Long distant travel , what is best fuel additives

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In a few day, i will be travel long distant, I just wonder what is best fuels additives to use. Thanks
 
What makes you think that fuel additives are necessary?

Personally, I'm of the opinion that if the additives did everything that the manufacturers claimed, the gasoline manufacturers would be putting that stuff in their fuel. Same thing with oil additives.

If you're concerned about quality, perhaps stick to brand-name, quality fuel (e.g. Chevron, Shell, 76, etc.) rather than no-name vendors, but even that shouldn't make a huge difference -- all the fuel must meet certain government standards.
 
Well, you do not need stability, you just want a bit of cleaning (to assist time and temperature at keeping your engine clean), and some lubricity.

Id probably go maintenance dose of FP60, Lucas UCL, MMO or redline SI-1.
 
20 years ago, when fuel injection was becoming popular, the manufacturers put huge pressure on the refiners to add certain amounts of detergents to prevent injector failure - the threat of a published list of unacceptable gasolines caused compliance.

Oil formulations are mixed, remixed, rejiggered until any more or any less of anything does not result in any improvement without negative side effects.

Many engines last 300K+ miles with ease - indeed despite sometimes being corrupted by additives.

Incidentally the corrosive byproducts that occurred when
"Prolong" and "Motor Up" and a few others did cause considerable engine damage. Probably most BITOG members are aware that the Auto Manufacturers Association, API, and ILSAC all joined forces, and took the necessary legal action to have these damaging additives removed from the market.

Run the recommended oil grade, the recommended fuel and leave the experiments on the gimmick shelf in the store.
 
I disagree with fsskier.

This is about fuel system cleanliness not internal engine lubrication related issues.

Dirty fuel injectors are fact of life unless you are dealing with top tier and honest additive blenders.

Yes these products are useful and argue for there use as part of any car maintenance schedule. This is certaily much cheaper and only marginally less effective than expensive fuel rail dealer level fuel injection services. The use of the first 2 products in maintaining fuel injector, intake valve, and combustion chamber cleanliness is well known. This is one of the few additive dependent forms of maintaining the holy grail of FUEL ECONOMY. The others are well respected. Please look up PEA for your own independent verification. * = arguably aggressive products.

1. Chevron Techron Additive
2. Formula Shell Additive
3. Gumout with Regane
4. Redline S1
5. BG44k (old formulation)

"BITOG Respected"

1. Berrymans B12 Chemtool*
2. Seafoam*
3. Amsoil Additive

"BITOG Controversial"

1. Marvel Mystery Oil (aka MMO)
 
A long road trip is the perfect opportunity to use some fuel injector cleaner. I could be wrong but I think the stuff works best on a long run. Some brands of injector cleaner are useless junk but some do help, I like Redline but there are other good ones as well.

IMO anything besides fuel injector cleaner is a waste of money as far as fuel additives go.
 
And keep in mind that those certain gov't standards are the "minimum".

Few do more than that.
 
On a long trip run a bottle of Red Line S1 cleaner, or Techron. It will clean up the injectors a lot faster and better than a week of stop and go typical commuter driving. I've seen fuel tankers in my area pull into tier 1 stations, [no name on the side of the truck or tank] then drive a mile or so down the road and drop fuel ata no name station. I doubt the no name station is buying tier 1 fuel. Deposits build up on injectors, and a FI cleaner is a good idea, at least once or twice a year. IMO.
 
"I disagree with fsskier."

Actually, we do not disagree!! Techron was recommended by GM in the beginning in both service bulletins and in printed publications, when injector clogging was suspected. This was, of course before the upgrades to gasoline detergent levels.

This takes Techron out of the "mouse milk" additive category and into something that may be used (once a year perhaps) as part of your maintenance program. Any others using the same chemicals should also be ok.

I would not recommend putting it in for every road trip though.

Incidentally, my TBI injector on the 3.1 litre APV is easily visible and still works well after 275 k miles - and I have never added anything to the gas. This is in no way to say that some vehicles might not have buildup - our Audi did - but it was a 76 and ran 10 years of the pre-injector detergent gasolines. And yes, it did clean up, only running the new stuff, and two bottles of Techron!!

OK, the Audi story: At high miles, it began to start on 3 cylinders and run on 3 until partly warmed up, then picked up the 4th. The dealer said "yup, we see it all the time" the injectors get buildup on them and the gas just dribbles in. As the engine warms up it vaporizes well and starts running ok. Their recommended repairs - new injectors - was quite high priced, and by then the Audi had become my daughters college car.

Its about a mile to the interstate from our house, the 4th cylinder was kicking in about the time she got onto the interstate - the problem had gotten worse for the last year.
Added the Techron, and the "kick in point" started moving about 200 feet closer to home every morning, after one tank of gas it would work within a block of our house.
By the end of the second tank- and second bottle of Techron- it would start on all 4 right from the beginning. The problem never returned - although we never added more Techron, the oil companies were rapidly upgrading their gasolines.

Suprisingly, the gas mileage did not go down much during the fail mode, apparently the dribbled but vaporized gas was burning well - after the first mile each day, of course.
Likewise the power was a constant also when running on all four.

Sorry to make such a long post, but to make "an anecdote" have any sort of evidence takes details. And of course my first post was general advice against adding unknown chemicals to your car. I still would not recommend any for regular use.
 
A good cleaner like Techron once or twice a year in an otherwise healthy engine is good.
For day to day use, many use MMO or 2 stroke oil [TCW3 - the outboard water cooled version of 2 stroke oil].
These are cheap to use. But why use them at all?
Well, extra lubrication is #1. We have fuel pumps that are bathed in alcohol fuels, which don't lubricate well. The injectors, valve stem/guides get extra lube, as do the cylinders. Also there is a bit of extra sealing at the valve seat and possibly the rings.
Also, MMO will help clean and keep things clean. 2 stroke oil is a better lube, but is not really any type of cleaner.
 
Just back from 600 miles trip, I ad TC3 2.5oz to 13 gallon, car run and drive great, very smooth on highway. whole trip only cost over little closer to 70 dollar gas.
 
2-Cycle oil in the gas at 500:1 before and after some FI cleaner. Regane is good and cheap. Look for a 2:1 sale on techron, put one in a half-tank and run it to 1/4, add the other Techron with another half-tank and run that low.
 
I try to run premium fuel on long trips. Mileage increases (at least in my Avalon) vs. regular fuel for long trips. May address the additive issue.
 
I use Lucas and Techron. A friend of mine uses Redline in his 83 Camaro SS for years and he had a mechanic tell him its the cleanest engine he has ever seen. He asked if he had rebuilt the engine. Must be good stuff too.
 
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