5 Additives That Could Help Improve Your Engine's Performance And Its Lifespan
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Regardless of whether you drive an old Camry or high-performance sports car, your vehicle will have a specific maintenance schedule. It will tell you everything you need to do in order to keep your car in tip-top shape. Change the oil, replace your transmission fluid, swap your filters and spark plugs out every so many miles and years — it's pretty standard stuff.
Sticking to this regimen will help you to get the most out of your car. However, is it possible to go above and beyond what the manufacturer recommends? Quite possibly, yes. See, a number of additives exist both to boost your car's performance and improve its lifespan. Products like octane boosters and fuel system cleaners promise all sorts of benefits, but whether they actually work or not is an entirely different matter.
As with anything, though, not all additives are created equal. Some will be largely useless, while others have gone through intense testing and development to ensure their effectiveness. It's these time-tested additives that we're going to focus on. The following five are all proven products from established and trusted brands. So, if you're considering going the extra mile to keep your engine performing at its best, these additives should make for a great starting point.
It is worth noting that not all additives will work for all cars. For example, while lead additives may help older engines last longer, they aren't suitable for modern cars, and diesel fuel system cleaners won't do a whole lot of good in your gas V8, either. So, ensure you double-check the compatibility of any additive before pouring it into your car.
Torco Unleaded Accelerator
There are a variety of pros and cons when it comes to the world of octane boosters, but one that seemingly gets glowing reviews everywhere is the Torco Unleaded Accelerator. Torco is no stranger to performance, having developed various lubricants and race fuels.
The additive works by lowering the end burn temperature of the fuel in your car's system, which, in turn, allows the fuel to burn more completely and produce more horsepower. It is possible to produce gas with a rating of up to 105 octane using this formula — simply mix a 32-ounce can with 5 gallons of 91 premium unleaded gasoline to net this result. Alternatively, mix with 10 gallons with a 32-ounce bottle for a 102 octane fuel mixture that'll last you longer and still net a performance improvement.
Other benefits include the fact that it can be used in addition to other additives, which is great if you plan on running a custom mix for whatever reason. Plus, because it's unleaded, Torco assures consumers that it poses no risk to O2 sensors or catalytic converters. Many consumers seem to love it, claiming they could immediately feel the results. The additive boasts an impressive 4.7 out of 5 star rating on the Summit Racing site, with some users stating they can instantly tell the difference when they are driving with it.
Wynn's Diesel Injector Cleaner
Modern diesel engines still outsell gas in heavy-duty trucks. However, fewer and fewer diesel cars are being offered for sale, both throughout the U.S. and Europe, but that doesn't mean owners of older diesels can turn away from maintenance. If your diesel car's injectors are clogged, the signs will typically be easy to spot.
For instance, you may experience a rough idle, black smoke from the exhaust, misfires, and poor fuel economy. Unfortunately, replacing or repairing injectors can often be an expensive business that can easily set you back hundreds. So, before reaching deep into your wallet, it may be worth trying out an injector cleaner, and Wynn's Diesel Injector Cleaner comes highly recommended.
Rather than boosting performance, this additive is primarily about maintaining operational reliability. The product is designed to restore lumpy idles back to a smooth purr by cleaning out injectors and allowing the uninhibited delivery of fuel once more. This can also result in reduced starting issues and perhaps a small increase in performance. Unlike octane boosters, it won't yield an increase in power over and above what's normal for the vehicle, but, instead, it restores the output to what it should be.
It's fairly inexpensive at around $30 a bottle, and unlike other alternatives, it isn't designed for continual use. One bottle treats up to 60 liters (about 16 gallons) of diesel fuel, and Wynn's recommends repeating the treatment every third time you fill the tank.
STP Oil Treatment
Unlike other additives that look to cure a certain issue or add a few extra horses to your engine's stable, STP Oil Treatment is just a solid all-rounder. Put simply, it adds an extra layer of protection to your engine, reducing wear, increasing lubrication, and helping to combat threats such as excessive heat and carbon deposits. Parkers gave the product a glowing review, shouting it out as their favorite oil additive, and for good reason, too.
You might not notice an immediate difference from using the treatment, and it isn't a quick fix for anything specific, but it does promote smooth and clean running. Plus, it can fight against excessive oil consumption, too. While it can be used in a whole host of different engines, and the treatments are gas and diesel specific, it's especially effective in higher-mileage engines.
The best thing is that it's remarkably cheap to get a hold of, retailing for around $5 a bottle. If you have an older vehicle, you can add it to your oil with every oil service and count it as part of your regular maintenance schedule.
Steel Seal Head Gasket Repair
This one's a little different from the rest, as it's more of a repair than a generic additive, but it does work in a similar way. At least, you use it in a similar way — you just pour it into your car's coolant system, as opposed to adding it to the fuel or oil.
As the name suggests, it's designed to repair head gasket issues. Common signs that your head gasket is on its way out include overheating, white smoke from your exhaust, and contaminated oil/coolant. Repair costs can easily run up four-figure bills, which is why Steel Seal Head Gasket Repair may be worth a shot. However, it's also important to note that head gasket sealers, like Steal Seal, will only work for some types of leaks. It retails for $79.99 for a single bottle, suitable for a four-cylinder engine, or $129.99 for two bottles, which can treat six and eight-cylinder engines.
Steel Seal works by creating a hardened seal in the damaged area, effectively plugging the issue. Unlike other cheaper products which look to do the same, Steel Seal comes with a lifetime guarantee, which should fill prospective buyers with confidence before they invest in a bottle.
While additives like the STP Oil Treatment can offer general protection for your engine, adding Steel Seal won't provide any benefits, unless you do have a leaking head gasket. When used properly, though, the engine's performance and lifespan can be improved and restored — even if it's just used as a quick-fix until you can afford to have your car properly inspected and repaired with a new gasket.
JLM DPF Cleaner
This final additive is another one for those of us with a diesel car. While diesel-powered cars of the past were free to throw all sorts of pollutants into the air, their modern counterparts are fitted with various features designed to reduce the amount of harmful emissions entering the atmosphere. One of those features is a diesel particulate filter, or DPF, for short.
The job of a DPF is to filter out and trap those harmful particulates, and while they largely do this successfully, the DPF can also be a common source of pain for owners. See, the filter can clog, which means it cannot trap soot particles effectively. This can cause damage to both the exhaust and the engine, with reduced performance, rough running, and warning lights being common consequences. Taking short trips is often what causes this, as the exhaust does not get up to temperature often enough to burn off the soot. Avoiding short trips like this is one way in which you can prevent your DPF from getting clogged.
Using an additive like JLM DPF Cleaner can help to clean and reactivate the DPF by clearing old soot blockages, potentially saving you heaps in professional cleans, regenerations, or even DPF replacements. The cleaner works by enabling stored soot to burn at lower speeds. It may not fix a heavily clogged DPF, but at about $53 per bottle normally, the JLM DPF cleaner may be worth a shot before trying more expensive methods.
