Redline SI-1 still one of the best?

[Artem]

I've used it for years because I like the manufacturer and their oils, which I notice do help my transmissions shift smoother, so I trust that their fuel system additive does work.

One bottle usually lasts me a good 3,000 miles of small maintenance doses every tank or two. I add a dash of it per fill up (1/6th bottle or so) just for the heck of it. I figure a bit more cleaning additives added into the mix of Premium Shell fuel should be enough to keep things clean.

"Italian Tune Ups" every day also help build up cylinder pressure and temps to burn off whatever carbon manages to stick on in my Econo motor.

 

[boxcartommie22]

absolutely!!!

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like Redline costs quite a bit more than it's competitors.

I'm lucky, here. My supplier gets me the Red Line for significantly cheaper than the regular Regane CT price. Of course, it's hard to beat the 50% off sales on the product the CT occasionally has, as you and I have discussed before.

Sometimes I use shock doses, every couple OCIs or so. Sometimes I switch to maintenance doses, particularly if I'm in the mood for using Husky's E-10. I'm usually using Top Tier stuff from Esso, Shell, or Petro-Canada, so I should hope I don't have a lot to worry about.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: Garak

I'm lucky, here. My supplier gets me the Red Line for significantly cheaper than the regular Regane CT price. Of course, it's hard to beat the 50% off sales on the product the CT occasionally has, as you and I have discussed before.


It's on sale right now for 40% off actually!

Quote:


Sometimes I use shock doses, every couple OCIs or so. Sometimes I switch to maintenance doses, particularly if I'm in the mood for using Husky's E-10. I'm usually using Top Tier stuff from Esso, Shell, or Petro-Canada, so I should hope I don't have a lot to worry about.

I have been putting in Costco and Canadian Tire gas in my Corvette a lot lately, as it's also ethanol free like Shell, and supposedly both stations get their supply from Shell but I'm sure they aren't the same nitrogen enriched formula though. But the price of premium at Shell has now gone up to 20 cents price per liter above the posted price, compared to 13 cents at CT and 12 cents at Costco (not to mention Costco's posted price is usually close to 10 cents a liter less than Shell also, for a very significant savings!)

So because of this, I'm sure my fuel system won't be quite as clean, but as long as I add the right fuel system cleaner every so often I'm sure I'll be fine.

 

[Garak]

Thanks for the update on the Regane. I forgot to check the online catalog this week. I'll probably get some.

Yep, if I'm ever concerned about the fuel at all, I don't mind doing maintenance doses of Red Line. I do like to switch stations once in a while. Here, most places charge significantly more for premium, as per your experience. I don't go to Costco, though I do benefit from them keeping prices honest. Costco, Canadian Tire, and Co-op, for that matter, are pretty much not feasible for me, given their rather "rural Saskatchewn" type business hours.

Here, most of the Petro-Canadas are twenty-four hours, as is the Husky truck stop, for obvious reasons. At least two examples each of Esso and Shell are open around the clock, too.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Yep, if I'm ever concerned about the fuel at all, I don't mind doing maintenance doses of Red Line. I do like to switch stations once in a while. Here, most places charge significantly more for premium, as per your experience. I don't go to Costco, though I do benefit from them keeping prices honest. Costco, Canadian Tire, and Co-op, for that matter, are pretty much not feasible for me, given their rather "rural Saskatchewn" type business hours.

Costco Gas hours are typically longer than the warehouse store hours. Around here it's open 6 AM to 9:30 PM weekdays. However, they close on any day when the warehouse is closed.

I looked it up, and the Costco Gas hours in SK about the same. Not 24 hours, but I know of neighborhood gas stations around here that close at 9 PM every night.

 

[Garak]

Ours is around that time, too, but 9:30 p.m. is still a little early for me. A fair number of Essos and Shells are open to 11:00 or midnight, with a small number twenty-four hours, but the Petro-Canadas sure like their twenty-four hour operation. I can only think of one in town here that isn't.

 

[mauric3]

Is the redline S1 still better than the Royal purple maxclean ??

