Engine cleaner tested by Top Gear?
Discussion
Apparently Top Gear did a test on engine cleaners and one did show an improvement. Anyone here know what product it was?
My daily driver is a 2003 Audi A6 with a 1.8 Turbo engine. It's now on 130k miles and going OK but fuel consumption is getting a lot worse (sub 24mpg)and it's lost it's sparkle.
I'd like to try an engine cleaner to see if it peps things up a bit.
Archoil seems so expensive it might even work??!!
Any recommendations?
My daily driver is a 2003 Audi A6 with a 1.8 Turbo engine. It's now on 130k miles and going OK but fuel consumption is getting a lot worse (sub 24mpg)and it's lost it's sparkle.
I'd like to try an engine cleaner to see if it peps things up a bit.
Archoil seems so expensive it might even work??!!
Any recommendations?
PaulKemp said:
Redex
I used that on old smokers in the 70"a
A bit in the tank to clean things up or remove air filter, fast idle and drizzle it in for a big decoke
They recomended driving to the countryside to do this as on old cars the smog was like a black/grey sandstorm
You could also put it in the cylinders if you had suspect piston rings. Feck me, I never thought that smoke was going to end!I used that on old smokers in the 70"a
A bit in the tank to clean things up or remove air filter, fast idle and drizzle it in for a big decoke
They recomended driving to the countryside to do this as on old cars the smog was like a black/grey sandstorm
It was b
ks, probably sponsored by the suppliers. Pause on the shots of the dyno curves and you can see they let off the power on the "before" runs before it reached the peak and on the "after" runs they went up a couple of hundred RPM higher and hit the peak.
It was shallow and unbecoming of a program supposedly dedicated to informing the viewer and entertaiing the car enthusiast.
ks, probably sponsored by the suppliers. Pause on the shots of the dyno curves and you can see they let off the power on the "before" runs before it reached the peak and on the "after" runs they went up a couple of hundred RPM higher and hit the peak.It was shallow and unbecoming of a program supposedly dedicated to informing the viewer and entertaiing the car enthusiast.
fatjon said:
It was bks, probably sponsored by the suppliers. Pause on the shots of the dyno curves and you can see they let off the power on the "before" runs before it reached the peak and on the "after" runs they went up a couple of hundred RPM higher and hit the peak.
It was shallow and unbecoming of a program supposedly dedicated to informing the viewer and entertaiing the car enthusiast.
ks, probably sponsored by the suppliers. Pause on the shots of the dyno curves and you can see they let off the power on the "before" runs before it reached the peak and on the "after" runs they went up a couple of hundred RPM higher and hit the peak.It was shallow and unbecoming of a program supposedly dedicated to informing the viewer and entertaiing the car enthusiast.
Media hype/bksKernowSid said:
Seen a few people on other forums recommending TerraClean (advertised by Ed China from Wheeler Dealers).
Obviously more expensive than a bottle of Redex from Halfrauds!
Anyone had any experience of TerraClean?
It is very effective but mainly at lining the pockets of small TV companies who do advertorials promoting it in their programs. There have been many reputable and genuinely impartial tests which have show it's sole performance increase is from reducing the weight of your wallet. Obviously more expensive than a bottle of Redex from Halfrauds!
Anyone had any experience of TerraClean?
There is nothing you are going to squirt down your fuel system that is going to de-gum injectors or clean burned on carbon off the combustion chambers, manifold, head or the back of the valves (including redex). If it existed I would have gallons of it in my parts cleaner and save myself the trouble of getting busy with a scraper. Carbon does not disolve in any solvents, including snake oil.
Thanks all - believers and skeptics alike!!
In the interests of scientific testing, I'm going to have a go with this:
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2013/5/23/tests-sh...
Available from Amazon.
I'll report back on results, although they won't be that scientific since I don't have access to a 4-wheel drive rolling road. I do track MPG closely though and never get more than 400 miles from a 70 litre tank so that will tell me something.
A.
In the interests of scientific testing, I'm going to have a go with this:
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2013/5/23/tests-sh...
Available from Amazon.
I'll report back on results, although they won't be that scientific since I don't have access to a 4-wheel drive rolling road. I do track MPG closely though and never get more than 400 miles from a 70 litre tank so that will tell me something.
A.
fatjon said:
It is very effective but mainly at lining the pockets of small TV companies who do advertorials promoting it in their programs. There have been many reputable and genuinely impartial tests which have show it's sole performance increase is from reducing the weight of your wallet.
There is nothing you are going to squirt down your fuel system that is going to de-gum injectors or clean burned on carbon off the combustion chambers, manifold, head or the back of the valves (including redex). If it existed I would have gallons of it in my parts cleaner and save myself the trouble of getting busy with a scraper. Carbon does not disolve in any solvents, including snake oil.
So the detergent packs that go into pump gasoline and are tested in an industry standard test for back-of-the-valve deposits are rubbish are they?There is nothing you are going to squirt down your fuel system that is going to de-gum injectors or clean burned on carbon off the combustion chambers, manifold, head or the back of the valves (including redex). If it existed I would have gallons of it in my parts cleaner and save myself the trouble of getting busy with a scraper. Carbon does not disolve in any solvents, including snake oil.
http://www.tickfordpowertraintest.eu/key-competenc...
NDT said:
fatjon said:
It is very effective but mainly at lining the pockets of small TV companies who do advertorials promoting it in their programs. There have been many reputable and genuinely impartial tests which have show it's sole performance increase is from reducing the weight of your wallet.
There is nothing you are going to squirt down your fuel system that is going to de-gum injectors or clean burned on carbon off the combustion chambers, manifold, head or the back of the valves (including redex). If it existed I would have gallons of it in my parts cleaner and save myself the trouble of getting busy with a scraper. Carbon does not disolve in any solvents, including snake oil.
So the detergent packs that go into pump gasoline and are tested in an industry standard test for back-of-the-valve deposits are rubbish are they?There is nothing you are going to squirt down your fuel system that is going to de-gum injectors or clean burned on carbon off the combustion chambers, manifold, head or the back of the valves (including redex). If it existed I would have gallons of it in my parts cleaner and save myself the trouble of getting busy with a scraper. Carbon does not disolve in any solvents, including snake oil.
http://www.tickfordpowertraintest.eu/key-competenc...
The only thing I found useful was to spray atomised water down the carbs of older vehicles I have owned. Cleaned carbon up brilliantly. I've never cleaned a new fuel injected motor though. Maybe I should try a spray down the throttle body if I can get it to start and run without the pipework attached.
henrycrun said:
Beware. Top Gear don't any testing. Just comedy.
More or less true, but some of the stuff is worth looking at, but so much of it is lies that it is unreal... Look at the episodes where they leave europe, many of those show the real opinion.The shown product is a detergent additive, many people use them with no negative effect, but some have seen negative effects. Automobile manufacturers don't recommend it in their maintenance schedules. Most fuel and oil contains a detergent additive already, by using these products, you are only adding more (than you need) detergent additive.
Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff