- Joined
- Oct 26, 2012
- Messages
- 20
- Points
- 10
Hi Every One, not sure if this is best place to post this but has any used Redex? or any other product like this?
are they any good?
are they any good?
Redex
- Thread starter jordanpaulfox
- Start date
Currently reading:
Redex
98% parafin -- snake oil. Better spend your money on "real" servicing.
Contains other stuff as well as paraffin, solvents to dissolve any fuel deposits. Can be a good idea every few years, can prolong the life of injectors on both petrol and diesel engines. Especially useful on low mileage engines, which may be more prone to collecting gummy deposits as the fuel tries to separate into its component parts.
Each bottle contains enough for several doses. Do these several fill-ups apart. Not worth using all the time.
Each bottle contains enough for several doses. Do these several fill-ups apart. Not worth using all the time.
On t'other hand, modern petrols contain stuff to dissolve deposits on injectors........ Stick a tankfull of shell in it!
Solvents to dissolve fuel deposits?! PLEASE, petrol is one of the best solvents out there.
REDEX in a tank is snake oil, simple as, the only time its worth using is if adding directly to the cylinder.
Far better off using a reputable fuel brand and giving the car the odd entheusiastic drive
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2008
- Messages
- 4,983
- Points
- 970
That's why I ONLY use premium Shell V-Power fuels....
Most Easterly Pandas, perhaps you should read thouroughly rather than speed read, before making rude remarks. You just reduce the value of this forum if you attack others.
Petrol, if left will evaporate, but not all of it evaporates, leaving some of its components as sticky deposits. Any vehicle used infrequently, or for short journeys, can suffer from these deposits restricting fuel flow. When we had carburettors, it was often necessary to dismantle and clean these to allow them to again perform as intended, as anyone with a classic car now. Not everyone uses their car every day and for reasonable mileages.
To remove fuel deposits, other solvents are required. Redex, and similar products dissolve these back into the fuel. Using it occasionally will help prolong the life of injectors, many of which are replaced because the cost of cleaning them is significantly more than new ones. This applies to petrol and diesel. Most fuels these days contain additives to reduce deposits, and using expensive stuff will reduce the possibility of such deposits and help shift stuff already there, but they will all leave goo if left to dry up. Sadly the expensive fuels won't pay for themselves as any gain is less than the extra expense.
If anyone buys a car that's had little use, a shot of redex or other injector cleaner may do a lot of good, it will not do any harm. Using it regularly will just waste money.
Petrol, if left will evaporate, but not all of it evaporates, leaving some of its components as sticky deposits. Any vehicle used infrequently, or for short journeys, can suffer from these deposits restricting fuel flow. When we had carburettors, it was often necessary to dismantle and clean these to allow them to again perform as intended, as anyone with a classic car now. Not everyone uses their car every day and for reasonable mileages.
To remove fuel deposits, other solvents are required. Redex, and similar products dissolve these back into the fuel. Using it occasionally will help prolong the life of injectors, many of which are replaced because the cost of cleaning them is significantly more than new ones. This applies to petrol and diesel. Most fuels these days contain additives to reduce deposits, and using expensive stuff will reduce the possibility of such deposits and help shift stuff already there, but they will all leave goo if left to dry up. Sadly the expensive fuels won't pay for themselves as any gain is less than the extra expense.
If anyone buys a car that's had little use, a shot of redex or other injector cleaner may do a lot of good, it will not do any harm. Using it regularly will just waste money.
I used to own an old Metro & despite daily use, I had to resort to stripping the carb every 6 months to clean out the gunge that used to accumulate in the bottom of the bowl.
The only way I can describe it is like a very runny toffee.
I had no idea why it collected as fuel was being run through the carb every day - maybe because the bowl was too deep?
All I know is that this would accumulate to the point where the 'toffee' would eventually get drawn up & block the jets.
I often wondered if the inside of the fuel tank would also end up like this - so I always liked to run the tank as low as possible so as to put as much 'fresh' fuel in.
if you must use an additive use a good one like forte, not Redex :yuck:
Well its nice to have had an explination, however from experience it doesn't follow. The concentrations redex will go through the system at won't make much of a difference, if any.
I personally have never had any issues, with a car sitting for 4 years, and with another used once or twice a month only doing 2k a year.
This is not a defence post for Redex or other after market ingredients but a comment on concentration and efficacy.
We have/chose to use Castrol Valve Master Plus in our Strada Abarth 130TC and have been running it on unleaded petrol and thrashing it on the road & track with no measurable valve recession and no compression loss. Every time I check the valve clearances they remain the same.
This all came about because Fiat said leaded only. But my experience of Fiat twin-cam engines lead me to believe they already had hardened valves/seats. So I then contacted an old Fiat contact (then Fiat UK Homologation person) and the 130TC seemed to be a grey area re hardened valves). So I then contacted Guy Croft who also was not entirely sure on the valve status. We all agreed that the ONLY 100% certain was to ascertain their status was to take the head off. I also began to think that Fiat said leaded only because it is not possible to adjust the ignition timing on a 130TC.
