Redex fuel treatment - fact or fiction?

[gadge]

I'm how you would say "old skool" so I've grown up with the brand REDEX and have been using this stuff very regulary since picking my bravo up way back in 2014 in a bid to keep the fuel system in tip top condition. If your not in the know, REDEX is a fuel system cleaner that's supposed to keep your injectors clean and your valves too so thus keeping your injectors heathy and maintaining some good MPG. I say I use this very regulary but I think it's probably nearly every time I fill the tank as tescos keep selling it a £2 a bottle so I just can't help it (I currently have nine 250ml bottles and a 500ml one in my stock!) and I've never questioned if this well known brand does actually work or not until I found a thread on it on PISTON HEADS ( https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1065095 ) with many suggesting that this stuff is the motoring equivalent of buying magic beans. So what do people on here think? Is REDEX just a placebo to make money from vunerable old skoolists like me or do people genuinely think it works.

 

[portland_bill]

I remember adding it one shot at a time for each gallon, yes gallon, of petrol put into the car. That was 1972-5. Back then, cars ran dirty, so Redex was useful in keeping the carbon build-up in the cylinders down.
Modern fuels are more refined and engines tend not to burn as much oil, so the modern Redex is different. It is supposed to clean the injectors. Petrol still can leave deposits in carburettors and injectors and this detergent is supposed to clean it. I think Redex recommend a dose every few months. When I first got the Panda, it ran ok, but not as sweet as I expected for a 1.2 FIRE. After a dose of Redex it was sweeter, with improved fuel consumption, then better still after the second dose. I've added some about once a year since, but can't say I've noticed any significant effects. Perhaps regular use is keeping it all clean.
My thoughts, it does a job, but only needs to be used once or twice a year. At least it is designed to clean the fuel system up to the combustion chamber. No claims about after the combustin chamber like other products.

I think you may have enough for a few years, you can stop buying it now.

 

[gadge]

Haha! Yes Nigel enough for a few years anyway I also forgot to mention I only use super unleaded - usually BP ultimate - so in theory my injectors should be as good as new. I now realising that with modern cars and modern fuels perhaps the need for this type of fuel treatment is unnecessary.

 

[sludgeguts]

My son is a pro-tech for a local Toyota dealer. They always chuck a bottle of fuel treatment into the tank with each service.
I know the customer picks up the tab for this but I can't see them going to the trouble if the stuff was snake oil.
If it really does work then I suppose they do it to prolong the life & smooth running of the engine which, in turn, gives the driver a good impression of the marque meaning they would be more likely to return when it comes to buying another car.

 

[portland_bill]

My son is a pro-tech for a local Toyota dealer. They always chuck a bottle of fuel treatment into the tank with each service.
I know the customer picks up the tab for this but I can't see them going to the trouble if the stuff was snake oil.
If it really does work then I suppose they do it to prolong the life & smooth running of the engine which, in turn, gives the driver a good impression of the marque meaning they would be more likely to return when it comes to buying another car.

Over many years there have been additives that garages will use as part of the 'service'. This is a way to maximise profits, not because they believe in it. The manufacturers or suppliers of the products will often do very good deal for volume sales, and their name on the invoice, for exactly as you've said above. The produce is being endorsed by the garage, and the vehicle manufacturer.

 

[jimboy]

Over many years there have been additives that garages will use as part of the 'service'. This is a way to maximise profits, not because they believe in it. The manufacturers or suppliers of the products will often do very good deal for volume sales, and their name on the invoice, for exactly as you've said above. The produce is being endorsed by the garage, and the vehicle manufacturer.

^^^ This.

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

I don't use additives in my petrol powered cars and bikes (anymore), since I use only premium fuel ( BP Ultimate).
I only use a lubricating additive in my Alfa JTD Diesel car every 3th fill up, just to keep the high pressure pump healthy, and since the car has done about 250000mls with the original pump, it does work....

 

[g8rpi]

I don't use additives in my petrol powered cars and bikes (anymore), since I use only premium fuel ( BP Ultimate).
I only use a lubricating additive in my Alfa JTD Diesel car every 3th fill up, just to keep the high pressure pump healthy, and since the car has done about 250000mls with the original pump, it does work....

