What Type Of Fuel Additive Are You Guys Using?
 

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I use Fuel Power additive, that I buy by the gallon from a truck supply store in Orlando for a little over $50, which is a lot cheaper than buying 8 oz. bottles at truck stops. I've used FP on a variety of cars and pickup trucks, since I got my very 1st diesel in 1984, an Isuzu pickup.

My original Volvo truck w/ Volvo engine had 538,000 miles on it when I got it 5+ years ago, and I've used Fuel Power since then up to the 1,066,000 miles when I traded it in, and NEVER needed any work on injector pump or fuel injectors during all those miles. :clap:

The only thing I ever added to my fuel tank was more fuel when it got low and a small amount of methyl alcohol when it got colder the -25.

When I serviced my truck, I would fill the fuel filters with ATF (automatic transmission fluid) as a cleaner for the injectors. I had to stop doing that when they started looking for red dye in the fuel to signify the use of untaxed, off road fuel. I was told you can purchase un-dyed ATF but I never pursued it.

I don't use any unless it gets down to zero and I'm leaveing the truck for a few days (no place to plug it in) Never had a problem

***OR*** You could simply explain to them that you added transmission fluid, and then be on your way. :lol:

try it and let us know how much the ticket is.....

I don't use additives. I think that most of them are a waste of money. I may use a little alcohol in my fuel if I get some water in my fuel. I have also been known to add some transmission fluid. That is all that I use. I have only been checked one time for dye in the tank. I still had the container for the transmission fluid. It wasn't a problem.

I've only been checked twice in over 30 years of driving but I would bet money that the DOT wouldn't care what the explanation was. I agree with flood, If they find red dye in the fuel, I think your going to get a ticket. You may beat it in court if you have all of the correct receipts but it would be a colossal headache.

A fuel sample would resolve any questions about the content of your fuel tank.

The dye is detected by chemical analysis, not by looks!!!

When its done at the side of the road there is NO analysis, it is the officers discretion, you should know how that will work, and the fine is usually by the gallon based on full fuel capacity, because they will assume that the tanks were completely full of the dyed fuel at one time or another.

Try to fight it in court see whose favor it comes out for. Remember how most states are cash strapped.

As far as additives I don't use any, maybe only if its gonna be real cold.


Heres a link to an oil additive test you might find interesting though


What about Additives?

We are talking about fuel, rather than oil additives. But as far as oil additives goes, I add Lucas Synthetic @ 20%.

I know I'm old and really stubborn but WOW.

I have never been a supporter or user of additives of any kind. I never put anything in my crankcase but conventional motor oil. I never put anything in my differentials or transmissions but conventional gear oil. I never put anything in my radiator but green antifreeze. I never put anything in my tires except air.

A lot of people told me I was just being stubborn but their equipment wasn't lasting any longer then mine. I guess this helps me understand why. I wish I could say I was that smart but the truth is, I couldn't see spending extra money on something that didn't have a clear return on the investment.

Even in my cars I do the same. Valvoline 5w-30 in both the wife's PT Cruiser (197,000 mile) and my Dakota (142,000). I also put cooler thermostats in both of them right after we bought them. I have always thought that the 195 degree t-stats were too hot to get serious miles out of a gas engine. They both run at 180 degrees.

I'm guess I'm just and old school, old fart.

I use Lucas in my fuel everyother fill-up (so twice a month)

Always add Lucas every oil change.

I'm a little over a million miles on my 74 Pete's rebuilt BIG 3 and still doesn't burn (or leak) a drop...... injectors/pump are the same, never been changed.

one can tell YOU have never been stoped and had them check your fuel.....? i have been and they DON'T do any "chemical analysis" all they do is stick a tube in your fuel tank and pull up some, if it has a red tint to it you get the ticket.... they don't ask or care what you added, if it's red it's farm fuel and you get a ticket

3 or 4 times a year they do it in the town i live in. they just stop EVERY car truck or semi going thrught town

I'm not sure about your state, but here in Indiana, they do a "dip test" with a stick and see if there is red dye. If there is, then you get a citation. On the citation, you have to sign. If you refuse to sign, then there is a spot for your comment and the officers give it to you anyways and you have to go to court. Not sure what you could do to fight it really at that point anyways, but it's an option LOL

Probably similar to a pH test strip; the stick reacts with the chemical in the red dye, and turns an odd color. If it is just red transmission fluid, no such reaction occurs.

