# Oil additives **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** lesabre, buick\ **Created:** [December 22, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062 "2010-12-22T22:11:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnmopi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@johnmopi](https://community.cartalk.com/u/johnmopi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/1 "2010-12-22T22:11:59Z")
I have two Buick Le Sabre’s, a '97 & '04. In both of their manuals it says “not to use an oil additive”. I was going to use Lucas Oil Stabilizer, but am leary of that after seeing it in the books. Does the additive eventually gum up an engine? ---
**Author:** ![jesmed1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jesmed1/32/2097_2.png) [@jesmed1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jesmed1)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/2 "2010-12-22T22:14:51Z")
Why were you going to add the stabilizer? ---
**Author:** ![johnmopi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@johnmopi](https://community.cartalk.com/u/johnmopi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/3 "2010-12-22T22:25:07Z")
I have seen a lot of advertisement for it, and some garages using it now with their oil changes now. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/4 "2010-12-22T22:25:25Z")
GOOD MOTOR OIL DOES NOT NEED STABILIZING. Even the cheapest department store oil of the right weight with today’s required rating is better than what GM specified when your cars were built. You don’t need or want to add anything. Some additives, like the heavy sticky stuff, will gum up or plug up your engine. Other additives will do little or nothing. Some, if added to high performance engines specifying top grade synthetic oils, will likely damage such engines. If you change oil regularly, see your manual, you do not need anything, and your engines, some of the best Amercican made, will last a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/5 "2010-12-22T22:27:24Z")
The owners’ manual specifies not to use an oil additive. It would be arrogant of me to believe I know more about your specific vehicles than the people that designed them. I don’t know anything about your vehicles. But I do know that in many of today’s vehicles the oil is being used almost as a hydraulic fluid to operate variable valvetrains. I’m assume that the designers of these vehicles know something about them that I don’t and suggest that you follow their recommendations. Don’t use any additives. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/6 "2010-12-22T22:32:42Z")
Save your money. Oil additives are worthless, and they often do more damage than good. Use the oil specified in the owner’s manual, and NOTHING else. Any garage using additives is doing it strictly as a profit generator. Your cars do not need any oil additives, and they never will. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/7 "2010-12-22T22:32:52Z")
Lucas will greatly increase the viscosity of the oil. If an engine is nearly worn out increasing the oil viscosity might add some usable miles to its life. If operating in extremely hot climates carrying heavy loads higher viscosity may be beneficial. For most conditions the proper viscosity/quality oil with no additives is hard to beat. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/8 "2010-12-22T23:14:41Z")
After many years servicing hundreds of fleet vehicles that each accumulated many hundreds of thousands of miles without engine failure using the oil recommended by the manufacturer I am personally convinced that there is little need for any additive. If resurrecting a vehicle from years of poor service and/or abuse some of the additives MAY be worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/9 "2010-12-22T23:36:27Z")
Beware the snake oil and their salesmen! But no really, I’m with Mountainbike on this one. I would have to think myself fairly arrogant to think that I know more than the manufacturer of my car about my car. Stick with good oil that’s recommended for your car and change it when it’s supposed to be changed, and keep it full. Don’t forget your other fluids as well. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-additives/59062/10 "2010-12-23T00:26:06Z")
You do not need any additives at all. The only time an additive might be acceptable would be if one suspected a problem such as a sticking lifter or valve lash adjuster that was tapping a bit. An additive can help a problem like that although there are far cheaper and better products than Lucas. Berryman B-12 is about as cheap and as good as it gets if it ever got to that point.