Fuel Additives - Any Benefits?

ION08

Going on a relatively long journey this weekend (Dublin-Galway-Dublin).

I'll be filling the tank up with Diesel before I set off but am also contemplating adding some sort of Fuel Additive like Diesel REDEX / Injector cleaner.

The car is running perfectly as it is but just want to avail of this opportunity when the car will be "stretching it legs" as it generally only does short/medium trips.

Any recommendations or are these additives just marketing gimmicks and best left alone?

The car is an A4 1.9TDI (130PD)

Thoughts?

WacoKid

Fifth Gear did a piece on this a few years ago where they brought an engine into a lab, ran it on standard petrol and then flushed it and ran a load of products through it. You might get it on youtube.

Not one of the products had a positive result and some in fact where slightly negative.

Based on that I have the opinion that they are gimmicks.

Matt Simis

WacoKid wrote: »

Based on that I have the opinion that they are gimmicks.

Every one, including ones not used in the test or even on the market at the time? Thats stretching the facts a bit much.

Swampy

BG Diesel Fuel Conditioner with Diesel Pump Lubricant

Or

BG 44k.

WacoKid

Matt Simis wrote: »

Every one, including ones not used in the test or even on the market at the time? Thats stretching the facts a bit much.

...in my opinion.

Yearning4Stormy

My two cents. Last week, the pre-NCT (for attempt number three, third time's a charm I hope) mechanic who welded a hole in my exhaust and tested the emissions told me the readings were on the good side of borderline, but to be on the safe side, to throw half of bottle of fuel cleaner in a couple of days beforehand and the rest on the morning of the test.

The first half went in on Tuesday night last and I've got to say, she's like a different car. I'm pretty much guaranteed to use an eighth of a tank on the round-trip to work... yesterday, it was maybe just over a sixteenth. I'll keep an eye on it over the next few weeks, see if the economy improvement is maintained.

Mind you, at €12 for a 300ml bottle, you wouldn't be doing it too often!

(1.2 '00 Punto btw.)

gustafo

Yearning4Stormy wrote: »

My two cents. Last week, the pre-NCT (for attempt number three, third time's a charm I hope) mechanic who welded a hole in my exhaust and tested the emissions told me the readings were on the good side of borderline, but to be on the safe side, to throw half of bottle of fuel cleaner in a couple of days beforehand and the rest on the morning of the test.

The first half went in on Tuesday night last and I've got to say, she's like a different car. I'm pretty much guaranteed to use an eighth of a tank on the round-trip to work... yesterday, it was maybe just over a sixteenth. I'll keep an eye on it over the next few weeks, see if the economy improvement is maintained.

Mind you, at €12 for a 300ml bottle, you wouldn't be doing it too often!

(1.2 '00 Punto btw.)

what was it you used dipetene ?

Yearning4Stormy

It appears to be somewhat unbranded, tbh. It's called "Dual Fuel Powerkleen", made in Dungarvan by All Task Solutions. The guy in the motor factors in Dunboyne recommended it.

Just as aside, I made the roundtrip into work again today and the needle has hardly moved. I'm very pleased

TestTransmission

gustafo wrote: »

what was it you used dipetene ?

Dipetane is much cheaper than €12 for 300ml

Yearning4Stormy

TestTransmission wrote: »

Dipetane is much cheaper than €12 for 300ml

TT, it was a bit of a "convenience buy" as I was passing his door anyway. Money is tight - ironically - and I really try not to make unnecessary trips where possible! But that's a whole different thread right there.

Actually, I'm looking at the bottle right now and it's 350ml. But, I'll keep an eye out for this Dipetane you speak of for the next time. Thanks for the tip.

Fingers and toes crossed for my 8:10am NCT appointment tomorrow

Padraig Mor

Have a can of BG 44K in my current tank of petrol. Hasn't blown up anyway!

AltAccount

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Have a can of BG 44K in my current tank of petrol. Hasn't blown up anyway!

I've had very good results with BG

TestTransmission

Yearning4Stormy wrote: »

TT, it was a bit of a "convenience buy" as I was passing his door anyway. Money is tight - ironically - and I really try not to make unnecessary trips where possible! But that's a whole different thread right there.

I didn't mean it like that

AltAccount wrote: »

I've had very good results with BG

Me too

YouTookMyName

Used forte diesel treatment, tough to get in Ireland, but handy enough to get in the UK.

Car seems a little better. The shell V-power diesel seems better than any additive.

