Has formula of Redex changed?

[NickCLotus]

Anyone know if the formula or strength of Redex has changed? Squirted 50ml or so into my inlet manifold and no blue smoke at all, nothing. I'm sure when I have used this back in the past only a small amount used to smoke out the whole street, what has gone wrong. Is there a stronger alternative available now.

Have a slight misfire on the overrun, engine has done 90k so could probably do with a good clean out.

[SAS Tom]

I’d look at fixing the problem rather than pouring stuff into the engine hoping it’ll fix it.

[Missy Charm]

I don't recall Redex ever causing petrol engines to smoke - or perhaps I'm misremembering.

Anyway, the formulation is noted here: https://www.newco-europe.co.uk/static/uploads-cms2... and there doesn't seem to be anything in it that would, in itself, cause smoke - all that stuff is already in ordinary petrol!

Some people did used to put two-stroke oil in car engines, as an additive. Don't know if that did anything, though!

[Joseph Ducreux]

If it was pissing off the neighbours with a smoke show you wanted, then a couple of tins of 10k boost sprayed into the air intake used to do the trick back in the mid 2000s!

I'm not sure if it's even still available - it looks like they're now just a brand of "pour in the tank and hope the fuel filter doesn't catch it all" cleaners.

[M11rph]

My first car (Sierra 2.0 GL) used to love a drink of Redex straight into the carb.

It would then be blasted down the street and would produce a trail of smoke akin to a battleship...


I've not used it since in the "injector age" so can't comment. Perhaps modern engines are so clean there's nothing to produce the cloud of utter filth that used to exit the exhaust? Or the various GPF/DPF/catalysts are simply collecting it and moving the problem from one place to another?

[NickCLotus]

SAS Tom said:

I’d look at fixing the problem rather than pouring stuff into the engine hoping it’ll fix it.

If there was anything obvious to fix I would try but...

Car is a Peugeot 307 1.6 16v petrol, TU5JP4 engine, 90k miles.

Bit of hesitation/judder on the overrun. Happens when trying to hold a lowish speed of say 50mph on a slight downhill. Pulls ok at normal low throttle openings. Doesn't feel like just one cylinder missing, feels more like two or perhaps the throttle valve fluttering about for some reason.

Have previously removed and decarbonised Throttle body & flap and replaced body to manifold seal.

In the past I have had a slightly similar problem at low throttle openings but that was cured by changing the iridium plugs for some standard ones of a slightly hotter rating.

At the moment I am a bit baffled by this and don't know where to start.

[NickCLotus]

Missy Charm said:

I don't recall Redex ever causing petrol engines to smoke - or perhaps I'm misremembering.

Anyway, the formulation is noted here: https://www.newco-europe.co.uk/static/uploads-cms2... and there doesn't seem to be anything in it that would, in itself, cause smoke - all that stuff is already in ordinary petrol!

Some people did used to put two-stroke oil in car engines, as an additive. Don't know if that did anything, though!

I'm pretty sure just a small squirt into the inlet produced masses of smoke as it decarbonated the cylinders.

[MC Bodge]

NickCLotus said:

If there was anything obvious to fix I would try but...

Car is a Peugeot 307 1.6 16v petrol, TU5JP4 engine, 90k miles.

Bit of hesitation/judder on the overrun. Happens when trying to hold a lowish speed of say 50mph on a slight downhill. Pulls ok at normal low throttle openings. Doesn't feel like just one cylinder missing, feels more like two or perhaps the throttle valve fluttering about for some reason.

Have previously removed and decarbonised Throttle body & flap and replaced body to manifold seal.

In the past I have had a slightly similar problem at low throttle openings but that was cured by changing the iridium plugs for some standard ones of a slightly hotter rating.

At the moment I am a bit baffled by this and don't know where to start.

The engine needs a good supply of Air and fuel, compression and reliable sparks.

Maybe reset the ECU.

Do you have an OBD code reader?

I would give it a good old Itlaian tune-up too.

[NickCLotus]

MC Bodge said:

The engine needs a good supply of Air and fuel, compression and reliable sparks.

Maybe reset the ECU.

Do you have an OBD code reader?

I would give it a good old Itlaian tune-up too.

Apart from disconnecting the battery I don't know of a way to reset the ECU but I can try that.

I have the full Lexia-3 Peugeot diagnostic interface available but what do I look for in there? If no error has shown on dashboard then I suggest nothing will have been recorded in that error log.

