Originally Posted By: Gabe
For some reason, people are under the impression that there is some magical elixir that can be dumped into the gas/oil that will improve performance, fix headgaskets, dissolve varnish, extend oil life, restore compression, prevent shudder, decrease emissions, prevent overheating, decrease wear, clean injectors, fix fuel sending units, prevent misfires, extend fuel pump life, reduce carbon build up, extends spark plug life, prevent sticking valves, eliminate chatter, reduce internal friction, eliminate gum build-up, improve cold flow, reduce oil consumption, strengthen hot oil, quiet noisy engines, fixes rear main seal leaks, repairs radiators, fills scratches on cylinder walls, balance shear stability, prevent blow-by, fix heater core, cushions worn bearings, prevents smoke, improves acceleration, cleans throttle bodies, removes water, increases oil pressure, stops corrosion, increases engine life or improve fuel economy.
Sorry; I'm not buying it.
My girlfriend's 4-year old son thinks that science is magic.
In reality, there are chemical additives that individually can accomplish most of the things you list above, at least to some degree. And if you've purchased motor oil or gasoline at any point in the past 75 years, you've already 'bought it', even if you don't know it.
There IS a lot of snake oil out there - but that doesn't make everything snake oil.