My (good) experience with Lucas fuel additive

[dave 911]

I was with the family at Copper Mountain on a ski vacation, going out to dinner the first night there after driving from Ohio, from the resort to Frisco, when the trusty (and well maintained) 06 Explorer started intermittently idling rough. . . to the point where my wife and kids asked 'what's wrong with the car'? Then, starting it up after dinner the CEL comes on. CRAP, I don't want to deal with this, I want to ski!

So I got up early the next day (Xmas Eve) and drove to the Dillon Auto Zone to have the code read. 0304 Cylinder 4 misfire. Pulled the spark plug, it looked fine, and after talking with the manager we think it's either wires (which look good), or maybe the coil pack. I discounted a dirty injector as I had the system cleaned about 20K ago....I replaced the coil pack in parking lot during a snowstorm with their loaner tools (fun times to be sure), and all is well on the drive back to Copper. The CEL light was out because I disconnected the battery when I did the work. We skied the next 2 days, and then went to Frisco again for dinner. Ran well on the way to Frisco, but after dinner, rough idle back, and CEL light back on. DOUBLE CRAP, we need to drive back to Ohio in a few days.

So, on the way out of town, I bought a quart of Lucas and started using it in every tank full on the way home. The truck was running well down the mountain, but I was stressing still and really paying attention to the engine. If you've done the drive from Denver to KC, there ain't much there. My strategy was that if was running well in Denver, press on, otherwise take it the dealership there. And deal with the tired family that wanted to get home after skiing for 5 straight days.

Denver, fine, Limon, fine, KC, fine, etc.... After a lunch stop in St. Louis, the CEL actually went out (I was assuming I was going to have to reset it when I got home, didn't know it went out after a certain number of 'ok' cycles). And the idle is really smooth, smoother than when we left home.

So, was it the altitude? Or bad gas? Or a dirty injector that the Lucas cleaned? Who knows, but after this experience I'm pretty high on the stuff.

And...it's $9.97 @ Walmart, vs. $15 at the gas station / travel centers . . . .

[sammyg2]

Coincidence.
Snake oil is snake oil.

[Nostril Cheese]

Bad gas and altitude most likely.

For a rare moment I agree with Sammy. Snake oil.

That stuff does a really good job eating rubber, btw.

[manbridge 74]

Hmmm... check #4 is not leaking voltage by mixing up some saltwater and spray that area down. Salt makes for easier conduction and detection.

Cyl 4 could also have an intermittent vacuum leak at plastic manifold. CEL light would be more apt to come on at altitude.

You could also check #4 injector with a noid light or just swap injectors and see if problem follows. That is, if CEL light comes back on...

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Coincidence.
Snake oil is snake oil.

Yep!

[RWebb]

the snake oil interfered with the aliens' disruptor rays that were aimed at your car

[dave 911]

Originally Posted by RWebb

the snake oil interfered with the aliens' disruptor rays that were aimed at your car

Then it was definitely worth the $10 I paid

[Dan J]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Coincidence.
Snake oil is snake oil.

Totally agree

[Steve Carlton]

Say what you will about Lucas, but nobody is better at getting stuff to burn.

[sc_rufctr]

I used the Lucas Auto trans oil additive in my mums tired Audi and it worked.
It really did make a positive difference to shift smoothness and noise.

Also our local taxi drivers use the Lucas oil stabilizer in their engines and they swear by it.

[sammyg2]

Lucus sells allot of product. To do that they have to convince people it works, and they do that well.

But lets look back a while ....
about every 10 years an oil product comes along that is going to change the world. remember STP?
Then there was slick 50, the swtuff with teflon powder to clog up your filter.
Then duralube, Z-max, lucas, etc.

Same can be said about magic spark plugs.
remember splitfire? Now they have some E3 crap out there. Maybe they work OK, usually not as good as OEM recommended.

Lucas does NOT make a bad product. they use good materials and good blending practices and AFAIK their stuff will not hurt your engine. The actual benefit is debatable.

A good friend of mine has known the Lucas family since his kid was starting out in Jr dragsters. A very close friend of the family.
He's also a top mechanic both in industrial and in drag racing.
I asked if if he uses any Lucas products, he just shook his head.

