Fuel System Cleaners - Why Wait Until Tank Is Nearly Empty To Use?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 10, 2003
Messages
2,569
Location
College Dorm...
Quick question...why do you have to wait until your fuel tank is nearly empty to add a fuel system cleaner?

[ July 26, 2004, 11:54 PM: Message edited by: Jelly ]
 
Ok, but wouldn't just driving around (as well as filling up tank when putting in cleaner) thoroughly mix it up?
 
I would think that normal driving around would do a very good job of mixing the cleaner with the fuel.

I rarely add fuel system cleaner on an empty tank, anyway.
 
I bet it mixes in just as thoroughly if you added only a few gallons of gas. After you've driven it a few minutes it'll mix around on it's own anyhow. I've often added cleaners after getting gas, if I've forgotten to bring the bottle with me to the gas station.
 
I think it partly has to do with the density etc of the cleaning agents, some don't mix well unless introduced at a time where they can get as low into the tanks as possible right from the start, and then get mixed as the fuel gets added, creating a better blending process with the cleaner.

Although most fuel cleaning agents do mix in with the fuel fairly easily, often they take a little extra effort to get fully mixed, and when just poured onto the top of fuel, they could just sit on top of the fuel for some time, before mixing or being absorbed properly.

Fuel itself is made up of many parts, and is blended to get everything to mix properly, part of the reason fuel can go "off" in time is because it's various parts start to separate.

I don't think just the act of driving mixes everything as well either, I have played with the principle of all this in the past, and noticed it takes a much more severe action to mix substances together than what can be created by just driving, and even more so in tanks that have baffles etc designed to dampen the movement of fuel, which can also act to slow the mixing of the fuel.

When I dose my cars I always try to make sure I put the cleaner in first, often at home, then fill up on my way out somewhere.
 
I add my cleaners to a very empty tank to get a concentrated dose going, for the beginning of cleaning.

I accelerate, brake and turn hard to mix then go fill the tank up and repeat.

Just dumping something in a tank and driving doesn't mix the add in real well....

I can tell you my method does work on reviving beaters LONG before I even heard of Amsoil. I used to make a Techron concentrate/Redline/OTHER mix by dumping ALL three in at once to a very empty tank. Never killed a car and often made it run WAY better.
 
Because simply one does not know exactly how much fuel is in the tank, except when it is full or empty. When the tank is near empty one just add the cleaner, up to XX gal. of gas and it is done. Instruction was written so most people could follow it.
 
Well, I waited until the tank was nearly empty tonight to refuel and added two bottles of fuel system cleaner.

We'll see how it does...
 
Baffles aside, I find it hard to believe that normal driving won't thoroughly mix the cleaner throughout the tank in several start and stop cycles and a couple turns.
 
My Jeep Grand Cherokee has a 23 gallon tank. I use Redline Fuel System Cleaner. The directions say one botle treats up to 20 gallons. Even if my tank is 1/2 tank full I pour the bottle in and fill the tank to full. That should do enough mixing.
 
Pablo wrote:
quote:

I accelerate, brake and turn hard to mix then go fill the tank up and repeat.

This would be a fair description of my regular driving style.
tongue.gif
 
lol.gif
lol.gif
lol.gif


And I thought I was the only one that drove that like on a regular basis.

Nice to see I have, well...., company.
dunno.gif
 
fwiw, my method is a double treatment (Berryman's) on 1/2 a tank for a 4x concentration. I drive away a 1/4 tank and add another 1/2 tank for about 1.5x concentration for the remainder.
 
If you have ridden in a car without much noise suppression around the tank, you can hear how much gas is moved around during regular driving.
 
I fill up on Fridays, and put the Neutra/FP Molabrew in after I get home. I don't carry the stuff around in the truck because Neutra smells pretty strong and I don't want to spill any in the truck.

And the way my truck bounces around, there is no mixing problem
grin.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top