Engine oil additives...anyone use them?

I plan to change the oil/filters in my BB512i over the Christmas holiday and was thinking of adding some Lucas Oil Stabilizer or Marvel's Mystery Oil...I've read both good and bad...do they help or are they a complete waste of money?

 

marvels mystery oil works great, both in the oil and the gas tank.

 

What benefit have you experienced in what vehicle?

 

IMHO, waste of time and money. If you use quality engine oil and other fluids, they have all the additives you need. No reason to add anything else, other than some Sta-bil in your gas tank if you park your car for a couple of months over the winter.

 

never used any additives in any of my cars.

 

Used Marvel Mystery additive dont know if it makes a difference just buy into getting lubrication to the top end of the block

 

I always had used MM in my Chev. v-8 . Did it every 4-6 months for the lifters. So with an OHC motor I don't think there is a need for the valve train. It still may do some good for rings but I havn't tried that. I guess it's just your choise. It won't hurt.

 

In general, oil additives should not be used. Some have no benefits. Most are detrimental and of these some may have serious side effects. If you are asking for more from your oil, just change it more often.

aehaas

 

I've always agreed, but as the resident oil expert can you be more specific?

 

OH BOY! A post on MMO!

I have used MMO, for decades, for many uses, as a preventative and restorative additive, in mainly older cars. New cars should not have problems. To use it in the fuel as a precaution against the fuel tank rusting and fuel breakdown, during storage in the Winter months, is what I used it for.

I have used it for upper cylnder lubrication, for valves and guides, and to improve the lubricity of modern fuels, when used in older classic cars. If used as directed, it helps and doesn't hurt anything in my expetience. Older seals and rubber parts were OK, but I'm sure that there is something out there that will have a problem, of some kind, under a particular circumstance.
I have used it to free sticking rings, hydlaulic lifters, and help to decarbonize combustion chambers in cars that have been sitting for years, with many miles on them.

I called their 800 number and talked to their engineer at the Company, about a particular problem I had, that I wanted to correct, by using MMO. It worked fine. I like it and it's about the only thing I use in my old BMW 733i, for keeping the injectors and fuel pumps working well and clean. Sometimes I'll put put some FI cleaner through my cars, like techron or STP's version of it when I find it on sale or someone gives me a bottle. I can truthfully recommend it, for what it says it will do.

Here's a link to the Turtlewax site, who owns MMO, to see for yourself;

http://www.marvelmysteryoil.com/

Ciao and Merry Christmas...Paolo

 

I couldn't agree more. On older cars and especially older cars that sit for long periods, this stuff is the cats pajama's. You really wouldn't want or need to use something like this on a newer car.

 

Here is an older but still good summary:

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/newsletter.html

aehaas

 

I've used MMO in old motorcycles, my lawn mower and power washer. Lawn mower definitely runs better with MMO in the fuel than without. Power washer I used all day until it seized...put MMO in the fuel and it ran the rest of the day and another day without a hiccup...but these are all really old engine designs...plans for them were found in Neanderthal Valley mind you, and get by with little very little air cooling and heavy duty use.

Modern vehicles...fuel and oil only, no additives.

 

With the oil companies taking out ZDDP (actually reducing it from 1200 t0 800), if your engine was built b4 the 1990's or has flat tappets (most engines built after that have roller or slip tappets) , YES you should a an additive that replaces the ZDDP. Mystery Oil does not have ZDDP!
I have only been able to find STP ( what I would prefer would STP 4 Cylinder ). This is not the same STP that is sold for oil oil burnners but is for wear. ZDDP is for metal to metal contact and reduces the wear by wearing it self.
If you put on 1500 miles between oil changes then you should not need the additive unless you like RPM's since you are FChat I would guess you like RPM's.
The average car is driven most of the time in the 2000~2500 range so the oil should last 3000 miles with the new (it's been now 2 years and old engines are wearing out as reported on several sites Do a google on ZDDP and check it out.
Personally I change annually and I don't add STP at the change. I Do TOP off with a Bottle of STP (15oz) about every 400 miles That 3 bottles of STP a year, depending where you buy it $2.50 autoparts or $1.50 Walmart it is cheap innsurance.

Just my 2 cents!