 

[mauric3]

bump for answers

 

[Avery4]

I wonder the same thing

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: mauric3
Is the redline S1 still better than the Royal purple maxclean ??

Good question. I believe I can get the Red Line cheaper, but I'll have to check my RP supplier for prices on that product.

 

[mauric3]

Ya i think redline might be cheaper but in terms of cleaning abilities.. which one will be able to clean the fuel system better?

 

[Olas]

Originally Posted By: mauric3
Ya i think redline might be cheaper but in terms of cleaning abilities.. which one will be able to clean the fuel system better?



What are you trying to clean out of the fuel system? With plastic tanks and filler necks rust isn't a concern any more, and with a filter the injectors should be clean too. Gas is a strong solvent that dissolves goop anyways, IMO the only place a fuel cleaner/injector cleaner etc makes any difference is in the combustion chamber. (wet/dry manifolds and Pfi/gdi notwithstanding.l)

 

[Garak]

Which has more PEA or other active ingredients is something we're likely to not find out.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Which has more PEA or other active ingredients is something we're likely to not find out.

Sometimes I sense that some here equate amount of PEA with ability to clean the fuel system. Not everything is going to be as effective by weight. Heck - fuel additives aren't even the primary use of PEA. Most are used to make epoxy and adhesives.

 

[Garak]

Well, that's certainly true, but we often think as bang per buck, and we do know that Top Tier, for instance, requires "more" detergent. So, in this case, "more" is probably our most reasonable (or at least most tangible) definition of better, and we're not going to be able to find out very easily anyhow.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Well, that's certainly true, but we often think as bang per buck, and we do know that Top Tier, for instance, requires "more" detergent. So, in this case, "more" is probably our most reasonable (or at least most tangible) definition of better, and we're not going to be able to find out very easily anyhow.

However, the testing requirements include a performance test. The test involves a set amount of the additive, and an agreement that this will be the minimum amount of additive found at the pump.

There's nothing indicating that twice the concentration is twice as good. Or that half the concentration is half as good. I know the phrasing is that 2.5x (or whatever) the "minimum EPA required additive" meets Top Tier testing standards, but none of those standards really about concentration of additive, but efficacy. I could imagine one additive where a baseline of 1x meets the EPA minimum, but 3x is needed to pass the Top Tier tests. Or another one where a 1x baseline meets the EPA minimum, but 2x passes the Top Tier requirement.

I take allergy meds. There's one that's supposed to be a 24 hour pill with 10 mg of active ingredient. There's another one that's a 12 hour pill with 60 mg of a different active ingredient. I find the latter more effective, although it does seem like the former is more "concentrated". When some company is buying PEA from one of the big suppliers, what's to say they have little idea what they're doing and are getting something that's generally unsuitable as a detergent additive, but is still PEA? Weight certainly doesn't say much. Generations of consumers were conned into believing that "more is better" to the point where fillers were often added to products that did nothing other than add bulk. Is it more PEA or does it clean better?

 

[Garak]

Certainly, we do know that dosing isn't necessarily linear. More is better is certainly misleading, but we don't have a lot else to deal with in comparing fuel system cleaners. After all, there isn't a standard that these must meet, like A1/B1 is slightly different from A5/B5.

As for fillers, certainly all fuel system cleaners have them, at least as carriers. We simply will have little evidence as to which is better unless someone or some company decides to run some valid testing and release the data.

 

[mauric3]

Only thing i like with redline that is has a funnel type of bottle so its easier to pour it in the gas tank while the RP is just a regular bottle so it might be a bit messier if you are not careful in pouring...

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: mauric3
Only thing i like with redline that is has a funnel type of bottle so its easier to pour it in the gas tank while the RP is just a regular bottle so it might be a bit messier if you are not careful in pouring...


There's that small amount that remains in the sharp bend at the end of the neck. I know it's their signature bottle, but it's just weird. It's not much of a problem pouring oil where the bottle can be vertical, but I don't know of any fuel filler neck where that can be done.