[MC Bodge]

NickCLotus said:

MC Bodge said:

The engine needs a good supply of Air and fuel, compression and reliable sparks.

Maybe reset the ECU.

Do you have an OBD code reader?

I would give it a good old Itlaian tune-up too.

Apart from disconnecting the battery I don't know of a way to reset the ECU but I can try that.

I have the full Lexia-3 Peugeot diagnostic interface available but what do I look for in there? If no error has shown on dashboard then I suggest nothing will have been recorded in that error log.

I suggest that the diagnostic tool may be the first port of call

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Missy Charm said:

I don't recall Redex ever causing petrol engines to smoke - or perhaps I'm misremembering.

You've never removed the spark plugs & poured it in the bore.

I made so much smoke with my Midget you couldn't see the other side of the road! (And nor could you for the next half mile when I tried to burn it out )

[NickCLotus]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

You've never removed the spark plugs & poured it in the bore.

I made so much smoke with my Midget you couldn't see the other side of the road! (And nor could you for the next half mile when I tried to burn it out )

I thought about doing that but as the plug holes are down 3" tubes I didn't fancy the mess it would make in there when I turned it over without the plugs in to clear it out.

[Rough101]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

You've never removed the spark plugs & poured it in the bore.

I made so much smoke with my Midget you couldn't see the other side of the road! (And nor could you for the next half mile when I tried to burn it out )

Yes, I had to drive to a deserted industrial estate until the smoke subsided a bit.

I actually think that the Redex itself was the smoke, just to give the impression it was doing something.

[NickCLotus]

Rough101 said:

Yes, I had to drive to a deserted industrial estate until the smoke subsided a bit.

I actually think that the Redex itself was the smoke, just to give the impression it was doing something.

I've known Redex free-up siezed oil-control rings, amount other things, but that was in the past when I suspect Redex was real, not like this red water stuff they sell now!

[otolith]

I assume that the smoke is due to overfuelling, and that a modern engine management system will attempt to correct that in real time.

[hedges88]

NickCLotus said:

Apart from disconnecting the battery I don't know of a way to reset the ECU but I can try that.

I have the full Lexia-3 Peugeot diagnostic interface available but what do I look for in there? If no error has shown on dashboard then I suggest nothing will have been recorded in that error log.

I'm not familiar with the software but if there is any error codes that's an obvious first step. If the ECU seems unaware of any fault or your problems have not triggered a code then maybe see if the software has anything regarding rough running or similar kind of monitoring. Check the fuel trims, look for wild fluctuations and anything +/- 10% is a concern. Check the spark plugs are good and there are no vacuum leaks. If you have a fuel filter replacement due maybe get that done. I have experienced similar issues on a Mercedes and it was just that the coil packs had worn out. If none of that helps then maybe look into the fuel pump.

Edit: just to add, if the issue is on the overrun then a worn/leaking injector could be an issue.

[Gad-Westy]

MC Bodge said:

NickCLotus said:

MC Bodge said:

The engine needs a good supply of Air and fuel, compression and reliable sparks.

Maybe reset the ECU.

Do you have an OBD code reader?

I would give it a good old Itlaian tune-up too.

Apart from disconnecting the battery I don't know of a way to reset the ECU but I can try that.

I have the full Lexia-3 Peugeot diagnostic interface available but what do I look for in there? If no error has shown on dashboard then I suggest nothing will have been recorded in that error log.

I suggest that the diagnostic tool may be the first port of call

Yep. Cars generally record loads of errors that don’t throw dash lights. Probably a good idea to take note of them, clear them, run the car again and see what comes back.

[Tabs]

I remember 55 years ago, removing plugs and using Redex in my Austin A30.
Lived in a close with my parents.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon and the whole close was engulfed in smoke, so much so that people were bumping into each other to investigate the source.

[Gary C]

Missy Charm said:

I don't recall Redex ever causing petrol engines to smoke - or perhaps I'm misremembering.

?

In the 80's you could blanket a whole street in the smoke from Redex

Must be said, I also think it never did any good...

[Tony1963]

From memory, the more complete method was to leave the redex or, while I was in the RAF, OM15 hydraulic oil, to soak into the carbon overnight. It really did work, but engines don’t have carbon build up now if all is well.
I never did it, because I always thrashed my cars instead.

“Upper cylinder lubricant” as my dad and grandad called it.