Is there any solid scientific proof that fuel injector cleaners and oil treatment additives really work? by the same token, is there any proof that they are harmful?
2007-03-10 14:17:29 · 7 answers · asked by Albert 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It all depends on who is paying for the "solid scientific" proof.
In general, they are nothing more than 21st centure snake oil or miracle cures.
Are they harmful? Who knows? Depends on what system you're talking about and how you used it. Most fuel injector cleaners contain some small amout of various non-descript solvents that might just disolve some crud or gum out of the fuel injectors, but who really knows?
More often than not, additives are used as a last ditch effort to cure a problem that the owner can't figure out. It aint' easy.
As far as I'm concerned, oil treatments are a complete waste of money. Compared to 20 or 30 years ago, motor oils are so good today that adding anything to the brew will only result in 2 things for sure. You have less money, and the company you bought it from has more. Don't fall for the marketing hype.
Honestly, save your money. Change your oil per the owners manual and use a quality brand name (other than Fram) oil filter. It's cheap and no harm will come from following that simple advice. Don't fuss over what brand either. If they meet the API standards and it's on sale, buy it. I myself shy away from store brands and stick with the recognizable names like Valvoline, Kendall, Quaker State, Penzoil, etc... I run Mobil 1 15W-50 in my EFI EVO harley and have had no problems.
Save your $$ and be happy.
2007-03-10 14:39:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have used both in the past with varied results. The oil additive I have used is slick 50. The engine struggled to start for the rest of the life of the car, I did not like that. I also used an oil additive in my truck added by a local oil shop, same problem, remedied by changing the oil again without additive. That said, I have had good luck using STP oil treatment to seal very small leaks and eliminate smoking of engine on start up. Fuel injector cleaners are the same story, great on cleaning the emissions out of exhaust but I also experienced a clogged fuel injector immediately after adding it, which produced a very costly repair. Long story short it would be fun to run a beater with no oil like in those Duralube commercials, but for any car I care about I only trust STP. Sorry no scientific evidence, but what I have seen. hope this helps.
2007-03-10 15:49:55 · answer #2 · answered by Hilary P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fuel injector cleaners are a way to line someone else's pockets. Any fuel sold in the US is required to have cleaning additives in it already, so anything above that is a waste.
In fact, some manufacturers recommend AGAINST having fuel injection services done as it can cause damage to emissions system parts, such as the catalytic convertor, causing them to fail prematurely.
Oil treatment additives from what I've seen don't really do much. The ones that are supposed to make a vehicle stop smoking or whatever never seem to work like they say they do. Nothing can magically make a worn out part new again, no matter what the manufacturer claims.
2007-03-10 15:33:18 · answer #3 · answered by Mark B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the answer is two fold. yes there are additives that work great!
But be carful with what you use and the application.
some of the older fuel injected GM cars and trucks the injectors are known to go bad when using some types of fuel injector cleaners and have been known to ruin the coating on the injectors.gas causes a varnish inside the injector causing it not to have the correct spray paterns causing them not to work properly.therefore injector cleaners work well.
oil treatment are also two fold .
depending on the milage some oil treatment work very well
I dont like anything that has teflon in it , i like oil stabilizers
the reason is the teflon can cause the oil system to clog up in some cases .that is why i like oil stabilizers that help keep the viscosity of the oil ( lubracation factor , thickness) like it is supose to be .
2007-03-10 16:01:08 · answer #4 · answered by joewyble 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is vital to know the specific cleaner that is most suitable for your fuel injector and kind of car. The injector cleaner will run along dissolved in the fuel through the system ridding it of any dirt, debris and carbon buildup. Pour in types of gasoline type fuel injector cleaners are to be poured directly into the fuel tank. It is advisable to pour in the injector cleaner before filling up to prevent the injector cleaner from sticking on top of fuel tank.
2015-07-10 14:33:50 · answer #5 · answered by Chaitu 2 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Most of them work, but not well. If you are looking for one that does work well...go to NAPA and get their 2 can fuel injector cleaner. Put 1 in and 5000 miles later put in the other can. It works Great.
2016-03-28 23:43:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they worked, I think auto makers would have them listed in the maintenance schedule.
2007-03-10 15:01:05 · answer #7 · answered by gejandsons 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