Oil or gas additives..use any? Or just stay away from them.

[Stonesolo]

Curious if you use any type of additives to your oil or gas. Any of it good or does it do more harm than good.

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[DanW]

It depends on what they are. The ones I think are fine you probably don't need. I'd recommend instead running Top Tier rated fuel. The list of brands is here: https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

I'd say top brand fuel injector cleaners or fuel system cleaners are probably ok For example, Chevron Techron fuel system or fuel injector cleaner is a good product and will probably have some benefit periodically. Gumout is another and I think even STP is a good one. They are just basically more of the detergents already put into gasolines, especially top tier.

I have used them on my 2008 JK 3.8 which gets carbon build up that causes pinging. I'd run a bottle every 5k or so and do a few Italian tune-ups with it and it would take care of the pinging for another 4k to 5k. But then I decided to just run a tank full of Shell V-Power ever 5k or so and that did the trick, too. Within the last few years, I believe Shell adjusted their regular fuel formula and I've not had to do this at all. The carbon seems to be at bay. It could also be the SN+ or SP motor oil that has helped. Either way, I haven't had any pinging in probably 20k miles now or more.

So in my case, I've let my engine tell me if it needed anything like that. So far with the 3.6, at 54k miles, I've felt no need do do anything other than run good gas.

Oh, and occasionally running your engine hard to high RPM is a very good thing to keep carbon build up in check. (Italian tune-up.) Also, with the 3.6, you get fresh oil to the valve stems when you do that. People who "granny cycle" the enigne, or always run it like a granny, cause the oil to dry out in the valve stems and can cause premature wear. The 3.6 designers discovered this and even developed a "granny cycle" test to study it. It takes a looong time for it to happen, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. But punching it now and then takes care of it.

Oh, I used Cataclean once when my cats were going bad in the JK. It was 30 bucks and did absolutely nothing because they were shot. Also, stay away from Lucas oil's supplement they say to add in place of 1 quart of oil. It is just super heavy oil with no additives. Worthless and it makes your oil too thick for your engine. I've got a buddy that swears by it and will ultimately likely wear out his engine prematurely. There's no value in it unless your engine is already worn out and you are trying to dramatically thicken the oil to stretch it out a few more miles.

That's just my 2 cents. I don't have much experience with any other additives, such as octane boosters. I have serious doubts about those.

The guy who ran 625k miles on his Pentastar before its timing chain guides broke didn't use anything but mostly Mobil 1 and sometimes Valvoline synthetic, OEM recommended weight (5w20) and he changed the oil at 7000 miles. That right there should tell us something. Bearings and valve train looked like they had minimal wear.

 

[Uparms]

These JTs are too new. Waste of time and money. When you hit 100K and are worried about dirt in tanks, lines, injectors, that's when I would think about it.

Now my 72, 232 ci. CJ5 with 144K on it, big fun with top end and tank additives, successfully.

 

[ecidiego]

If you use quality Tier 1 gas like Chevron with an additive package already in it ( Techron ) in that case, you never need to bother.

If the truck is going to sit awhile, add fuel stabilizer.

 

[Gvsukids]

Curious if you use any type of additives to your oil or gas. Any of it good or does it do more harm than good.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-says-not-to-use-fuel-injector-cleaner.46069/

 

[JTGuy]

I use nothing but 91 Premium gas. No problems.

 

[MTB58]

Seafoam fuel treatment every oil change. 5k intervals.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

If you use quality Tier 1 gas like Chevron with an additive package already in it ( Techron ) in that case, you never need to bother.

If the truck is going to sit awhile, add fuel stabilizer.

^^^ This. 100%

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

These 3.6 Pentastar engines are pushing commercial vehicles for close to 250,000 miles and more without major issues. It is a very good engine.

If you have the diesel, not so much.

Just buy quality gas and be done with it. Unless it sits still for a long time... that becomes an issue.

if it makes you feel better put in gas additives.

 

[Hootbro]

I am a Berryman B12 Chemtool guy. Gives me the smugness to think I am better than most every time I throw a bottle in.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

No additives in anything. I find if I use good oil, nothing is needed, and research shows oil additives almost always makes things less than better.
Gas- I may use an injector cleaner now and then with the 4.0 in my car - but have never added anything at all to the gas in any of our Jeeps for decades.

So in short - nothing in gas or oil - never found it necessary with good gas or good oil.

I use nothing but 91 Premium gas. No problems.

As long as it's a decent gas - it won't matter a lick. Top tier 87 has the same stuff as TT 91.
It used to be that higher octane gas was marketed and sold on having more detergents and so on, that faded with the 1980s or so. It just doesn't matter these days.
I always run 87 or when available, U88.
I tried QT 91 and there really wasn't much difference in anything when towing but maybe a touch better mpg under load.

 

[DanW]

I run mostly Top Tier gas (primarily Shell) 87 octane and have no issues. My JL has been on that diet for 103k miles and runs like new even on the original spark plugs. No decline in mileage, either. I am doing the same thing with my JT.

If I did run an additive to clean things up it would be Chevron Techron or a tank of Shell V-Power. But I never have.

 

[Labswine]

Not in my Jeep but, for years when I had a motorcycle, I'd always add a cap full (or the poured estimate ) of Seafoam to the tank at each fill (kept a bottle in the saddlebag).

I constantly use Seafoam in all my 4 stroke yard equipment. Especially, my snow blower, I'll add Seafoam to the tank right before moving from the garage to the barn so the gas will stay fresher over the summer (always a full tank). Also, it'll run through the carb to help keep it clean and from gumming up over the summer. My mowers, same thing. Always make sure to put in to a full tank at the end of the season to keep the gas fresh over the winter and keep the carbs from gumming up whist sitting.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Not in my Jeep but, for years when I had a motorcycle, I'd always add a cap full (or the poured estimate ) of Seafoam to the tank at each fill (kept a bottle in the saddlebag).

I constantly use Seafoam in all my 4 stroke yard equipment. Especially, my snow blower, I'll add Seafoam to the tank right before moving from the garage to the barn so the gas will stay fresher over the summer (always a full tank). Also, it'll run through the carb to help keep it clean and from gumming up over the summer. My mowers, same thing. Always make sure to put in to a full tank at the end of the season to keep the gas fresh over the winter and keep the carbs from gumming up whist sitting.

I add nothing at all to our vehicles, especially our Jeeps, but for other equipment, since you bring it up, I either totally empty lawn and garden equipment, or, add Stabil and then run it a bit to get the product into the fuel lines and carburetor.
otherwise, additives never make it that far and only sit in the tank. Our small stand-by generator gets Stabil, and then a short run, or - I run it totally out of fuel and use the carburetor drain "to make sure".
I was a registered repair shop for B&S equipment, Tecumseh/Power Products and Jacobsen products in the 1970s, authorized to do warranty work and so on. Still have the massive parts manuals from those years and some left-over warranty claim forms, and new parts left from my moving on from that sort of work years ago.
The varnishes left behind by the fuel that evaporated out of carburetors, screens and such was basically impossible to remove.
My cars get Stabil before they sit for the winter.

 

[JTGuy]

I had an '03 Ram Cummins that I added everything, ATF, MMO, 2styroke oil. but with my '14 it's just diesel. way too many sensors to mess up.

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