REDEX diesel additive - Waste of time?
Discussion
Fifth Gear did a test of them and some additives actually reduced horse power.
Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jbcCr2ll3c
Not Redex but interesting all the same
Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jbcCr2ll3c
Not Redex but interesting all the same
Edited by ol on Monday 7th June 21:04
If you want to use something that has a better reputation among many, consider the Millers additives. The Millers Economax Diesel additive is the latest concoction from them, which has recently replaced the well regarded Power Sport 4. A bottle treats 500 litres in normal dose, and costs about £10.
Some will say there is no point. However, in my mind, it offers benefits in some cars, which might save a repair bill. For example if they have highly stressed fuel pumps, or run on inferior fuel (supermarket?), with marginal lubrication properties, it will increase lubrication to the fuel system. It should also cut smoke and prevent deposits, prevent corrosion and may help increase economy very slightly. Removing deposits could help with power, which is something unlikely to show up on the youtube link posted above, where presumably the engine's fuel system was very clean to start with.
For most people I think decent fuel with a decent additive package (Shell/BP) should be fine, but in some particular cars with fragile pumps or excessive smoke, and if you use supermarket fuel (sweeping statement I know), then a decent additive could offer some benefits.
Some will say there is no point. However, in my mind, it offers benefits in some cars, which might save a repair bill. For example if they have highly stressed fuel pumps, or run on inferior fuel (supermarket?), with marginal lubrication properties, it will increase lubrication to the fuel system. It should also cut smoke and prevent deposits, prevent corrosion and may help increase economy very slightly. Removing deposits could help with power, which is something unlikely to show up on the youtube link posted above, where presumably the engine's fuel system was very clean to start with.
For most people I think decent fuel with a decent additive package (Shell/BP) should be fine, but in some particular cars with fragile pumps or excessive smoke, and if you use supermarket fuel (sweeping statement I know), then a decent additive could offer some benefits.
Edited by Turkey on Monday 7th June 20:44
Any links to documented evidence of any those claims?
Even motoring seems to be subject to placebo, nothing like proper comparitive testing by an independent 3rd party.
I would not trust my own "feeling" of a benefit to be honest so I would not touch any of this stuff until I saw evidence from this sort of objective testing.
Even motoring seems to be subject to placebo, nothing like proper comparitive testing by an independent 3rd party.
I would not trust my own "feeling" of a benefit to be honest so I would not touch any of this stuff until I saw evidence from this sort of objective testing.
Edited by Spunagain on Monday 7th June 20:47
ol said:
i love the way they do the test with an spi 16v k series. the whole point is that the stuff raises the ron number so you can increase the timing advance to get more power, but they leave the timing as a constant so surely it's obvious that a slower burning mixture is going to result in less power as the still burning fuel is getting wasted out of the exhaustI Redex'd my diesel weasel about 6 weeks ago. Noticed no difference.
Better off with a tank of V-Power diesel, after 200 miles you can feel that, pulls better in higher gears and marginally more economical.
At 3p / litre more, on a 45 litre tank, V Power is also cheaper than Redex....
I guess Ultimate diesel would do a similar job.
Key is not to buy the crap stuff - I find my car sounds even more tractorish after running on Asda or Sainbury's City diesel.
Better off with a tank of V-Power diesel, after 200 miles you can feel that, pulls better in higher gears and marginally more economical.
At 3p / litre more, on a 45 litre tank, V Power is also cheaper than Redex....
I guess Ultimate diesel would do a similar job.
Key is not to buy the crap stuff - I find my car sounds even more tractorish after running on Asda or Sainbury's City diesel.
Turkey said:
inferior fuel (supermarket?)
Where does this come from? Fuel has to meet BSxxxx. I run my car (not saying what, but it's a big engined PHer type car) and bikes on mostly supermarket fuel - put anything else in I cannot and have never felt the differnce. Ever. In over two decades driving. I did once get a tank of Jet that was obviously contaminated though. Oh - and didn't Shell have a slight issue with one of their fancy fuels years ago?If it's British Standard compliant and is being sold on a UK forecourt then it's good enough to stick in your tank. End of. (Monster Jap-tuned exotica etc excepted).
