Hi everyone.
I drove my old car into the ground before buying a new one. I had forgotten how it is to be obsessed with a new car.
I have read all kinds of things good and bad about additives, and don’t know who to believe. Big oil companies sponser most info out there, I don’t want biased information. I want to know if oil or gas additives can really help my engine last longer.
Thanks for any input you can give.
Ratchet
only thing they really help is line the pockets of the execs of those snake oil companies
Using a gas from a busy station (should be fresh) or a name brand, regular maintainence per manual (maybe more oil changes or at least severe service schedule) and keeping an eye on fluid levels, tire pressures etc will do a heck of a lot more than additives.
Also use a mechanic and not a quick lube unless you do your own work. I can keep going but if your screen name indicates profession I think you get the message. Vitamins can’t “undo” a poor life style.
I don’t use oil additives. Any brand name oil will have all the additives it needs already. However, I do occasionally pour a bottle of fuel system or fuel injector cleaner in the tank. I figure it can’t hurt to baby the car a little. Of course I also change the oil and the fuel filter regularly, which is a lot more important than using additives.
Agreed on all points. Like Whitey the only thing I do is the occasional fuel system cleaner, though not all are created equal. About every 6mos or so I’ll run a can through the gas tank. I generally alternate between Techron and SeaFoam. Other than that you need nothing but regular care & maintenance - follow the recommendations in the manual.
FYI - there are two typical maintenance recommendations that I would modify because they are geared toward what many would say are ill-advised service intervals designed to try to convince buyers that cars are as “maintenance free” as possible. The first is transmission service, esp. if automatic. The best thing to do for an automatic is a pan/filter service every 30K miles. Manufacturer recommendations tend to be a lot more than that, but it isn’t good. The second is the cooling system. There are lots of “long-life” coolants out there that manufacturers now use that are supposed to be able to be left in for ridiculous amounts of time, like 5yr/150K miles (e.g. DexCool). For protecting your whole engine coolant is as important as oil. I don’t want anything in my car for that long or than many miles. Coolant systems are best serviced every 2yrs regardless of what the recommendations say.
Those two modifications are not “gospel” - its partly my own preference, but would also match up well with the opinions of many on this board and beyond.
Oil additives are worthless – spend you money on a good synthetic oil (Mobile 1, Redline, etc.).
I use a can of BK-44 gas additive every six months. Pricey at $20, but it’s the only one recommended by local independent BMW shops and actually works. No affiliation other than being a satisfied customer.
Twotone
If you only use oil that meets the specifications listed in the car’s owner’s manual you will not need an oil additive (at least not until it is hitting old age and seals are seeping.
You should not need any gasoline additive as they all contain all the additives a car should need.
There are exceptions, but nearly all additives that are used are not needed. Of course since most people who use additives don't have problems, they are happy and since most people like me who don't also are happy.Thanks to all of you for your quick responses. I feel much better. My gut was telling me that I just needed to care for my new baby the way the manual says, with a little extra care for transmission/coolant systems.
(And thanks for not treating me like a dumb girl…I won’t hesitate to ask another question or refer my girlfriends to Car Talk in the future.)
Nurse Ratchet
Good gut Nurse! My gut says most of these oil additives are the moral equivalent of those colon cleaning/diet pill/snake oil ads on late night TV. I like the one that flashes a retouched X-ray of a “Clogged Colon”…its not even an X-ray of a Human. (I’m an RT…)
The FTC suit: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/05/duralub2.shtm Pick an additive and there’s likely a lawsuit for false advertising.
You’ve gotten good advice. Just wondering: who are the “big oil companies” trying to convince you to buy oil or gas additives? They typically don’t make them (except for Chevron’s Techron, one of the better gas treatments out there).
The only additive you should be usin’ is this here magic potion I’m sellin’. It’ll line your cylinders, lube your chassis, cool your motor, fill in your bald spot, and even make your tomatoes grow bigger and juicier. I use this s*** on everything!
My claim is no more real and no less honest than those that promise things for their additives. Additive should ONLY be used when trying to deal with a specific problem or when trying to get a few extra miles out of an old beater.
A properly designed and manufactured car will provide long and reliable service if maintained properly with the same fluids the manufacture designed it to use. A badly designed or manufactured car cannot be saved by any additive.
Today’s oils and gasolines have a considerable number of the RIGHT additives in them already. For normal operation all you have to do is read what is in the owner’s manual to make sure you have use the right grade of gas (regular, premium) and the book will also tell you what oil viscosity and type of oil is to be used.
For most cars, almost any oil will do. Some, like Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, need special higher quality oils.Your mechanic already knows all this. All oils already have the right additives in them !!!
So disregard all this hype of magic elixers; they are about as good as the medical snake oils hyped on TV. If there was an automotive version of VIAGRA or CIALIS, this panel would heartily endorse it! But only if it was needed!
By the way, the big oil companies don’t push these additives. They only buy the right ones in sufficient quantity to add to their own brand name oils. It’s the small specialty companies (who don’t produce oil) who push aftermarket stuff with dubious benefits.
Since cars don’t get sick like people do, they don’t need “medicines”. If properly maintained, they gradually wear out, and after 200,000 or more miles they resemble an 80 year old human in good health.
On a personal basis, I have driven 7 of my cars to over 100,000 miles and some to 300,000; all without using any additives. The engine always outlasted the rest of the car. Just follow the owner’s manual recommendations.