Yearning4Stormy

TestTransmission wrote: »

I didn't mean it like that

No worries, man

Well, the third time wasn't a charm, dammit. Or maybe it's because it's Friday the 13th? Despite improved fuel economy with the cleaner, the motor failed on a high idle of CO 0.40 vol%.

I'm not quite sure what to do now. And for some reason, I've only got 10 days before a retest, not 28

Way to start the weekend for me, NCTS.

ION08

Yearning4Stormy, if you're still failing the emissions test there must be something else fundamentally wrong.. Lambda sensor or maybe even the cat.

Anyway, I dropped into Halford's and got myself a bottle of this stuff based on the excellent reviews (which surprised me a bit tbh, as it has gotten more reviews and higher praise than any of the more expensive REDEX stuff)

It was only a tenner anyway.

http://reviews.halfords.com/4028/264671/reviews.htm

I can report back here with my own thoughts if anybody else is curious or just wants to know?

Hay_man

ION08 wrote: »

Yearning4Stormy, if you're still failing the emissions test there must be something else fundamentally wrong.. Lambda sensor or maybe even the cat.

Anyway, I dropped into Halford's and got myself a bottle of this stuff based on the excellent reviews (which surprised me a bit tbh, as it has gotten more reviews and higher praise than any of the more expensive REDEX stuff)

It was only a tenner anyway.

http://reviews.halfords.com/4028/264671/reviews.htm

I can report back here with my own thoughts if anybody else is curious or just wants to know?

Yes please do, I have a 130 bhp Audi too, I put a bottle of Redex diesel into it last week €7 from Tescos

Can't say it has done anything for the car

Top Dog

Have used Redex and noticed no difference at all.

Used Dipetane and saw improved economy over the same type of terrain and driving.

nice_guy80

Top Dog wrote: »

Have used Redex and noticed no difference at all.

Used Dipetane and saw improved economy over the same type of terrain and driving.

After a recent service my car was smoking a bit
put in a double load of Diptene, smoking gone

dgt

I swears by this stuff


And this stuff


As both gave results you could see. The cataclean really eliminated nasty gasses at the NCT :eek:

The rest I'm very sceptical about, tried the most of them at some stage

pappyodaniel

I've used dipetene and did notice a difference in fuel economy, albeit a minor one, say an extra 50km to a full tank of diesel. The next time I use the stuff will be before the car is due to go through the NCT.

C4Kid

In addition to the fuel additives an Italian Tuneup always helps a bit too, in my case anyway:)

Most of the time its just a good 4000 RPM for 10-15 mins that does the trick without the need for redlining it.

Chimaera

I'd second the Italian tuneup every time, particularly for a turbo diesel. Soot can build up in the exhaust manifold of gently driven cars and a good hard pull through 3rd a few times on the motorway will launch it out the back and improve performance and economy.

Regarding additives, start with buying fuel from a reputable source. Particularly with diesel, there's a lot of 'South Armagh' blend going around - if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.

In advance of the NCT, I've found running a can of LiquiMoly DieselPurge through the car to be a great help as a final tune-up. A 1 l can is about a tenner and you hook it up directly to the fuel lines going into the engine. Drive the engine hard until the can is used up (I've tended to estimate how far the litre will get me and stop with about 1 km to go to switch the lines back to the fuel tank).

For regular use, the Millers additives are well-regarded.

MetzgerMeister

dgt - Where did you get the CataClean? I used it in the RX8 and due to the directions, I nearly ran out of petrol while stuck in the middle of hurling match traffic :eek:

I had to get it in the UK that time as there was no Irish supplier.

pa990

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

dgt - Where did you get the CataClean? I used it in the RX8 and due to the directions, I nearly ran out of petrol while stuck in the middle of hurling match traffic :eek:

I had to get it in the UK that time as there was no Irish supplier.

google: "cataclean scam"

interesting results

dgt

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

dgt - Where did you get the CataClean? I used it in the RX8 and due to the directions, I nearly ran out of petrol while stuck in the middle of hurling match traffic :eek:

I had to get it in the UK that time as there was no Irish supplier.

This lot sells it

Scam or no scam, my old Fiesta scraped on emissions with the previous previous owner, threw a bottle of that stuff in, emissions ppm nearly zero at high idle :eek:

I was just shocked. I'm so annoyed I didn't keep the NCT test results from that car so I could post them up here and show everyone how well it works

AltAccount

Chimaera wrote: »

I'd second the Italian tuneup every time, particularly for a turbo diesel. Soot can build up in the exhaust manifold of gently driven cars and a good hard pull through 3rd a few times on the motorway will launch it out the back...

