-Moly mos2 (another oil additive I just recently added).
MMO is (mainly) a solvent. Other than Regane, none of the others are PEA based (or necessarily cleaners; LM mos2 isn't, tc-w3 is more of a lubricant than cleaner). They all have their uses. Each was researched thoroughly, and in the case of none of these products did I rely on "words of wisdom", as such sage advice is all too often used by others to suggest such truisms like the oil I'm running, being Pennzoil, will fill my engine with wax. Etc.
-Spyder