Here's the benchmark I use: when MAJOR oil companies start using these additives in their products, AND when MAJOR automobile manufacturers start calling for their use to keep from voiding engine warranties, I'll start using them too.

But it's our money we can each spend it anyway we want. If a product delivers marginal or negligible performance but makes you feel better or gives better piece of mind, then who's to say it isn't worth it?

I recently read an article where a doctor was defending a placebo knee surgery, where the patient thought he was getting knee surgery but wasn't. The results showed that the majority of patients got better even with the fake surgery, probably from the reduced use of the knee and forced recovery time.

The doctor said, so what? If it makes the patient feel better, it works!

[manbridge 74]

I always tell the following anecdote when hearing these additive tales......

My father had a 1990 Toyota four banger that he'd owned since new. Always bought the cheapest gas but changed the fuel filter when required. At 180K miles the car was given to me. I removed an injector(had extras injectors as I was big into Toys) and sawed it open with a cut-off wheel. There was nothing on the pintle. It would've passed the white glove test.

Now I know BMW had some issues in late 80s early 90s likely due to injector design(can't recall) but with all the ethanol in today's fuel I can see no need for extra additives except wallet lightening.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Coincidence.
Snake oil is snake oil.

Actually Sam, Lucas fuel additive is probably their best product. It is a genuine cleaner, like Techron.

And of course I laugh when People deliver anecdotal evidence about how they gut up one fuel injector and it was clean, so nobody ever needs extra cleaners in their gas. If you buy a specific product and it serves the purpose for which it is intended, it is hard to say that it was a placebo effect, or that it is snake oil.

[DanielDudley]

Dave 911, clean your throttle body and MAF. Especially any soot like substance around the butterfly.

[Sunroof]

Hi I'm Bob and I am a snake oil user............

I know many decades ago Porsche put out a bulletin for the use of Chevron Techron and its cleaning power with the caveat that its wise to change your oil within 500-1000 miles after use. So we were all Chevron Techron crazy!

But I must say that I used it (Chevron Techron) in double doses before every oil change in my 1985.5 944 and low and behold I managed to get 365,000 miles out of that four banger without a rebuild. A head gasket was changed out, but no rebuilt (top or bottom). So do I attribute part of that to Techron?

Now, Seafoam has flooded the market and many praise its cleaning power. So, is it really snake oil, because if it is, it has yet to hurt anything. I have heard that these petroleum distallates do not combust but will weep past the rings after cleaning the injector and wash the cylinder walls on the way to the oil pan. You can smell this stuff on the dip stick and it does thin out the oil. So something is happening that must have a positive affect.

[M.D. Holloway]

The Lucas product will clean - I know this for a fact...but...the point about todays fuel not contributing to carbon build-up is very true and it does have to do with the ethanol as well as engine design and oil design. That being said, if you do have deposit issues the using the Lucas product will help...but so will a bunch of other stuff on the market.

As for the Lucas tranny add, its rich in adhesive cohesive polymers is all and yes it will quit a gear set. Also allows the film to stay on the face so it also may help reduce wear. The polymers they used are shear resistant to a point...not saying if the effect lasts. i don't know and only some serious testing could prove out.

As for the Chevron Techron, yes it works very well - when the jobbers add it correctly! I work with Chevron very closely and the amount of R&D that goes into this stuff is valid. Companies that large normally can't make too many crazy claims - folks would take them to the cleaners (the Slick 50...).

As for the distillates not combusting well? Actually they do burn pretty clean but you are correct in that they can (or have) effected the oil film yet the concentration is so low there really is minor issues. Engine oil can have up to 5% fuel dilution and be fine. To me thats a lot but I have read many papers on the subject and its valid.

[manbridge 74]

People drive millions of miles w/o using injector cleaners.

Do they have some benefit like cleaning the backside of valves leading to better combustion/running? Sure, but that's a different kettle of fish.

I like what the lubemeister says...

[T77911S]

20k miles on pro cleaned injectors and lucas made a difference? i doubt it. sounds like something with altitude as others have said, which means you still have a problem.

[VINMAN]

MMO. End of story...