Manfred

I fill up at Texaco every single time I need gas (only station in town without Ethanol) and therefore my gas always has the Techron added. Does that mean adding a bottle of Techron every so often isn't necessary?

WallyP

Probably not necessary.

An extra dose MIGHT be helpful to clean the injectors and the back of the intake valves.

Marine Blue

Bigger question. Should oil changes be performed after adding Techron?

Manfred

You lost me...

No HTwo O

Yes, according to smart people like Charles Navarro at L&E Engineering. Add the bottle of Techron prior to scheduled oil change. Run the tank low. Refill gas, and then go for the oil change.

Pcplod

Why do you need to change the oil after adding this to your fuel tank??

No HTwo O

Don't really "need" to, it's just the prudent approach. Thought process is that the Techron could potentially "thin" the oil.

You have the choice and control when to add the Techron. Why not add it at the safest time possible, like just before the oil change.

This has been discussed many times on Rennlist.

Read this:

http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html

Here is an excerpt:

"What fuel system cleaner, lead additive, or octane booster should I use?

Fuel system cleaners are widely available from dozens of companies, all promising everything from helping you to pass emissions testing to increasing octane. Many do little more than put a drain on your wallet. In most cases, using a quality pump premium formulation is the best thing you can do for your engine, regardless of octane requirements. Most modern engines and fuel management systems can adjust for the increased octane and provide improved fuel economy and horsepower, so even though the octane requirement may be 87 or 91 octane, it can benefit from 93 or even 94 octane.

If you want to use a fuel system cleaner, use one that meets OEM requirements and is actually used by OEMs. Redline makes a fuel system cleaner that is good for both fuel injected and carbureted engines, called SI-1. They also make a lead substitute, called just that, Lead Substitute, that also cleans your fuel system and is safe for injectors and catalytic converters. Both are excellent products ok for continuous use or occasional cleanings.

Another product endorsed by many Porsche owners is Chevron's Techron Fuel System cleaner. There are many versions of this cleaner, but it is the most expensive one (with the highest % of Technron) that does the trick. The only caveat is that many owners recommend this cleaner should be used just before you change your oil, as the fuel system cleaner can contaminate your motor oil.

Additionally, Swepco's 503 gasoline and diesel fuel improver is an excellent fuel system cleaner, but can be expensive to ship because of hazardous material charges.

Lubro-Moly also offers several professional grade fuel system products (as well as other cleaners for cooling system and engine) that are excellent.

Regardless of which you choose, I recommending using these products at least every time you change your oil (preferably before you change it!).

If you need to boost your octane, again, if you have access to race gas, that's your best bet for a guaranteed octane boost. That said, Torco makes two race gas concentrates. One is unleaded and safe for use with catalytic converters and for street use and the other is leaded (with real lead) for OFF-ROAD USE ONLY. For example, 10 gallons of pump premium blended with 1/3rd of a bottle of either concentrate yields roughly 98 octane. In my own personal testing, the engine ran smoother and the plugs were cleaner when running their race gas concentrate, as it helps the fuel burn more completely and cleaner, regardless of the fact that it did make my carbureted engine run richer. But keep in mind that lead gets into the oil and will cause accelerated wear, so try to keep lead additives or leaded fuel limited to race engines that get oil changes frequently, if not after every race."

ALKada

Wow. I could see how this thread could start gun play with a few die hards. I think if you run cheap gas, yes you will need to run a quality additive once every three thousand miles. I think Chevon Techron would qualify as quality. But if you own one of these precious cars, why buy cheap fuel? If you are concerned about the PO not running quality fuel prior, consider possibly a BG service for the car. There are a few guys on the list here that vouch for it's effectivness.
It seems when I run SeaFoam in my various cars (or my company's fleet of trucks) every five thousand miles, they just run smoother over the long haul. I'm going to switch to BG44 per some good feedback here and see how it performs over the next year.
Maybe it's just my imagination, or it just makes me feel like I'm doing the car good.

No HTwo O

Lastly, I would add that I do Used Oil Analysis (UOA) with Blackstone after each oil change, and I've never seen any traces on the Techron in the oil report. But, given the choice of when to add the fuel system cleaner, I'd still rather add it to the car with "old" oil than my fresh new oil.

Manfred

.

Never fails, doesn't the thread title state, "simple question"?

Obviously, Though thanks for everyone's input. I had been to the lnengineering website before but had forgotten about it.

danglerb

I suspect the amount of Techron included in pump gas is just enough to legally say its there, but have little to no effect.

hacker-pschorr

I love Techron. A splash on the rocks with Crown Royal goes good with crackers.

Maleficio

I run Gumout Regane in every tank. My piston heads are shiny clean now, and the car's running pretty good. 28 years of varnish is finally being scoured out.

As for the oil being thinned by an injector cleaner, sounds absurd to me. But if you had a couple a dead plugs and fuel was migrating to the sump, then yes, change the oil.

Bill Ball

That quote from Navarro is unreal, especially the part about octane boosters making fuel burn more completely and cleaner. The whole quote is full on oddball anecdotes.

ALKada

Oh jeez i just sharded. That was a good one.