:yeahthat:

I use Millers Diesel EcoMax in the Croma (1.9 16V mJTD).If a petrol car needed a injector clean I would not use Redex. As notoed it's mostly kerosine / paraffin. There are better products out there.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

All fuel additives contain more or less the same ingredients, (mostly a large content of Nafta) so use the brand of your choice, and believe in it...!!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Ooooh! Additives? Since my student days back in the '60s I've flirted with additives, both for fuel and oil. The only oil additive I got a "provable result for was Molyslip which I put in the "noisy" diff of an old Ford Anglia which actually quietened it and let it run for some months before I got another from the Scrappie!

Fuel additives I find much harder to assess. Back in those early days I used to put a "squirt" of RedEx in the tank with every fill up (in those days most filling stations had a dispenser on the forecourt) because I believed it helped to lube the piston rings and top of the bores. No catalytic converters to contaminate in those days! But in more recent times I really have only had one instance where I think there was a provable outcome. I bought my Seat Cordoba estate 1.9 tdi back in 2000, when it was just over a year old. It has the VE (pre PD engine) with the rotary injection pump. At that time there was a lot of criticism going on about the lack of lubricity of diesel fuels due to purer fuels having less lubricating ability. Diesels rely heavily on the fuel itself to lubricate the high pressure pump and injectors. I researched additives and came up with Wynns Eco Diesel. You add a measured dose at each fill up. About 18 months ago "Tony", as we call him, started very slightly missfiring when accelerating at large throttle settings. No fault codes showing. So decided to pull the injectors and get my local independent diesel shop to check them over. The result was that he found a small problem with the spray pattern on No 2 cylinder's injector and that same injector had a slightly "sticky" needle. All of which was sorted with a good clean up. The "pop off" pressures on all injectors was down slightly but that was logical for springs which have been working for over 100,000 miles! When I picked them up from him a couple of days later he commented that he was astonished at how little wear was observed on the injectors considering the mileage covered. I put this down to the Wynns and very regular renewal of the fuel filter. I'll be back in a minute with some more considerations.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I'm back. - did Arnie say that? Anyway, for those of you interested in oils and additives, there are a couple of sites which make amusing reading. "Bob is the Oil Guy" and "Oilem" are my two favourites. A couple of companies I've bought oils and additives from are "Powerenhancer" and the well known "Opie oils" both of which I've pestered with questions for info and who have patiently and politely answered them all. In my book, good people. I would also say that I personally think, as regards oil choice, buying he best quality oil you can afford always pays dividends. I would not "flirt" with cheaply bargain basement products, especially if you have a turboed engine.

My latest quest has come about because I've bought a SEAT IBIZA estate with the little 3cylinder 1 litre turboed direct injection petrol engine. This is the latest iteration of the TSI engine family with many improvements over the previous generation which had a bad reputation for reliability so I'm just a little nervous but there are also many plus points so I've decided to take my chances. One of the biggest troubles lurking for me in the future though is that of carbon fouling of the inlet tract and valves. Oilem has a big feature on this. Those of us running diesels will be aware of this problem VAG diesels, particularly my old VE type but also the PD's were very prone to it and there are many amusing you tube clips on people's efforts to clear them. Direct injection petrol engines (this design of engine, which is not exclusive to VAG products, have injectors which deliver the fuel directly into the cylinder of the engine, not the inlet manifold) because they do not spray fuel onto the back of the inlet valves thus cleaning them, are known to hard baked deposits on the back of the inlet valves which then interferes with the airflow and running of the engine. Additives which help to keep the inlet tracts clean can't work on the valves because it can't get near them. Well, I seem to have found one which minimises this problem. Archoil AR6900-P MAX. It's like the Wynns product in that you add it to every fill up. Who knows if it will work but, in maybe two or three years from now (or sooner if I get running issues) I'll be removing the inlet manifold and checking it out. Watch this space. It'll be a while but I'll keep you informed. Oh, it also claims to provide additional lubrication. There's direct injection petrol systems opperate at stratospherically high pressure, provided by a plunger type pump, so a little extra lube may go towards extending the pump and injector life.

Hope the mentions of interesting sites above doesn't break any site rules, obviously I only mention them because I found them useful, interesting and informative.
Regards to you all. Jock.