Stephen

 

Their "In Conclusion" that since oil companies are rich and have the best engineers their oil is complete and thus oil additives are not necessary is a little self serving...plus, it is outright wrong...in fact most of the major oil companies now sell their own oil additives... here's one from the well respected oil company Valvoline ... http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=21 ... so are the major oil companies just cashing in or do additives have some legitimate use?

 

Also in the "conclusion" it is mentioned that the manufactures who would certainlly use a additive if it was found to make their cars better would recomend that additives be used, they do not and sometimes it even voids warranties.

 

In the 80s, a race team that I was involved with was sponsored by Chevron, and later Valvoline. What we discovered is that the oils are formulated to an exacting standard, and additives weren't needed, and in some instances where harmful. The newer oils, the synthetics, and semi-synthetics can cause problems in older cars, because the seals aren't designed for them. However, in new cars (post 90), there is no need for additives, and those additives can hurt your car.

Art

 

The additives oil companies use (zinc, phos, etc.) inside the oils are purchased from outside suppliers like Lubrizol. The exception for Chevron is Oronite because they own that company.

MMO is a carrier oil with solvents and chlorinated hydrocarbons. And has been discussed before (use the search) chlorinated hydrocarbons in the crankcase combined with water which is a byproduct of combustion forms hydrochloric acid.

As for the Lucas products, go do a search on BITOG. No one takes their products seriously.

 

I'm pretty sure Mobil has it under control

Ray

 

The only thing that I've ever used was Slick 50...but haven't used it for years.

I'm sure you can find good and bad on the internet. The one thing that I've heard that seems to ring true is...if it is so good why don't they already put it in the oil?

 

Bottom line, adding additives to a good quality oil won't do anything but cost you more money. If you enjoy throwing your money away, buy the gimmicks......that's all they are, and that's why they're usually sold through Infomercials!

 

Look at the size and wealth of the major players in the oil market. You have to ask yourself if someone came up with something that Valvolene could add to the oil to make it better than anyone else's wouldn't they buy the company that makes it so they could corner the market? Slick 50 or any of the other additive companies would be bought out of petty cash by Exxon Mobile or Castrol etc. I have done a lot of research on the subject and the only decent study that ever had anything positive to say was that Slick 50 reduced cold start wear. That being said it didn't go into the long term effects of having the stuff in your engine while it's running/sludge buildup etc. Unless someone can show me peer reviewed science I'm not putting any of that snake oil in my engines unless I am trying to treat a specific problem like a noisy lifter. If you still have the factory emisions equipment on your car you are at serious risk screwing up some very expensive components.

 

Like this.... http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=21

 

The best thing for your cars is to use them regularly and not let them sit for long periods of time. I go for 20 miles or longer drives at least once every month (total miles will be less than 1000 per year). I agree with all posters who said there is no need to add additives if you used recommended (by manufacturers of the cars)oils and gasoline. The zinc and phosphorus zddp additive is necessary for older cars of the pre-1990's which is missing in today's modern oil formulations. For older cars I would use older formulations Castrol High mileage oils, and add zddp. MMO is not good if it contains chlorinated hydrocarbons (really dissolves your engine parts (hydrochloric acid!)). Adding any type of oil additives to the fuel system of your car's engine results in burning that oil in your engine and leaving coke on the cylinder walls and piston tops in your combustion chambers and bottom of valves. Old worn out engines smoke from burning oil-does it make sense for one to burn oil in a new tight tolerance engine and smoke out your expensive catalytic converter? Change the oil often and drive the cars a lot-maximize your enjoyment and minimize your ownership and maintenance costs. Happy Holidays and New Year to all.

 

While it might seem simple to read that MMO is solvent based, dig a bit deeper and you find that the MSDS only lists the hazardous parts of its ingredients in the solvent "family". Same with chlorinated hydocarbons. Further, solvent make up is listed at 100-500 ppm, and chlorinated hydrocarbons at 25-50 ppm. What about the other 999,450 ppm??? Okay, it also has 5mg/m3 napthenic hydrocarbons. Thats 5 milligrams per cubic meter! What the stuff is actually made of is as big a secret today as it was 50 years ago. While the Government may mandate that companies have to disclose particular information about thier products more hazardous chemical structure, there is more than enough leeway to keep the actual ingredients hidden.

Really, if MMO turned into acid or was in any way harmful to an engine, the aircraft boards and forums on the internet would light up like a Christmas tree. The facts are it does what it says it does.