Sounds like no one really knows for certain but the census would be still add the Techron every 3k before an oil change--which is what I'll do.

 

Why exactly would an injector cleaner dilute engine oil? Is the engine not combusting properly? I find that hard to believe.

I sit here and shake my head as I read this absurd **** on a fantastic website. Even the oil nuts on bobistheoilguy.com don't push this absurdity.

 

I'm not sure dilution is the issue. My impression was that the contaminants being cleaned by the fuel system cleaners will make there way into the engine oil. It would be nice if someone had oil analysis done before and after fuel system cleaning to determine if the oil is dramatically affected.

 

Diluted, contaminated, whatever you want to call it... there is a reasonable suspicion that this product is thin enough to seep past the rings and into the oil. I have no proof, but since its sounds plausible... I always run a bottle through just before an oil change.

When I took my cam covers off and looked down the intake valves, they were pretty clean. Was that because I used Techron… I don’t know?

It’s relatively cheap, well know, been around since the seventies and far as I can tell doesn’t hurt anything and might really help. Go for it!

 

FWIW. I just came back from the Porsche dealership here in Dallas. After drooling on the showroom floor, I made my way back to the service department to pick up some BG44 that was suggested to me as a good treatment by ScottC and Greg Nettles. I ask the service tech if there was anything I needed to know before using this (BTW $20.00 a bottle..) He immediatly said I should use it on a long drive, run it hard, using as much of the fuel in the tank as possible and then change the oil. After seeing this post yesterday I asked him why. He stated that carbon deposits will get in the oil (he didn't say how) and that it was best to change afterward.
If someone can direct me on where I can get an oil analyis done, I would be willing (if it's not prohibitive on cost) to get the analysis before and after the BG treament. Would that be scientific enough or are there too many holes in this plan/theory?

 

www.blackstone-labs.com, they will send you a sample container, or stop by here, I've got some bottles from them.

 

FWIW if your going to add techron or any other fuel injection cleaner to the fuel,
its better to do many short drives .
this will let the cleaner have a chance to soak onto the dirty parts and loosen the deposits.
A long drive will not have the same effect,
Then change the oil as these deposits will begin to circulate through the engine

 

Sean,
I need to drop by and show you my arms length list of projects and get your advise as to which ones to tackle first. I really, really want to get the engine mounts and pan done before Third Coast....not your fault brotha, mine. I'll call ya.

 

MrMerlin, as always your post makes sense. You would think that it would be better to let it soak in but then run it hard to blow out the junk. I'll take your advise and do this before my next oil change which at this rate will happen in 2012 they way she sits in my garage...

Thanks---

 

I was going to say, you really need to drive the car, how many miles have you put on in the last two months? 35?

 

Just because I don't come out to the pasture doesn't mean she don't get driven.... Let's see here we go.

Pheonix to Dallas on purchase.
Dallas to Birmingham and back.
Various DFW club gatherings and picking up my feminine products at the grocery store. Ya happy now. Don't make my come over there and give you money, pal.

 

The issue of Techron is addressed in a tech question in the current issue (Sept. 2010) of Excellence magazine...

 

What qualifies as good gasoline? From talking with customers I have that distribute gas...it all comes from the same depots and pipelines. The differences are the additives unique to each brand added before delivery. So perhaps quality comes in many forms (the additives, the gas station, etc). I stay away from old run down places that may have bad and contaminated storage tanks. I like brands that have good additives like QT, Chevron, Texaco, BP, Exxon, etc....I try to avoid "generic" stations as they don't really disclose any additives they may or may not be using at all. I also avoid anything that helps Hugo Chavez! :-)

 

Since you guys like to use cleaner right before an oil change, I guess it doesn't really matter if it contaminates the oil or not, it's simply a good cycle to stay on for preventive maintenance.

Do you guys ever run an engine flush before an oil change, too? I do every time. I run a can of Amsoil engine flush for 25 minutes @ 2K RPM, then drain and fill.

Seems to be effective so far on my cars.

 

correct, gas is basically the same before the additives are added at the truck terminal.

My understanding is that generic gas has the minimum amount of additives required by law and the name brands have more, in some cases much more. In the case of Shell V power, the V stands for five times the amount of additives required by law.

I work for Shell, but I'd say any of the name brands are much better than generic for your car. The pictures you've seen of dirty valves are real. They are taken from test cars here in Houston, at the research center. They have dual fuel systems, one feeding each bank of cylinders of a V6. Generic gas in one tank, Shell in the other. I believe the test period is only 5000 miles.

I used to be skeptical and bought gas at Kroger, but now I'm a believer. Worth the extra cost in my book (no employee discounts ).