As a gift, I received 2 products from Motor Bond – Motor Silk engine oil additive and gasoline additive. Both are supposed to reduce wear to my engine, while increasing gas mileage and the life of my engine. Has anyone heard of these products and should I use them? The stuff sounds legit according to the information on their website, but I’m leary of putting stuff in my 97 Toyota 4-runner since it has 150k miles and runs great.
This post has been moved to the new Car Talk Discussion Area, by a Car Talk Lackey. The original poster is Telemon.
Have not heard of this product. But if you want a good additive consider Seafoam. it is a great cleaner in the fuel system or 2 ounces in oil and drive 20 miles and change oil … it is a great cleaner there too.9
I strongly suggest you throw those products away…in an ecologically sound manner. I wouldn’t put them in my car.
There is absolutely no need for oil or gasoline additives. Give them to someone else or dispose of them. Your engine made it to 150K miles without these products, and it will make it another 150K without them.
I would not use them in my car. Who knows what’s in them. At least the guy who talks about sea foam has used it and likes it.
The Car Doctor who has a radio show on wor710 in New York has talked about Motor Silk on his show. He has been very positive about it’s use. The best results he taked about was with their transmission additive.
I say use it.
Why would you pour something into a vehicle that has no problems? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Occasionally, some engines need some fuel additive to help remove carbon deposits, but anything that removes deposits also attacks seals, gaskets and o-rings and should only be used as needed, not for routine “maintenance.” If your vehicle runs fine and got to 150,000 miles, don’t change a thing!
If the Car Doctor says use it, then forget what the rest of us are telling you. obviously he is the ultimate authority. Do you think maybe (probably) he gets a cut?
Although most brand name gasolines already have detergents, using an additive in the gas can’t hurt. I do it about as often as I change my oil. I compare it to tooth care. Even though we have Flouride in the water, we still need to brush our teeth and visit the dentist.
Now oil additive is another story in my opinion. Modern oils are painstakingly formulated and since oil isn’t designed to be consumed by your engine, I don’t see a need to add more additives. If you are satisfied with your oil’s performance, leave it alone. If you are not satisfied, try using a better oil.
If you don’t know the purpose and chemicals in the additive, don’t use it. Anything that increases the dissolution of combustion chamber deposits can have a very damaging effect on fuel system components. Neoprene, rubber and any plastic seals, o-rings and gaskets are subject to deterioration from these solvents.
I don’t think the dentist analogy is appropriate. If you don’t brush your teeth, you get long term damage. If you never add fuel additives, there is no penalty. I run my engines in the 150-200,000 mile range and never a problem, and never an additive.
I’ve seen him on TV. He strikes me as a shill for products, inferior or not.
I worked in a transportation industry laboratory as a test engineer for the better part of thirty years. During that time, I tested many gadgets and additives that their vendors claimed would reduce fuel consumption, reduce friction, reduce wear, clean the engine, etc.
The vendors would provide test data and testimonials to support their claims. Invariably, the tests were so badly performed that the data were meaningless. A typical testimonial would read, “Every year, I drive my RV down to Florida for the winter. This year, I put in your product and got 10% better gas mileage.” No mention of whether the writer changed his driving style or rebuilt his worn out engine.
In all those years of rigorous testing, I never found anything that worked. Some actually could cause harm.
The best way to keep your Toyota running well and looking good for another 150k miles is to follow Toyota’s maintenance recommendations and promptly fix anything and everything that wears out or breaks. Wash it and vacuum it out regularly. If you don’t want to wax it and shampoo the interior yourself, pay a detail shop to do it for you.
Once you decide you no longer care about the vehicle, it will be OK to let maintenance slide. Put the money saved toward its replacement. However, you should understand that the day you gave up on it was the day you stopped maintaining it, not the day you finally dumped it.
The problem with Motor Silk is that it sounds too good to be true - just another snake oil. The truth is . . . it is “true.” This stuff was developed at none other than the Argonne National Laboratory, originally for NASA, by the Dept. of Energy, which went further to both patent it and to license it (quite unusual). IT IS NOT AN ADDITIVE in the normal sense - it in no way alters the characteristics of those fluids (engine oil, transmission fluid, fuel, grease) it is added to. Those fluids are simply the ‘vehicle’ that introduces Motor Silk’s hydrated boron molecules to the internal, working surfaces of an engine (or any other machine) to create a permanent, self-replenishing and near-diamond hard surface with a coefficient of friction of 0.01, the LOWEST EVER ACHIEVED! Motor Silk is environmentally friendly and biodegradeable and will not void any warranties. It can be introduced to any and all engines, old as well as new, and in my opinion is something everyone who is interested in making a dent in the waste of energy, world wide, should be paying attention to. I strongly suggest you google Motor Silk and/or evergreenamerica.com and take a good look at this innovative approach to lubrication.
Barnaby
Spam!
What does the gasoline additive claim to do? Is it a fuel system cleaner? Is it a fuel injector cleaner? I use these items for maintenance every once in a while. They are not likely to do any harm and might even make your car run a little better.
If the gasoline additive is an octane booster or any other type of additive that has no real value, dispose of it in an ecologically sound way.
In my opinion, oil additive is completely useless. Your oil already has all the additives that it needs and you change your oil often, right?
I second that!
Why add something to known good oil and known good fuel? Not needed and there is a slight possibility that one might cause a problem.
Hahahahaha WELL! if the “Car Doctor” has been “very positive” about it’s use on his radio show, then it MUST be great!! I mean, we all know radio hosts are extremely ethical people, and would never advocate something because they were being paid to do so!
Outstanding post Craig!!!