Do "in between change" oil additives have any real benefits?
Is there any evidence whether different brands of fuels are of varying quality?
I would particularly like to find some objective independent test results.
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I have no experience of oil additives, sorry.
The only evidence I have seen of the effect of different fuels was about 2 years ago in EVO magazine. 3 different cars were tested before and after using optimax. There was photographic evidence of the inlet tract and inlet valves. Before the test the 3 vehicles had used different fuels from different sources. The most fouled was run on supermarket, the cleanest on named brand.
The vehicles were then run for a couple of thousand miles on optimax and re-photographed. All 3 were clean. Other tests were done on acceleration,mpg etc. and the results indicated that acceleration/drivability was better also. MPG was indeterminate.
I have seen no other results, but haven't really looked. As objective non laboratory tests go, this one proved to me that there is a marked difference in fuel quality.
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I would suggest sticking to man/reccomendation regarding oil changes..ie use oil as suggested at service points they mention.I havent seen any proof these oil additives work.And would not waste any time/money or effort in trying any out..This doesnt answer your question.But would say best to stick to the way you service now.Dont risk using any additives.
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Steve
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All of the "tests" that we see on telly....you know the ones QVC etc
where they show us a pressure metre with a man pushing down on a bar,,to indicate less friction...
well
they never ever show the same test involving any sort of heat ie the inside of an engine......
i have used them all SLICK 50 ASTA 2000 EXTRALUBE ZX1 ETC ETC
and they all initially seemed to work,,ie make the engine quieter...but after a day on all of them i could tell NO difference...
i have wasted many hundreds of pounds on these products....and in my opinion THEY DO NOT WORK,,,,,
the only advice i would give would be use optimax,,it does work over a period of time
and service the car with a good garage at the recommended times.
the oil quality is the most important bit...
.
\"dont shoot the messenger\"
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Oil additives: waste of time, I reckon. Do your car a real favour and change the oil and filter twice a year or at 5000 mile intervals, whichever comes sooner. It's not very costly, especially at Kwik-Fit or one of the other tyre companies. I get Mobil 1 for not much more than half the retail pack price by going to Kwik-Fit -- 7.5 litres, but their price is fixed, regardless of quantity, and it includes the filter.
Fuel: I've asked the Consumers Association to do a test, perhaps in cooperation with their counterparts in Europe, but they reckon it would be too expensive and difficult. Search for "Optimax" in the Forum and you'll find loads of discussion. There's plenty of scepticism, but I've seen enough anecdotal evidence to convince me that it is a better product.
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Don't waste your money, spend it on a decent synthetic oil.
Cheers
Simon
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There was a time when there'd be a paragraph in the owner's manual of most British cars warning you what a con the various oil and fuel additives are.
It's all a load of snake oil mate.
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You'll always find people either strong for or against. I was a 'for' person but having looked at the science behind it all, now am one of those that would never use these additives now.
See, my Dad swears by Slick50 and I have memories of smokey rattly old cars becoming much better after the additives were added. They ran smoothly, never gave us bother and no longer smoked. I suppose it's odd, but thats how I remember Slick50 - but the caveat there was that I'm tyalking early to mid-80s when car engines were nowhere as refined as they are today (anyone remember having to select the 'star' of the fuel you want to put into your car?) and any car that is more recent, I wouldn't dream of sticking Slick50 (or other additives) into.
If the car you have is some 14+ years old then hey, sure give it a go...else if its any newer then don't.
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This post appeared on my local forum:
Oil Additives
You wouldn't add extra sugar to your Coca-Cola would you?
Do not use any oil additives no matter how much they are hyped on TV. They provide no benefit and can interfere and react with the additives already present in the oil. Some additives have particles that can clog oil passages and clog filters. Common additives that are heavily hyped are Slick 50, Duralube etc. Court actions in some US States have already banned some additives I believe for making misleading claims. Oil and car and motorcycle companies between them spend millions on research and development to produce the optimum oils for your vehicle. How can the additive manufacturers possibly know any better?
Remember companies who make solvents and additives have no interest whatever in the well-being of your engine, only in selling you a useless and possibly risky product in a fancy container for great profits.
Once again, with engine oil like everything else: RTFM!
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I would agree with most that has been said, used Slick 50, ruined a Honda engine with Moly Koat?? but the fuels have come a l o n g way and the Shell/ BP extra brands are worth the money, by the by Millers Diesel Plus raises the Cetane value by around 2.5 points - me Passat pulls 4.5k RPM on a good cold day!!
K2
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