Club 80-90 Forums

Not had much experience with diesels but we've recently bought a Diesel Corsa. Seems fine but I noticed a bloke pouring some 'fuel' additive into the diesel tank of his car next to us in the carpark at Aldi. I asked him if it would do any good? He wasn't sure but a bloke (down the pub?) said it cleaned out the lines and injectors etc.
Snake Oil or does it work? If so what sort?

Marmite topic. Heard people sing it's praises whilst others shout 'snake oil'. I just suppose it depends on weather you're a 'believer' or not.

Basically it can't hurt, but you may be throwing cash away.

I've used it after I've left vehicles sit a while, but prefer to just put the odd tank of 'super' in, as it has all the same additives in.

Same additives you say, I didn't know that. Everyday is a school day!

Well, I can't say 'exactly', but similar if you know what I mean.

Fir Super, you're paying for higher cetane level and some detergent properties, which is pretty much all those additives are.

the 'expensive' diesels have most of these additives in, so you would do just as well to fill up every now and again with that stuff

Didn't even know you could get different types of diesel fuel! Will try that on the next fill up.

I used to run the cheapest diesel I could get and every now and again I'd fill up with Aral (BP) Ultimate or Ultimum diesel.

The old girl used to purr and run considerably cooler.

Ian and Lins wrote:Didn't even know you could get different types of diesel fuel! Will try that on the next fill up.

Not all pumps have both unlike most petrol pumps which have normal and super next to each other.

A station will quite often have one or two pumps with the premium diesel on.

put 300ml of 2-stroke oil (the stuff you mix with petrol for mowers etc) per full tank, you will not believe the difference, google it... the boffins at Mercedes checked all available additives and this was the only one with any benefit

mark

If the engine has been driven in a ponderous style by its last owner sometimes some additive can really make a difference, It can clean up the valves ,intakes and make it run much smoother. I always use Millers dieselclean/ powerplus additive and add a double or triple dose to a tank, then give the card a real good long hard /high speed run. Plenty of revs in each gear. If it has an EGR / turbo also use some EGR cleaner spray, Run engine at 2000 rpm and squirt it into the intake before or after the turbo but after the air cleaner. The engine may rev up as it burns the spray so do it in short bursts. It doesnt shift much carbon from the egr system but can help to clean things up a bit.
After the initial doses just add a normal dose to each tankful to keep things clean or treat every 6 mnths as above. It is good snake oil!!!

Use 2-EHN bought direct from wholesaler for last year or so

I find the "premium" grades of Diesel make a noticeable improvement (though our 2 vehicles are petrol, but I occasionally drive Diesels) The premium petrols are worth the extra money too, better performance and better MPG (the latter offsetting the slight extra cost) plus many of them (but not Shell) do not contain Ethanol which I hate and so do my classic Brit bikes.

ELVIS wrote:Use 2-EHN bought direct from wholesaler for last year or so

I use that stuff (2-ethyl hexyl nitrate) in my racing model aeroplane engines (they are 2 stroke "compression ignition", not the ones folk call "Nitro" or "Glo-plug" engines by the way). Half a horsepower @ 22,000 rpm from 2.5cc Some of the very expensive racing motors do 38,000 rpm We used to use Amyl Nitrate but you can't get that anymore (and no, it's not the same as "Poppers", that's actually Iso-Propyl-nitrate).