Dog Star said:
Turkey said:
inferior fuel (supermarket?)
Where does this come from? Fuel has to meet BSxxxx. I run my car (not saying what, but it's a big engined PHer type car) and bikes on mostly supermarket fuel - put anything else in I cannot and have never felt the differnce. Ever. In over two decades driving. I did once get a tank of Jet that was obviously contaminated though. Oh - and didn't Shell have a slight issue with one of their fancy fuels years ago?If it's British Standard compliant and is being sold on a UK forecourt then it's good enough to stick in your tank. End of. (Monster Jap-tuned exotica etc excepted).
I might be wrong, although if the wife's reading this, i'm not. Ever.
As far as I know, different additives make up the main difference between most supermarket fuel and that of the standard BP/Shell etc. The high performance fuels can use a different base sotck, such as BP Ultimate Diesel (great economy in my experience) or Shell VPower Diesel (not so great fuel economy). The additive package added to the basestock can help with fuel system lubrication, cleaner burn, detergency etc. In my mind Redex is not a good brand, and has never been in my car owning history, hence the recommendation for the Millers product.
My own experience running local supermarket fuel is that each time I have used a tank from a certain local source, I needed to fill up around 50 miles or more sooner than when running BP or Shell fuel (standard diesel not VPower). I have even thought that there must be some problem with the car, until I realised where I had filled up, and put two and two together. Keeping a spreadsheet of fuel use helps to have a good idea of how many miles per tank I can expect over what type of journey, driving style, and ambient temperature.
Regarding BS specifications, these are a minimum, so for instance the lubricity of the fuel can be marginal, and not give decent protection for some fragile high pressure common rail fuel pumps, but still technically meet the spec when tested. Is is not reasonable to assume that a lot of supermarket fuel is built to the lowest price, therefore the minimum of additives will be used (or cheapest ones that will meet the BS spec)?
Then there is the question of density, higher density Diesel gives more miles per gallon. Forget cetane, this does not directly relate to economy over a tank full. VPower Diesel although synthetically engineered, has a low density from what I can make out compared to most other Diesel fuels, this explains the poor mpg that I experienced using it, and others too.
If you don't try to understand the makeup of fuel, and the effects on the fuel system of your vehicle, then how can you make a sweeping statement such as it meets the standard so it must be fine, I've used it for years etc. This is not a reasoned argument for proving that one is better than the other in any area. That's just as bad as testing octane improving additives in a K series engine, which does not have a knock sensor, and can't take advantage of higher octane fuel to provide more power, and then claiming the additive is a waste of time.
My own experience running local supermarket fuel is that each time I have used a tank from a certain local source, I needed to fill up around 50 miles or more sooner than when running BP or Shell fuel (standard diesel not VPower). I have even thought that there must be some problem with the car, until I realised where I had filled up, and put two and two together. Keeping a spreadsheet of fuel use helps to have a good idea of how many miles per tank I can expect over what type of journey, driving style, and ambient temperature.
Regarding BS specifications, these are a minimum, so for instance the lubricity of the fuel can be marginal, and not give decent protection for some fragile high pressure common rail fuel pumps, but still technically meet the spec when tested. Is is not reasonable to assume that a lot of supermarket fuel is built to the lowest price, therefore the minimum of additives will be used (or cheapest ones that will meet the BS spec)?
Then there is the question of density, higher density Diesel gives more miles per gallon. Forget cetane, this does not directly relate to economy over a tank full. VPower Diesel although synthetically engineered, has a low density from what I can make out compared to most other Diesel fuels, this explains the poor mpg that I experienced using it, and others too.
If you don't try to understand the makeup of fuel, and the effects on the fuel system of your vehicle, then how can you make a sweeping statement such as it meets the standard so it must be fine, I've used it for years etc. This is not a reasoned argument for proving that one is better than the other in any area. That's just as bad as testing octane improving additives in a K series engine, which does not have a knock sensor, and can't take advantage of higher octane fuel to provide more power, and then claiming the additive is a waste of time.
Edited by Turkey on Tuesday 8th June 23:43
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