Originally Posted by JagV8

The biggest gain for those who use such products may be the (quite possibly false) reassurance they feel. They can probably afford the money.

Sort of a placebo effect.

Originally Posted by Doug

Although I've been out of the game for a few years, I spent 30 years working in dealership service and parts departments, 23 of them in management...and about that many selling BG products.

I could probably spend a couple hours on the subject of BG products but it's early and I'm only a couple sips into my first cuppa coffee so I'll just make few random-ish remarks.

BG sells many stand-alone products plus many products that go along with a service process using BG supplied equipment: fuel injector flushing, power steering flushing, and the like. On the whole I would say that BG products perform as advertised....at least the ones that didn't require scientific testing to know if the service was effective or not. Cars that came in with noisy power steering left the shop with quiet power steering, for example.

BG products...at least to the extent and period that I was involved with using them....also has an extremely effective and insidious sales/marketing schemes. Once they "get their hooks into ya" it almost like being indoctrinated into a cult.

I'm perfectly willing to believe, then and now, that BG oil additive isn't snake oil. I'm sure it does 'something'. But, is it necessary? Useful? Is there a real-world tangible benefit that a typical owner could feel, hear, measure, evaluate? My opinion, no. That's why I never got on-board with BG oil additives despite promoting many other BG products.....very much to the chagrin the BG Products.

The world is plum full of cars with 150-200-250k miles, with engines still running like a watch, that have never seen BG products. For that matter, more often than not they've been serviced with utter nonchalance. That is, no concern whatsoever about the products being used. I can cite many examples. For just one, I'll mention my own XJR: I didn't use additives, bought whatever brand oil and filter was on sale that day, and used a 6000 miles interval. When I sold it at 171k miles the engine was smoke-free, noise-free, had great compression, and was running as sweet as a nut. I'm betting the new owner will easily see 250k miles using the same diet.

This is similar to the endless debate over engine oil in general. Lots of people do what makes them feel good but their engines really don't care or notice.

Let's take 50 identical cars, half with BG additive from day one, half without, and drive them 250k-300k miles under similar conditions. Then do compression tests followed by full engine teardowns to measure wear....as a month's pay says that's what will be needed to determine of the additive was effective in a technical sense. And, even then, effective in a technical sense isn't the same as useful in a real world "Have I gained anything meaningful?" sense.

Cheers
DD

Originally Posted by Box

You don't need 50, just take 2, use your pick for oil, add MOA to one. Run them until warm, drain the oil. Restart. Get a stop watch. Ready... begin... Axiomatic.

Originally Posted by Doug

I suppose if a person intended to run their engine with an empty sump then they'd surely see a valid real-world usefulness to the product.

Originally Posted by Box

This kind of an argument, is kind of silly. However, there are, even on this forum, posts where for whatever the case or the problem, where oil was purged, and engine seizure was reported. That in itself, is worth a very cheap insurance, and that doesn't even take into account reduced wear and the benefits of increased detergent quality.

Same argument you present could be a great rational as to why not buy insurance, because no one plans on having an accident, therefor, you don't need it... until you do.

Originally Posted by 1 of 19

It's a Forum, no Technical or Engineering credentials required.