It seemed a pointless task and cost to deliberately dismantle a perfectly good engine.
So the research started and THE ONLY unleaded fuel additive product I had any faith in was Castrol VM+.
For VM+ the required concentrations are very low, as were the original leaded fuel (0.1 gram of Tetraethyllead (TEL) per gallon permitted in automotive leaded gasoline and up to 2.4 in aviation fuel).
The whole basis of additives is to find the most effective chemical and use it in the least quantity possible. Basically a "little and often/continuous" treatment.
All fuels and oils carry additives of one description or another. They have to for many reasons and purposes. The trick/target the various companies have to get right is the quantity / efficacy and thus cost. It is absolutely safe to say that any reputable brand (Shell, Texaco, Esso, BP, Agiip, Total, Jet etc. etc. including large Supermarket brands who just buy in from one of the big companies) is perfectly safe and adequate to use in your car.
Where and why additional additives are required is another ball game. What is certain is that some are very expensive and some often show no visible signs of effect. Only long term clinical bench & lab testing can say what the real story is.
Many products are branded as Snake Oil often because the costs are high and noticeable effects low and are not really justified for normal motoring with quality products.
There still does remain cases for selective use of these products in specific cases. In our case specific case/requirement of VM+ then it is a preventative and octane boosting measure and with our fairly low mileage the cost is tolerable.
For some products it is a gamble. e.g. you get bad running and suspect possible injector clogging so you give a product a shot at the problem. If it works you will swear by the product. If nothing happens then you will either say it was worth a try or damn the product.
Summary! UNLESS you have a specific problem to solve then these products are not required. If they were required then the fuel & oil manufacturers would use them or increase the dosages of what they already us.
We have/chose to use Castrol Valve Master Plus in our Strada Abarth 130TC and have been running it on unleaded petrol and thrashing it on the road & track with no measurable valve recession and no compression loss. Every time I check the valve clearances they remain the same.
This all came about because Fiat said leaded only. But my experience of Fiat twin-cam engines lead me to believe they already had hardened valves/seats. So I then contacted an old Fiat contact (then Fiat UK Homologation person) and the 130TC seemed to be a grey area re hardened valves). So I then contacted Guy Croft who also was not entirely sure on the valve status. We all agreed that the ONLY 100% certain was to ascertain their status was to take the head off. I also began to think that Fiat said leaded only because it is not possible to adjust the ignition timing on a 130TC.
It seemed a pointless task and cost to deliberately dismantle a perfectly good engine.
So the research started and THE ONLY unleaded fuel additive product I had any faith in was Castrol VM+.
For VM+ the required concentrations are very low, as were the original leaded fuel (0.1 gram of Tetraethyllead (TEL) per gallon permitted in automotive leaded gasoline and up to 2.4 in aviation fuel).
The whole basis of additives is to find the most effective chemical and use it in the least quantity possible. Basically a "little and often/continuous" treatment.
All fuels and oils carry additives of one description or another. They have to for many reasons and purposes. The trick/target the various companies have to get right is the quantity / efficacy and thus cost. It is absolutely safe to say that any reputable brand (Shell, Texaco, Esso, BP, Agiip, Total, Jet etc. etc. including large Supermarket brands who just buy in from one of the big companies) is perfectly safe and adequate to use in your car.
Where and why additional additives are required is another ball game. What is certain is that some are very expensive and some often show no visible signs of effect. Only long term clinical bench & lab testing can say what the real story is.
Many products are branded as Snake Oil often because the costs are high and noticeable effects low and are not really justified for normal motoring with quality products.
There still does remain cases for selective use of these products in specific cases. In our case specific case/requirement of VM+ then it is a preventative and octane boosting measure and with our fairly low mileage the cost is tolerable.
For some products it is a gamble. e.g. you get bad running and suspect possible injector clogging so you give a product a shot at the problem. If it works you will swear by the product. If nothing happens then you will either say it was worth a try or damn the product.
Summary! UNLESS you have a specific problem to solve then these products are not required. If they were required then the fuel & oil manufacturers would use them or increase the dosages of what they already us.
Last edited:
Well said, thank you.
I try to keep away from diesels, but a few years ago my brother ran a diesel Fiesta van and a Rover 218 with teh Peugeot engine in. Both were bought old, with poor starting and some smoke. Both responded well to doses of injector/fuel system cleaner, improving the running and reducing the smoke.
He now runs a quite old Discovery diesel, frequently dosed, with almost no smoke at all.
As S130 says, use it to address an issue.
I try to keep away from diesels, but a few years ago my brother ran a diesel Fiesta van and a Rover 218 with teh Peugeot engine in. Both were bought old, with poor starting and some smoke. Both responded well to doses of injector/fuel system cleaner, improving the running and reducing the smoke.
He now runs a quite old Discovery diesel, frequently dosed, with almost no smoke at all.
As S130 says, use it to address an issue.
