Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: Engine Oil Additive's

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Darwin
    Posts
    462
    Total Downloaded
    0

    Engine Oil Additive's

    I recently did my first major service on my D90 since the full rebuild. During this service I added an engine oil additive (advertises protection for 80,000km), a well known brand I might add. I won't name names to keep things leagal.
    Well, within 1500k I noticed a differance in running temp, it had gone up. I wasn't too worried as it is a turboed engine and it wasn't getting above 90deg.
    Another 1500k later I was starting to get a little worried as it was quite often getting up to the 95-100mark.
    At this stage I decided that things had gone too far and started to investigate.
    Changed the thurmostat, no differance
    Changed the bottom radiator hose with one that had the stainless wire inside, no change
    Changed the coolant again, no change
    Re-adjusted the tappets, no change
    at this stage it was starting to edge over 100 on the highway
    Time to take her off the road, pressure tested the system, found a couple of leaks. Tested the cap, it blew off at 10psi instead of 15, Ok so making ground here, fixed these up and took her for another drive. NO Change, the temp though wasn't fluctuating now, it just went to 100 and hovered there.
    Through all this I think it pushed the radiator too far as it now developed a leak (brand new 13500km ago with no dramas), so new radiator core.
    No change.
    Was starting to get a bit frustrated at this stage.
    Decided to try a oil change, at first it got worse! I was thinking about pulling the engine now. Over the next 500km it slowly got better.
    Now 1800km down the track all is back to normal and sitting nicely on 86deg.

    All I can think is that the additive didn't aggree with my engine, lesson learnt for me.

    Food for thought

    Cheers

  2. #2
    streaky Guest
    Do a Google on 'Snake oil'....don't add anything to engine oil. The experts say that the small particles of PTFE in these additives can clogg the oil filters.

    Good quality oil has everything your engine needs....trust me!

    Our rally Team is sponsored by "Castrol". At a recent seminar the top lubes tech guy gave us a hundred reasons why NOT to add anything to engine oils.

    Regards.

    S.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Cooroy, QLD
    Posts
    1,396
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Hi Larns,

    I did my apprenticeship with a bloke that used and loved a product like the one you describe (a very slick product!). My father is also a convert and he's got a lot of experience with heavy machinery. For the life of me I don't know why they go for this stuff - the science just doesn't add up. It does sound the goods though, and for every person who knows its dodgy there's 10 that will give it a glowing review.

    I've seen that product used in probably about 50 vehicles over the years, and in some of them it really seemed to have a positive effect (in the short term) - in one, a ford laser, it smoothed the idle right out and we had to drop the idle speed about 3 times. The bottom line is though, if it was any good then normal oil companies would be putting it in their stuff (I would think).

    My 2 cents - adjusted for inflation.
    Last edited by p38arover; 23rd June 2007 at 05:41 PM. Reason: fix italics

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    back in the suburbs, near joondalup
    Posts
    3,438
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by akelly View Post
    The bottom line is though, if it was any good then normal oil companies would be putting it in their stuff (I would think).

    My 2 cents - adjusted for inflation.
    would it really be in an oil companies own best interest to develop a product that reduced the amount of oil changes a vehicle needs - thus reducing the amount of oil purchased?

    cat > pigeons

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Kelmscott Hills WA
    Posts
    122
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I don't use the additives either but is quite normal for a new engine to run a little bit hotter than normal for the first couple thousand k's.

    Mark

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Orange NSW
    Posts
    812
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I have always believed that the oil companies are the experts and if something worth adding came along they would add it and advertise it to try and increase market share.
    Don't start me on what I think of them when it comes to fuel though! Suffice to say people have to buy fuel every day not just a couple of times a year so they have us all over an oil barrell.
    Steve.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    NSW far north coast
    Posts
    17,285
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Price View Post
    I have always believed that the oil companies are the experts and if something worth adding came along they would add it and advertise it to try and increase market share.

    Steve.
    don't start me on consumer oil additives either........

    If the average Joe thinks they can outsmart a bunch of blokes with PhD's in chemistry and tribology (lubrication) by adding some 'slick' to their average oil is having a serious lend of themselves.
    Most oils available these days are so far superior to even ten years ago it almost beggars belief.

    Trucks able to go 100,000km between oil changes and all tolerances/clearances at 'new' spec at a 1,000,000km teardown (ok, they have huge sumps) should be proof enough of how advanced a modern engine oil can be.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Kippa Ring
    Posts
    1,665
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Trucks able to go 100,000km between oil changes and all tolerances/clearances at 'new' spec at a 1,000,000km teardown (ok, they have huge sumps) should be proof enough of how advanced a modern engine oil can be.
    Wish I could go that long without needing an oil change. Have just put a recon long motor in my van and a warranty condition is oil and filter change every 5000 km. Its a pain to do that every second weekend for the next year even though I use a quality oil.
    Last edited by p38arover; 23rd June 2007 at 06:19 PM. Reason: fix quote
    John

    Series 2 LWB - Gone
    Series 3 LWB - Gone
    Series 1 LWB - Gone
    81 RR 2 door - Gone
    95 Disco v8 - The Next Victim

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Brisbane, Inner East.
    Posts
    11,178
    Total Downloaded
    0
    The only engine oil additive I ever found to do anything was Wynn's Charge, long withdrawn from the market. This was in my used car dealer days in the sixties & early seventies when I owned a small yard for a short time and also wholesaled a few auction purchases and fleaed a few from home. Charge would bung up a smoky oil burner for long enough to sell it and keep any hostile buyer at bay. Caveat Emptor. You get what you pay for.
    URSUSMAJOR

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Cooroy, QLD
    Posts
    1,396
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Ah heh, heh, heh...

    Yeah, when I sold my first car (a r**ted EJ holden) I mixed half a litre of petrol with about the same amount of "moreys" then poured it down the carby throat while I rev'd the bejeezus out of it. Sealed the ring-gap up nicely (for how long I'll never know)!

    Caveat emptor indeed - traded it to a car yard!

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!