11 replies to this topic

[bigrob]

Evening all, happy new year and all that.

My 1.4 lupo is coming up for an extraordinarily over due service. A friend of mine keeps telling me to use some 'injector cleaner' in my next full tank of fuel to help with emissions and better running etc.

In my experience, i've used it once on an N reg corsa, helped for about 2 weeks then was worse than before.

So whats everyones take on this kind of thing?

I know octane boosters and the like are pretty pointless.

Cheers
Rob

[Anthony30]

Use Forte products. We use them in work. I don't believe in using all these 'treatments' ect. I think a good long run on the motorway would be for more beneficial.  My mum always told me I was a 'Victor'.

Edited by Anthony30, 01 January 2016 - 09:08 PM.

[nicklouse]

Yes an injector cleaner can help. And yes octane boosters do do what they say or they would not be able to sell them as such.

Back to the injector cleaners. A good heavy does and use for a length of time can help.

Results can and do differ.

[sledgehammer]

I would change fuel filter as well , if that hasn't been done in the service ?

 

(solvents in the Injector cleaner can loosen up gum , residue & dirt etc , caught in the filter)

 

I mix it with a bit of petrol & put it in 1/4 full tank

 

go for a brisk drive

[bigrob]

Thanks for the info. How about engine flush? I have been guilty of selling it to diesel owners by my old boss, but does it do much?

[Steve220]

Personally I'd never put it in any of my engines. Regular oil changes are more than enough for modern engines.

[bigrob]

As i thought many thanks

[sledgehammer]

only use engine flush if it is easy to get the sump off

 

the gunk it loosens can block the strainer & drain holes back from the head

 

especially on a vee engine

 

did a rebuild on a v6 granada taxi in the 80's , driver did an engine clean / flush (first after years of abuse)

 

all the oil stayed in the head / vee - none in the sump - flakes of tar / gunk blocked drain holes

 

blew the ends / cooked the mains

 

wasn't pretty , but the tar was loosened from the engine

 

needed a full rebuild 

Edited by sledgehammer, 02 January 2016 - 03:23 PM.

[Cooperman]

I had the same thing with a Mercedes 280 SE in the early 1990's. It had done over 22000 since an oil change and the owner asked me to help him. He bought new oil and an engine flush oil. After draining off, filling with flushing oil and finally filling with top quality synthetic it seemed fine, but ran all the big ends a few days later.

I don't like these longlife oils. The service interval on my BMW 730D is 20000 using LL-04 0w30 or 5w30 oil. I change mine every 7000 to 8000 and I use a 5w40 fully synthetic LL-04 (Castrol Edge - b****y expensive, but good) which seems fine. I use a full bottle of injector cleaner every 3000 miles.

[sledgehammer]

off subject - but years ago had a maestro for sales service - 1.3l with the long filler neck

 

warm up engine - very tappetey undone sump bung - nothing

 

poked a bar in , some water / sludge came out

 

stripped it - was covered in greasy sludge & ends / pump / mains were shot

 

found in the spare wheel well - winns oil additive

[1984mini25]

I had the same thing with a Mercedes 280 SE in the early 1990's. It had done over 22000 since an oil change and the owner asked me to help him. He bought new oil and an engine flush oil. After draining off, filling with flushing oil and finally filling with top quality synthetic it seemed fine, but ran all the big ends a few days later.

I don't like these longlife oils. The service interval on my BMW 730D is 20000 using LL-04 0w30 or 5w30 oil. I change mine every 7000 to 8000 and I use a 5w40 fully synthetic LL-04 (Castrol Edge - b****y expensive, but good) which seems fine. I use a full bottle of injector cleaner every 3000 miles.

 

Or think of it this way, would you buy a 60k bmw that's only ever had (if at all) 2 oil changes in its life?

 

Going back a decade of so, think of all the mpis with stuffed gearboxes because of the thinner oil (better for the emissions and cat) and increased oil changes from 3k to 12k.

 

But then laziness and maintenance free helps sell things, why bother servicing something as often or looking after when it's 'cheaper' to just throw it away and buy another.

[Cooperman]

It seems to be BMW, Mercedes and Audi trying to outdo each other on the length of service intervals. There will not be any problems within the warranty period so they don't care.

Maybe I'm old school, but to me engine life is directly related to regular oil changes at less than 10000 miles between changes.

I had a 1987 BMW 728i which I ran round from 50000 miles to 247000 miles without any real problems. I did a precautionary oil pump and bottom end bearing change without removing the engine at 185000 and when I sold it there were no engine issues - it was the electrics/electronics which were starting to fail. I changed the oil every 6000 miles using 5w40 oil. That was without doubt the best car I ever owned.