fuel injector cleaner/gas treatment...good maintenance?

[2001 Sapphire Blue]

Just wanted to get some opinions on whether you guys use it as preventive maintenance. Motor runs great, but I thought it couldn't hurt. What kind is the best? There are so many out there!

 

[pullshard]

Techron! Dump it in when your tank is half full. Works Great on older cars, can't hurt on new as well.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

One bottle in the tank before your oil change. (A fair amount of the fuel additive, a big and heavy molecule gets in your oil. You're better off not having it in the oil for the oil change, so do it just before your oil change.)

Look for "complete fuel system cleaners," not "fuel injection cleaners" or "carburetor cleaner," etc. There is little difference in the type of additive, only in how much is in the bottle. The "complete" or "total" cleaners have the most. Same with 4 or 6 or 8 cylinder versions- guess what the difference is?

Techron, STP, CD-2 total/complete fuel system cleaners are all good ones.

 

[Martin]

Hey Tom, do you have any opinion on the Red Line SL-1 stuff?
Thanks!
Martin

 

[onerareviper]

Ditto...

I've use the Redline SL on my older cars and had good luck

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Regarding RedLine, I only see a "complete fuel system cleaner" on their site, nothing like "SL-1." While they say all the correct "good" things, their website has a big focus on injector cleanliness. (Warning lights, they should also be talking about combustion chamber clean-up.) They also add that it's safe for continual use (red light.) To propoerly claim that, it can't have that much active ingredient; if it were really a high potent bottle the accumulation of fuel additive in the oil would create a risk of problems with the oil.

(All this without knowing what the additive chemistry is or conducting any tests, just formulating experience.)

 

[DChan415]

I like to just run water through the engine once in a while. Also some marvel mystery oil in the tank sometimes.