BTW: In the five years I've been an O/O, and a combined total of maybe a year on the road before that since 1991, I've NEVER had my fuel tested. Not even once. :thumbsup:

Yeah, they put it on a wooden stick and dip it (my little brother is a MCI here in Indiana)

I have only been checked 1 time and that was in Montana back in '02

Iuse lucas fuel treatment every 10,000 miles when I sevice my truck. fill the primary filter with it & the rest goes in the tanks. always saw a m.p.g. increase when using.

Then why not use it every tankful? (in smaller doses, of course).

It's my understanding that there are bacteria that can (and, I guess, do) grow in the bio-fuel. In states like IL, MN, and IA, you can find bacteriacide for sale as a fuel additive. I've had to change my fuel filter a couple of times after fueling in IL and MN. I did try that additive a couple of times when I fueled there and the filter did last longer, so there may be something to that. With company trucks, you simply call the shop and ask then where they want you to have the filter changed.

Fuel goes in the fuel tank. Oil goes in the oil fill. Transmission fluid goes in the transmission. Brake fluid goes in the brake reservoir. Anyone who is putting transmission fluid in their fuel is a fool, and I challenge them to prove it does anything positive at all. "I haven't had to change injectors in blah blah number of miles" is not proof.

LOL.

You know I've never had to put brake fluid in my truck. Never, not once, and I've never used a brake fluid additive either. That's the one thing on my truck that's held up wonderfully.

I had some guys swear to me about the Lucas oil additive lately. So I asked my mechanic about it. I don't put anything in anything without asking for his opinion. He pretty much said it's bunk. Everything in Lucas is already in the oil you put in, providing you're using a good oil . I just stick to regular oil changes.

I have, but I hit a deer first and destroyed the plastic cap.

Asinine statements like:

are completely meaningless.

I just realized something. I've been drinking Dr. Pepper for the past 20+ years. I haven't needed any work on my heart during all those years. Therefore Dr. Pepper must be the reason.:clap:

:roll:

If all these additives work so well why don't the manufacturers require their use? Less warranty repairs and longer life.

Not only that, but if they worked there would be a big fleet endorsing the product, after all a fleet of 10,000 or more trucks could benefit from some of the claims of the snake oil, I mean additive

if you ever have your fuel gel up, you will believe in anti gel additive.

My drivers use additives when the temps get to O and below. Just don't add things all year long.

Well yeah, I use that in the winter.

This is why I rarely go outside of FL & GA. :clap:

I lost one injector in my CAT C15 a while ago at a slightly over 450,000 miles. CAT told me poor quality fuel usually causes this but that they don't "believe in additives". Nevertheless, I started using Lucas Lubricator with every fuel fill-up after that because I noticed that it improves my fuel mileage and the way the truck pulls. I think Lucas does help to compensate for the effects of bad fuel. I also drain my water separator every morning COMPLETELY. On my International the separator doesn't have any window at the bottom, so there's no way to tell if there's water in there, so after the injector repair I started draining the entire thing. The best deal on Lucas is at Duty Free stores on US/Canada border (eg, Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, ON) where you get a low price plus an additional 10% off if you have a Duty-Free truck-driver bonus card. To get this free card, you register at the counter, and within a couple of weeks you get it in the mail. That's the lowest price I've found so far.

And look at that! Manufacturers put it in the fuel themselves during the months that it is needed!

I don't consider anti gel to be the same as this other garbage that people throw in their fuel.

