Fuel Additives

[powertrip]

I'll second the stabilizers & cleaners being really good stuff. I used a lot of Seafoam on my Kawasaki carburated 600 bike when I had it. Great stuff to clean out the jets either by adding to a tank or just soaking the whole carb with it for a while. Also helped keep the gas from going funky when not using the bike for a bit.

Haven't tried many of the others but that's my .02. (Also great for marine applications!)

[Turbowned]

When I worked at Toyota, we used to add BG fuel and engine cleaning additives once every 15k miles. The cars would produce a lot of smoke and presumably clean out all the crap built up from not-so-good gasoline, carbon deposits and the like. I actually just took a look at a disassembled V6 engine in a 2011 Audi Q7 with only 10k miles on it; the piston crowns were pretty grody lookin' even from using premium fuel...

That said, it may not hurt to use a fuel system and top engine cleaner every so often, but I wouldn't be pouring that STP Jet Fuel garbage in your tank every fill-up, unless you like wasting money

Originally Posted by RRnold

Why does this thread reminded of the guy who put NOS energy drink in his gixxer and went global!

Ohhh my shit! Thank you for turning me on to that! I just died laughing HAHAHAHAHAHA

[rice_classic]

I talked with Witch Hunter who does injector work for professional teams (like Porsche) along with local guys (like myself) and when I asked him about fuel injector cleaners he told me never to use them more than twice a year at most, about once a year is good and you'll most likely never need to have your injectors serviced "off the car".

He reiterated the point of proper interval of changing fuel filter and using good gasoline.

For those of you concerned about fuel you can use puregas.com (they also have an iphone app) to find gas stations near you that sell non-ethanol fuel.

[tonystewart]

I do the BP premium (92 octane) fuel up. Then I add 1 gallon of Sunoco UL
104 from Port Consolidated ($67.52 per 5 gallon can). Raises the number to a solid 93+..It is my belief and those of engine builders who I trust, this is a safer method than additives to increase octane.

[Jordo!]

Check this out http://www.fueltechexperts.com/2008/...which-is-best/

Cliff Notes: Remarkably, a few of them added a point or two of RON most added less than a point.

NB: keep in mind that AKI is the average of RON+MON... actually, a good rule of thumb on RON to AKI conversions is RON*.95=~AKI value -- example, an owner's manual that states the car requires 96 RON will typically also indicate that 91 AKI is fine as well; 96*.95 = 91.2.

Sooo... an additive that gives you 1 full point of RON is not only somewhat rare, but only worth only .95 AKI at best...

Oh, BTW its http://pure-gas.org/

[Coheed]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

I talked with Witch Hunter who does injector work for professional teams (like Porsche) along with local guys (like myself) and when I asked him about fuel injector cleaners he told me never to use them more than twice a year at most, about once a year is good and you'll most likely never need to have your injectors serviced "off the car".

He reiterated the point of proper interval of changing fuel filter and using good gasoline.

For those of you concerned about fuel you can use puregas.com (they also have an iphone app) to find gas stations near you that sell non-ethanol fuel.

I agree, once or twice a year is about all you really need. But changing fuel filter? Meh. Most cars nowadays don't even have one. I guess OEMs found them to be pointless.

Too bad there isn't a flex fuel model of the FRS.

[tonystewart]

Port Consolidated in West Palm Beach FL sells Ethanol free fuel, I use it.

[phm14]

I've used Lucas fuel RX, which is described as a injector cleaner and upper cylinder lubricant. My MX-5 and '04 Tacoma seemed to like it, but last time I used it in our '07 4Runner, it threm some exhaust codes that went away a short time later. Not sure if the Rx caused that or not. You can buy it by the gallon, and the mix ratio is 1 oz per 3 gallons of gas. Lucas also claims it can be use as a substitute for premium in high octane engines. I wouldn't be surprised to find more on this topic on bobistheoilguy.com.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Lucas-10013-Fuel-Treatment-Gallon/dp/B000FW7V50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339507575&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Lucas 10013 Fuel Treatment - 1 Gallon: Automotive[/ame]

[ahausheer]

One downside of octane boosters is they foul your plugs. Try it yourself, run a few tanks with the prescribed amount, pull your plugs and see how orange they are. Up to 7 ''points'' is nothing to care about. And if the plugs are that bad what happens to the rest of the exhaust system including the cats? Ill never use octane boosters because they are a waste.

[tonystewart]

So true ahausheer

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by Coheed

I agree, once or twice a year is about all you really need. But changing fuel filter? Meh. Most cars nowadays don't even have one. I guess OEMs found them to be pointless.

Too bad there isn't a flex fuel model of the FRS.

Ok I'll bite. Please list cars that don't come with some type of fuel filter.

All car that have fuel filters have replacement intervals for said filter. It might be 20k, 50k or 80k or "clogged"; but they are something that needs to be replaced after a certain time.

The inner workings of the fuel injector are very sensitive and very very small debris can easily clog or damage them. If I bought a car, especially a performance car, that didn't come from the factory with a fuel filter I would consider... not buying it. Thank goodness the FRS/BRZ have a fuel filter so it's not a concern.

[Coheed]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

Ok I'll bite. Please list cars that don't come with some type of fuel filter.

All car that have fuel filters have replacement intervals for said filter. It might be 20k, 50k or 80k or "clogged"; but they are something that needs to be replaced after a certain time.

The inner workings of the fuel injector are very sensitive and very very small debris can easily clog or damage them. If I bought a car, especially a performance car, that didn't come from the factory with a fuel filter I would consider... not buying it. Thank goodness the FRS/BRZ have a fuel filter so it's not a concern.

Any new hyundai, or dodge... no fuel filter... most new Fords, and most new Toyotas no longer have the fuel filter we are all acquainted to. Just the strainer in the tank.

[rice_classic]

Actually the Hyundai Genesis has a fuel filter, as do the Dodge. It's in the tank just like the FRS. It's not just a stainer but a filter. The Genesis manual says 37.5k replacement for fuel filter. On the Dodge's it part of the pump and considered a non-serviceable part (so the filter is replaced when the pump dies... how nice). However, it's not just a strainer.

Just because the filter is being placed in the tank doesn't mean it's not there, nor does it mean that its description has been relegated to just "strainer". Fuel filters are not something that can just "go away". Fuel is rather quite dirty and fuel injectors are quite sensitive. The fuel has to be filtered somehow.