Unless it's a very light build up, no it won't.

MetzgerMeister

AltAccount wrote: »

Unless it's a very light build up, no it won't.

+1

I cleaned the EGR valve and pipe in my car and I can promise you, carbon build up is not easy to remove with oven cleaner and brushes, let alone the way you mentioned.

eringobragh

Used the dipetane stuff anyway 2 weeks before NCT as well as the 'Italian Tuneup' trick before the NCT..

From what I can gather (correct me if I'm wrong), the fuel additives do work to a certain point and once the carbon deposits, etc are cleaned its basically pointless using it.

Placebo effect, no?

Chimaera

If it's months or years worth of soot, no the Italian tuneup won't work, but once every week or two will keep things from getting that bad. Plus it's fun

namoosh

I've found that the quality of diesel on forecourts varies greatly, if I see the fuel gauge heading south rapidly after a fill I add Dipetane and that solves the problem. For the NCT I run the tank down to 1/8 full, fire in a gallon of petrol on way to test centre, passes enissions no prob, fill with diesel on way home. 04 2.9 diesel. Blank off or disconnect the EGR, all it does is pump carbon and sludge into the engine, reconnect before NCT or try petrol trick. Dipetane is the only fuel additive I've found that does what it says on the tin.

Chimaera

For the NCT I run the tank down to 1/8 full, fire in a gallon of petrol on way to test centre, passes enissions no prob, fill with diesel on way home

PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!!! Petrol will RUIN any modern diesel fuel injection system and damage older systems substantially. 1/8 of a typical car tank will be about 6-8 l and a gallon of petrol is about 4.5 l. This concentration of petrol will destroy the lubricity of the fuel, and the fuel system components depend entirely on the fuel for lubrication.

Bandara

snake oil

Gary ITR

Hammertime wrote: »

snake oil

What are you basing that on?

T-Maxx

namoosh wrote: »

I've found that the quality of diesel on forecourts varies greatly, if I see the fuel gauge heading south rapidly after a fill I add Dipetane and that solves the problem. For the NCT I run the tank down to 1/8 full, fire in a gallon of petrol on way to test centre, passes enissions no prob, fill with diesel on way home. 04 2.9 diesel. Blank off or disconnect the EGR, all it does is pump carbon and sludge into the engine, reconnect before NCT or try petrol trick. Dipetane is the only fuel additive I've found that does what it says on the tin.

Chimaera wrote: »

PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!!! Petrol will RUIN any modern diesel fuel injection system and damage older systems substantially. 1/8 of a typical car tank will be about 6-8 l and a gallon of petrol is about 4.5 l. This concentration of petrol will destroy the lubricity of the fuel, and the fuel system components depend entirely on the fuel for lubrication.

No-one sells fuel by the gallon anymore. Surely you mean a litre?

namoosh

Chimaera wrote: »

PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!!! Petrol will RUIN any modern diesel fuel injection system and damage older systems substantially. 1/8 of a typical car tank will be about 6-8 l and a gallon of petrol is about 4.5 l. This concentration of petrol will destroy the lubricity of the fuel, and the fuel system components depend entirely on the fuel for lubrication.

It does work on older diesel engines, have used it on a number of vehicles with no ill effects. I put the gallon (5l to the young) in on way to NCT centre and fill up immediately afterwards, the mix is only in the tank for the duration of the test. I can only speak from my own experience and I have never had any problems.

Modern diesels need really high quality fuel to function correctly, I know that renault will not honour the warranty on the fuel system of a diesel if the fuel is contaminated in any way. I presume the other manufacturers are the same.

My post was aimed at people like me who are trying to keep their high mileage clunkers on the road.

nunn351

A salesman selling Toiletries told me once that the only thing Domestos does for a toilet is change the colour of the water .

I could never prove him wrong .

bcmf

sorry for ressurecting a zombie thread
BUT
Is there anywhere that sells low quantities of dipetane.
Local MF says he will only get in 5l container and really don't want that amount hanging round the house.NCT nxt sat.

The Real B-man

bcmf wrote: »

sorry for ressurecting a zombie thread
BUT
Is there anywhere that sells low quantities of dipetane.
Local MF says he will only get in 5l container and really don't want that amount hanging round the house.NCT nxt sat.

Ring Around http://www.dipetane.ie/suppliers.html