Pegon95

Went to Walmart today and saw a bunch of small bottles for $10 that claim they clean your injectors and significantly improve your MPG.

Is it all bs? Or a $10 bottle can really improve your engine performance?

What are your opinions? If it's true which brand would you recommend?

dezymond

snake oil.

None of those additives are scientifically proven to benefit the car, from what I've read. And if it really does all that, they sure as hell would sell for more than $10 a bottle.

Best way to increase your MPG if that's your concern, drive slower and try not to go over 2000rpms. And use gasoline that is Top Tier certified could also increase MPG a bit and actually clean your engine.

Acura-OC

I use it once every two years but it is all bs at least in my case. I would not be able to get in shape by going to gym once every two years.

About 25 years ago my car was converted to run on regular gas and/or natural gas and when time came to take it apart cylinders and cylinder heads looked shiny as new.

Just use premium gas as required for Acura TL but keep in mind that there is no benefit to using more octane than what is required.

Acura-OC

Some additives are called deposit control additives that acts as a cleaning agent but it will not magically tune engine or increase MPG.

sopmodm14

most are "snake oil"

but i sometimes use gumout or lucas (if on sale)

in the winter, i do put in HEET gas-line antifreeze (red botttle)

1black_seven

iTrader: (2)

I use seafoam once a year, it's pretty corrosive stuff. I wouldn't use it frequently.

polobunny

Gas line antifreeze is rendered useless if you have 10% ethanol gasoline in your car. Just so people are aware. :-)

KJ TL-S

iTrader: (9)

I never heard that before about the anti freeze. More info?

GKinColo08TL

iso-HEET is a form of ethanol (isopropanol). Hence it is already in there with the 10% ethanol. Not rendered useless really, just overkill.

polobunny

With the amount you put in a tank, it's pretty much useless at keeping water out since you're already keeping water out. Plus too much alcohol in your gas might give you other problems.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

I do not and will not put any of that junk in my cars. IMO its all just a gimmick that waaayyyyy too many people fall for.

KJ TL-S

iTrader: (9)

Interesting. I was never a big user of HEET, but my father-in-law has always used it in the extreme cold. I'll have to pass this information along, thanks guys.

polobunny

It used to be useful for cold climates up here when gas didn't have ethanol, but now it went the way of the dodo.

corrado85

iTrader: (1)

just use Mobil, Shell, Chevron gas if you can ! not the grocery gas

corrado85

iTrader: (1)

just use Mobil, Shell, Chevron gas if you can ! not the grocery gas

KJ TL-S

iTrader: (9)

Makes sense to me. Never knew exactly what HEET was or did, which is why I didn't like using it in the first place.

Never seen it around here in Chicago suburbs in recent memory, but near Madison where my dad lives, the premium has no ethanol . Must be a Wisconsin thing.

polobunny

In both the US and Canada I believe the amount of ethanol in gas is a state law thing, hence why some people can still have gas without ethanol.

dezymond

I don't see a point in using it if you're already using a quality gasoline, especially if it's Top Tier approved.

314_04TL

I used Ames Oil and Redline additives in my CB7 when I wasn't using premium fuel and I did notice a difference. But when your using good gas there is no need for it period

GKinColo08TL

With 12 ounces of heet in a 17 gal tank, (didn't feel like converting to litres) that's an additional 4.5% or so, as you say, that would not be good.

Also, I grew up in a cold climate, NW Pennsylvania, never had a car with water in the gas tank, never needed an additive.

polobunny

Definitely depends on weather conditions/humidity. Yesterday it was ~-15F here and my windshield had frost inside, despite having the defrost/defog on at all times during winter. This would be a great time for water in the lines.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^i have smoke inside, but never frost.

polobunny

"Colt 45 and two zig-zags, baby that's all we need."

Love smoked salmon, never had smoked crab.

GKinColo08TL

Me too, I'm in Colorado you know.

Majofo

It's not snake oil, but if you fill at a top-tier station it's not really an issue. They put enough additives in the fuel to keep things pretty clean. I dump a bottle of B12 every 2-3 years in the tank. Shit will strip the paint off so be careful.

GKinColo08TL

I used Marvel Mystery Oil in my old 280Z...in the gas and oil...recommended by a guy who does small engine repair...that stuff is amazing. The Z always ran better after...

nist7

Red Line SI-1 and Chevron Techron are the one pf the few ones that will actually work. Most are snake oil as others have mentioned already.

But again Red Line and Chevron do have effects and can be good for the car. Read the legendary Road Rage thread on the S2k forum here: What's in those fuel injector cleaners? Are they safe? - S2KI Honda S2000 Forums

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I had read years ago ethanol and gas line antifreeze were different but couldn't remember the exact reasoning, so on to google and copied the following:

Ethanol is hygroscopic which means it readily absorbs moisture from the air. If enough moisture is absorbed the ethanol and water will phase seperate out of the gasoline and the water can freeze.

Most fuel system antifreezes contain %100 isopropyl alcohol. The reason being, just like ethanol it absorbs water. The difference is when isopropyl alcohol absorbs water it doesn't phase seperate out of the gasoline. It keeps the water in suspension in the gasoline so it can be carried off and burned in the engine.

So if there's enough water in ethanol gasoline where the water and ethanol phase seperate out the gasoline, the result can be fuel line freeze up.

So, use gas line antifreeze to be sure.

As far a FI cleaners, a waste of money IMHO.

6MTSSR

I've use Chevron Techron in my 07 TL-S.When you use this product use it twice on consecutive fill ups.I saw a 2-3 mpg difference after the use.I use 91 premium in all my vehicles and do the Techron every 6 months or so. Been doing this for years on my AMG and Supercharged Fox 5.0.Nothing but positive results

truonghthe

Shell V-power all the way, beside I had some bad experience with injector cleaner before, my accord magically needed a cat after dumping a bottle into my fuel tank.

Flip 2

I've used Lucas Deep Clean, to good effect, but think a regular diet of good gasoline minimizes the need. The Lucas worked best in my T-100, and I think that V-6 is prone to build deposits. Other engines, not so much.
At the other end of the spectrum is my LS1. It seems to object to any fuel additives. The LS1 seems, easily, the pickiest of engines I have encountered, but treated right they are champs. I saw a video of someone celebrating 300K miles (on the same engine) by taking his C5 to 150 mph as it rolled over from 299,999 ;-)

polobunny

The explanation makes perfect sense, but gas line antifreeze still doesn't make sense. If you use your car, this will not happen with ethanol gas, unless you leave your car unattended for a lot of time without burning what's in the tank.

sopmodm14

crap lol

i'm in the snowbelt, so i do use it occassionally

usually 1/2 bottle every other fill up

(college student gotta stretch that bottle, so i dont usually dump the whole thing in)

i think the additives are usually bunk, but i just hope the occassional bottle can't hurt but help.... at least for piece of mind in putting some care into our beloved Acuras_)_

iirc, in winter excess water vapor can remain in the fuel tank (hence, i never let it go below half tank). As it warms, condensation/water droplets can get into the fuel .... and fuel and water don't go well together

isoheet then chemically reacts to the the water, rendering it null (*disclaimer - i'm not an automotive chemical engineer)

lol