I don't really care to start a debate but have you ever noticed that the fluid in an automatic transmission doesn't get black and dirty like engine oil does? There are several reasons, most important is the fact that there is no combustion going on in the transmission, but ATF has solvents and detergents in it that motor oil and diesel fuel don't have. Those detergents are what makes it clean injectors. I never added it as a regular thing to my fuel, I just filled the filters with it when I serviced the truck. I bought an 1984 Mack in 1988. It had an E6 300+ in it and I drove it in town until it had 765,000 miles on it with out a problem doing exactly that. At 765K it still ran great. It didn't even smoke like most old Macks did. Was it the ATF? Who knows?

When I was young, way back when the earth was still cooling, I used to add ATF to the crankcase of gas engines to quiet ticking hydraulic lifters. It worked very well because of the added detergents. It helped clean the sludge and varnish from inside the engine better then anything I have ever seen.

I'm not saying you need to believe it, I'm just telling what I did and why and offering what I experienced for results. I'm not offering any empirical evidence here that there was a positive result but there was definitely not a negative result. Other then ATF, I'm like you. Oil in the crankcase and fuel in the fuel tank and air in the tires.

If you use a quality oil in the first place there would be no need for an additive to clean. Used to add solvent to car motors before tearing down to make clean-up easier.

That's the only reason. The lack of the addition of soot and combustion causes the lack of dirt. If you put engine oil in your transmission (no I'm not recommending you do this) it would maintain its color just fine.

Saying that detergents in ATF keep the fluid clean implies that there is dirt that the detergents are taking away. If so, then where is this dirt going? Does it just magically disappear?

Furthermore, why not throw a bottle of laundry detergent into your fuel tank. After all, if it's detergents you're looking for, then any old detergent should work, right? But doing something like that would just be crazy.

Furthermore, why not throw a bottle of laundry detergent into your fuel tank. After all, if it's detergents you're looking for, then any old detergent should work, right? But doing something like that would just be crazy.[/QUOTE]

Thanks alot,now i need to siphon all the fuel out of the trucks.

Thanks alot,now i need to siphon all the fuel out of the trucks.[/QUOTE]

Don't do that man, just ride the Tide. Get it. :lol:

Actually, Chrysler did use 5W-30 motor oil in their FWD New Process transmissions in the Omni's , Horizons and K cars and the oil actually did get dirty but only from parts wear because it was an inferior lubricant. I always ran ATF in them as well which was acceptable according to the warranty of the vehicle. What wasn't acceptable was the use of heavy gear or mineral oils because they were too thick to get to the front counter shaft bearing.

The detergents don't keep the fluid clean any more then laundry detergent keeps the water clean. They keep the dirt from building on the inside of the transmission. The filter traps the dirt, keeping the fluid clean. In the case of ATF in fuel, the contamination is microscopic in the injectors and when released by the detergents they go through the combustion chamber of the engine and get burned. The newer low sulfur fuels are much cleaner so the need to use ATF or any other cleaner probably doesn't exist anymore.

Whats crazy is assuming that all detergents are the same. Are all lubricants the same? Would you put grease in your crankcase or oil on your 5th wheel. Some detergents would be considered acid and some would be considered base. Many of the detergents used in products made from crude oil are themselves made from the same crude oil. Not even remotely something you would want to wash your cloths with. A lot of laundry detergents today are organic meaning their made from base compounds and plants. If it says green on the bottle, it's probably organic.

Your an interesting person Rev. You seem to have a very cut and dried, short sited view of things. If everyone thought that way, we would never have put a man on the moon and we would probably be driving ox carts instead of a trucks.

Ummm... the fuel injectors get dirty from the fuel going thru them, NOT from the oil in the crankcase.

Show me a scientific study that shows ATF in the fuel does anything positive at all.

One would think if it actually did what you're claiming, the ATF manufacturers would be repackaging their product as injector cleaner and selling it at an inflated price.