Fuel additives are a great way to clean your car’s engine. Available from any filling station or hardware store that stocks vehicle cleaning and maintenance goods, fuel additives are cheap and can go a long way in increasing the fuel efficiency or fuel economy of your car. But what exactly do they do? And how often should we use them?
Fuel Additives: Necessary or Outdated?
The fuel of today is a lot more refined than what was available even 10 years ago. With lead-replacement fuels and diesel now the most popular fuels for sale, the use of fuel additives has decreased as there is no longer a high need for them.
What are fuel additives?
There are two main types of additives. They are:
#1: Fuel Performance Enhancers
This additive works to improve the power, speed, and fuel efficiency of your car. It works together with the fuel to increase the overall performance of your engine and allows you to get more miles per gallon.
#2: Fuel Stabilizers
Fuel stabilizers act as a barrier in your fuel tank to prevent fuel from evaporating. They form a protective layer between the fuel and the tank. Fuel stabilizers can be used on both diesel vehicles and regular fuel vehicles, and also on any type of engine. These are also great to add to your fuel tank if you are going away and need to put your car in long-term storage.
While it is not proven that fuel additives actually do enhance your car’s performance or fuel efficiency, there are many vehicle owners who swear by fuel cleaners to get the most out of their car.
Fuel additives are also believed to protect your fuel tank and engine by keeping your car free of carbon deposits and carbon buildup that could possibly lead to more serious issues down the line.
What are the Benefits of Fuel Additives?
They are designed to help clean fuel systems, improve your gas mileage, and more. Here are a few other benefits that you can enjoy when using fuel additives in your fuel reservoir:
- Lower carbon emissions from your exhaust
- Remove “water” from your fuel system
- Keep the cars carburetors, injectors, and engine oil clean with every tank of fuel
- Increase the fuel economy or gas mileage of your vehicle
When Should I use Fuel Additives?
How often you use a fuel additive depends on the type of additive you use, as well as how many miles you have driven. While some additives can be added every time you fill your tank at the fuel pump, there are those that are designed to be used every 6,000 Miles (10,000km).
Before you use a fuel additive, speak to your mechanic to see if there are any possible issues that could be maintained with a fuel additive. With the range of products available, there is a fuel additive to meet most needs. From cleaning your fuel injectors to ensuring your engine is ready for cold weather, additives are helpful and in some cases necessary.
Filling stations have a wide variety of fuel additive products for different uses, so make sure to speak to your attendant to get the right product for your vehicle, as well as for your desired outcome. Maintaining your car and ensuring proper engine performance is important, and choosing the right additive is just as important as using the correct type of fuel.
Common Fuel System Problems and how Additives can Help
There is a common misconception that additives can be used to fix or treat larger problems. If you have noticed any strange noises coming from your engine, or if your car seems to have a problem with power, it is always a better idea to first have it seen by a mechanic.
The most common fuel system problems that could be solved or maintained by using fuel additives are:
- Clogged fuel injectors
- A fuel pump that is not operating as it should
- Using the wrong type of fuel in your vehicle
- Fuel filters that are clogged and filled with carbon deposits
Your engine performance can indeed be improved by using a fuel performance enhancer to help clean your fuel tank from deposits that have built up over a period of time. A fuel cleaner is also great to ensure that your fuel lines are clear.
How to Choose the Best Fuel Additive for your Vehicle
Choosing an additive to use in your tank of fuel is important and can make a world of difference. But how do you go about choosing the best additive? Here are our top tips when choosing a fuel additive:
Tip #1: Choose a product that can clean fuel injectors and carburetors in one. Dirty injectors lead to dirty fuel that can severely impact the performance of your car. Fuel injection cleaning is vital to get the best mileage on a tank of fuel.
Tip #2: Do your research on fuel distributors and choose a fuel additive that is recommended for the type of fuel you use, as well as the type of car that you drive. There are different fuel additives for regular fuel and diesel fuel.
Tip #3: Ask for recommendations from car storage companies on a fuel stabilizer treatment that will protect your vehicle, prevent your fuel from evaporating, and prevent fuel system corrosion.
Tip #4: Choose a brand that you know and that has high ratings and recommendations. The fuel treatment industry is a large one and with hundreds of companies producing fuel treatment additives, choosing one can be tricky. Always go with the name you know for quality products.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, modern fuels have been designed to keep your engine clean and allow for better fuel economy. There are, however, some cars that need a boost or additive to help increase their performance based on the type of engine the car has or the fuel it needs to run.
Fuel additives are also useful in preventing and reducing carbon buildup in your fuel injectors, which can more often than not lead to loss of engine performance. Research all the fuel additive options well before choosing just one, and ensure that you are using the correct additive for your car’s needs.