Techron, BG44 or Redline, that's the question?

I note that BG44 doesn't have any PEA in it, whereas Techron is around 70% and Redline is around 30/50%.

Wondered what the general consensus was, before I buy any?

 

Never considered the PEA content, but I have been using BG for a few years in all vehicles and started using Cataclean this year - I do both more for prevention than anything. If I can get a few more MPG, great, but I'm mainly trying to keep the system and related components clean so I don't have sensors, injectors etc. to replace. I also use the BG EPR and MOA during oil changes and converted to Liqui Moly on everything except the F-type (will likely use dealer for oil changes etc while under warranty and as long as they don't quote me something ridiculous when I'm out of warranty.

 

I've owned my F-Type R for 3.5 years now (purchased new) and put just over 6000 miles on it. It runs perfectly fine. Why put a bottle of BG into it?

 

For the same reason you change the oil, air filters, and other items; preventative maintenance and increased performance. Performance gains are minimal but long-term cleanliness of internal systems can minimize wear, build up, and potentially repairs. If you don't see the value, don't buy them. I don't monitor my stuff closely enough to see if there is a big difference, but there are many testimonials on a lot of the bigger name products and alot of experts (paid and unpaid) who have weighed in on the benefits. For me, it's a matter of doing the little things to prevent a big thing.

 

For whatever the reason (I'm not an engine designer), the F-Type seems to have a lot of deposits. This can cause injectors to stick which is a fairly common problem for the F-Types that are not driven much. You can do a search here on the forum for "injectors" and find several people who have had this problem. Running a good fuel cleaner can help remove deposits from a car that is not getting used regularly and keep from having one or more injectors fail.


As to the original post, I've used Techron & BG44 on my vehicles for years. Techron is typically available locally and is usually cheaper.

 

Indeed - although you can save a few bucks on BG and others by buying a 3 or 6 pack on amazon which is what I do.

 

I think you are mistaken about BG 44 not having PEA.

 

I couldn't spot it in the MSDS data for BG fuel system cleaner, appears to be other solvents?



...or not listed?

 

I always use top tier gas but here in California the gas is crap anyway. I have always added a bottle of Techron or occasionally Redline to the tank of my cars about 500 miles before each oil change. I have never had a problem with the fuel injector systems in my vehicles nor have ever paid a dealer to do their "fuel injector service" for some fairly substantial amount of money. I have not tried BG but the guys on the Bob Is The Oil Guy site seem to agree that the Redline has the most PEA content.

I know that many of you may consider it snake oil, but I also add about 6 oz. of Marvel Mystery Oil to my gas tank about every 4 fill ups. The reason for this in the past has to fix a known issue with sticky fuel gauge sender floats on my Nissan 370Z. Again, the cause of that problem has been whatever CA does to the gasoline here and a tankful of gas with some MMO always resolved the problem with a balky fuel gauge for a few thousand miles until it started to act up again. The MMO does not contain PEA so probably does little to nothing for the deposits, maybe is a good lubricant for the injectors ? But it seems to be a good and inexpensive fuel additive as a PM for other issues.

 

You might want to research the specific needs of gasoline direct injection engines (GDI) such as ours. My Jaguar dealer uses the BG system products automatically with every oil change.

 

The choice of oil is also important in GDI engines as is doing more frequent than what is today's norm ( which seems to be ~7500 mile OCI's or longer for many drivers ) for oil changes. I don't run more than 5000 miles between changes on my GDI vehicles and a premium synthetic with low sulfated ash content seems to be a good choice for keeping carbon buildup down.

 

I typically do an oil change once per year in all but one of my vehicles - each gets used between 1000-2500 miles - way less this year of course, but I haven't asked my dealer about using BG in the oil on the f-type yet - I will next year though. I just started using the EPR which is supposed to help get all the old oil out and clean the system/components. The MOA then goes in with the new oil.

 

I tried Redline in my LR4 5.0 previously and it felt like it ran very sluggish during treatment and that it really didn't do much. I then tried BG fuel treatment after a friend's recommendation and I could def tell there was a better throttle response and pick up. Maybe it was my imagination in how differently it felt, but as my daily driver I do feel it made a considerable difference over the Redline treatment. I've stuck to the BG 3 product line ever since in all my vehicles now. The 3 pack on Amazon or occasionally ones on eBay are decently priced. I haven't used anything other than BG fuel treatment in the Jag yet however, maybe with it's first oil change down the road I'll go with the BG 3 product line as well.

 

I have some education in aircraft reciprocating engine design and maintenance and was taught that fuel and oil additives were for the most part a waste of money. However... aircraft powerplants were basically designed 70-80 years ago, and avgas plus its additives are more stringently regulated. So do I put this snake oil in my F-type? Yep. The detergent effects of Techron are well documented. If you take your car in for an injector cleaning, chances are its Techron they are using. Cataclean can reduce carbon deposits on oxygen sensors potentially increasing their lifespan. That aside, psychologically it makes me believe I am taking better care of my car. I think that counts for something.

So do additives work? Will they extend the life of your engine components? Will they justify their cost at some point? Who knows. I feel better using some of them.

For what its worth, BG, LiquiMoly and Techron are generally well regarded, and why I occasionally use them in my car.

Peace.

 

Well said sir - mentally I feel better knowing I am doing what I can but since every car is different (i.e. some develop leaks that others don't) - there will be people who use additives, have issues and claim they don't work and others who use nothing and run their cars problem-free doing the bare minimum and claim that they aren't needed. My thought is that I only use products that are well-regarded and have proven results; meaning there is virtually no harm from using them. Maybe I get more miles before a break down, bad O2 sensor, or sluggish performance, maybe I don't - since I use them, I will never know, but if I can spend $80 per year on each car and have a chance at that car lasting longer and has larger intervals between repairs or reduce the chance of failure, I"m in! And for every "my buddy is an engineer and he says....." I can probably find numerous other "experts" that say something different. That's why we have a million choices in food, cars, clothes etc - everyone see's things differently and has various marginal utilities.

 

I've just used Tecron for years every 2000 miles or so. Very reasonable at Costco. Just this year tried BG44 in both cars, one with 12500 and the other with 22000. May be my imagination but I swear to feel a difference in the F Type. Seems like the cheapest service thing to due. I had a V6 Audi that needed a carbon service, '05TT, so who knows.

 

...and do those that use the fuel cleaners (basically strong solvents whichever one you choose I guess) dilute it as per instructions, or run it through a little bit more concentrated i.e diluted with less petrol?

 

Most of the fuel additives I've used say to pour it in with a nearly empty tank...then drive a few miles and refill.

Periodically, over the years, we have heard of folks who thought 'more is better' and over-saturated the nearly empty fuel. They said they were lucky to keep the engine running on the way to the gas station!

Bottom Line: "Good, when Used as Directed".

 

Not buying or selling, but another point of reference here on TechronŽ as an additive HERE.

The Porsche Turbo groups I hang with and even the P-Car dealership recommends it as well. I have used it for a while now in many high performance cars. I have no empirical evidence or data to prove anything....But it hasn't hurt anything

I think the main thing, is to do something like this on a regular cadence....(Like changing your oil). Consider it cheap insurance at a couple $ a bottle to avoid the one time $1000's repairs.

Just another data point / point of view.

DC

 

DC and others, which Techron product are you using - I usually go to amazon because you can buy multiples or a larger bottle at a bit of discount - I was thinking of trying techron for my pre-winter treatment and wanted to know the preferred product/model. I guess I'm wondering if you all are using the complete fuel system (or concentrate plus version) or the injector cleaner or both over multiple fill ups? thanks.