I read on some BMW forums that one should change the engine oil immediately after using the Techron fuel treatment. It is claimed that some of the stuff that the fuel treatment is supposed to get rid of ends up in the oil. I was wondering about how true this is. Is it really necessary to change the oil after using the fuel treatment?
Oil change after using Techron fuel treatment?
- Thread starter uzun
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Not in my opinion. I’ve heard this rumor as well, that the stuff it cleans up gets in the oil. I don’t know how that would happen. It dissolves carbon deposits, which then get blown out the exhaust. I suppose some tiny amount of the solvent or carbon may get past the rings, but you get a tiny amount of blow-by all the time anyways. Your motor can handle the fuel and combustion by-products of blow by. Remember you have what, 15 ounces or so of Techron in a whole tank of gas. What percent of the gas gets into your engine via blow-by? Well, do the math and figure out how much of the 15 ounces of Techron gets in via blow by. We’re talking nanograms here. Even if it does get past the rings and into the oil, it will evaporate almost immediately. And your oil can handle the nanograms of carbon as well. That’s one of the things that oil does.
I don't think it matters. However, I usually do the treatment shortly before it is due for an oil change anyway.
A small amount of Techron Concentrate (TC)will "blow by" in some engines. Unless you use TC in every tankfull, the miniscule dilution it might cause is not an issue for any decent engine oil.
Tecron Concentrate is the original and patented polyetheramine (no I cannot spell) aftermarket additive. Chevron claims it is "unbeatable"---a pretty tough claim for an oil comany with skittish lawyers
. It works, safely, relax...
Tecron Concentrate is the original and patented polyetheramine (no I cannot spell) aftermarket additive. Chevron claims it is "unbeatable"---a pretty tough claim for an oil comany with skittish lawyers
Techron goes poof with it hits hot oil. A lot of particle counters can't go below 5 microns so you would be hard pressed to find a few bits of Techron in a pan full of oil. The engine can't tell the difference between particles that small and might even confuse them for engine oil. There are a lot of other little bits running around. A few more from Techron won't make any difference. Besides the exhaust valve will pass most of them before they even get a shot at going by the rings. I don't think you engine is going to tank over passing up this oil change to get rid of Techron fall out.
Unless you use 10 bottles or something, I'd be hard pressed to say it affects the oil that much. Otherwise, there is some effect that I've noticed with regular use of fuel system addatives ie. every tankfull of a gas tmt/fs cleaner. They make the oil behave differently on the dipstick...almost emusion-like in appearance rather than a smooth even coating on the dipstick. Not sure if this affects oil's performance though... However, I double a single bottle won't do anything to the oil....
If it worries you, change the oil out.
To quote Demolition Man for the second time on this board in less than a week. Enhance your calm. It shouldn’t do anything, but if you are worried, and worried enough to change the oil, do it. I don’t think that it is strong enough to get anything dangerous into the oil. IF you did a piston soak or vacuum suck, maybe, but diluted FI cleaners shouldn’t break anything off.
Terry has said before that Techron and FP do not skew UOA numbers. And since it doesn't, I tend to believe the oil is not affected. So it shouldn't matter when Techron is applied. Just my opinion.
However, I still use mine shortly before an oil change.
However, I still use mine shortly before an oil change.
I've used 20-ounces of Techron every six months in both of my vehicles for the past 20 years. Ten or so years ago, the label on the bottle warned against using more than two bottles between oil changes. Since I used only one between changes, no worries. The label no longer addresses that issue, so I now consider it a non-issue.
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