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Tag Archives: oil additives

Oil Additives
Oil Additives

Oil Additives – Our View

September 2, 2015 Oilem 18 Comments

The use of oil additives has long been a controversial subject that haunts the oil and automobile industries, their respective stakeholders and – perhaps most significantly – the consumer. Thanks to a fair amount of negativity toward these additives, they have often been labelled as doing more harm than good.

Numerous studies have been published by oil companies, car makers and oil standards organisations disputing the value of additives and exposing the so-called risks of additive usage in engine oils. There is so much speculation pervading the market, particularly in the Internet forums, that an automobile owner might become totally confused about whether it is necessary to use additives in their vehicle. This article is an attempt to regain some accurate context and clarity on this taboo subject.

Oil is a multi-billion dollar global industry. Two of the most important attributes of this industry are stiff competition and hectic infighting for protection of vested interests. The engine oils these companies sell conform to various international specifications like SAE and API. The main motive with which these companies operate is obviously profit. However, it’s not a profit at any cost situation. The quality of the product is also very important because that’s what can give a company an edge in capturing and retaining a sizeable market share. So most oil companies invariably try to market good quality engine oil that optimizes performance and ensures longer engine life.

But – that all said – how eager are these oil companies to make a really good oil? Do they make the best quality oil? The answer is certainly a big ‘NO.’ Let’s see why this is so. First, the expression “best quality” is completely relative. One oil might be good for a particular type of engine and not so good for another. Moreover, there is no such end-goal specification, only set regulatory standards.

Research is unfolding new possibilities almost every day. In this highly dynamic situation, it is quite possible for an oil brand that is an excellent quality today to get replaced by a more efficient substitute tomorrow. Therefore, there is nothing sacrosanct about best quality oil. Second and most important, oil companies would never make the “ultimate” oil, even if it was theoretically possible. Why? Because that runs counter to their business interests. Optimum quality oil can mean more shelf-life and less replacement, and this will obviously make their markets take a beating. It is, therefore, a natural conclusion that oil companies do not make – rather do not endeavour to make – the best quality oil. It’s in their business interest to promote marketing and strategic associations to earn more money, rather than devote resources for quality optimization.

There are interesting examples of this. A very well-known, worldwide oil manufacturer (renowned for their quality, fully synthetic oils) spends more on marketing than they do on research and development and production put together! Another well-known petroleum supplier now owns the rights to Slick 50. Despite the many complaints and legal cases that have surfaced and the brand having been notorious in tarnishing the oil additives market in general, this supplier purchased the rights to Slick 50 and continues to sell this product today. Why? Because it still makes money! For clarification, we do not endorse Slick 50 or recommend any PTFE-based additives for engine use.

 

The conglomerate of major oil manufacturers, standards institutions and regulatory bodies have too much invested in the status quo (group III base stocks, decades old ZDDP additives etc.). And when you combine this with a market that is not yet demanding more modern (nano) additive technologies, many oil manufacturers have little interest in providing higher quality lubricants. The latest base stocks (group IV PAO’s, group V Esters, OSPs, higher performing additive pack ingredients, etc.) are currently reserved and used by the smaller boutique oil companies rather than the mainstream brands.

Stipulated specifications (ACEA, SAE, API, etc.) lead to many oils that are inferior by design. For example, improving the base stock or additive technology can result in oil that although superior, is now “out of spec.” This includes full-, mid- and low-SAPS oils. Now consider the current ash measurement test. Not all sulphated ash is harmful to the DPF. Certain types of ash are actually beneficial and help diesel particulate filters catalyse carbons. The current ash test can only determine ash content and not differentiate between good or bad. This is a significant handicap to the engine oil quality for the majority of diesel engines that require mid- to low-SAPS lubricants.

It’s not at all hard to accept that these oil companies make oil that surpasses the basic quality specifications set by various accredited agencies. But it is not in their interests financially to far exceed these specifications even if given the freedom to do so. This means you are likely buying good oil that you can rely on for good performance and protection, but not necessarily the best oil for peak performance, protection or deposit control. Deposit build-up is now a huge issue facing manufacturers and consumers, particularly on direct injection engines. Many oils are simply not good enough and progress is hindered by having to abide by outdated specifications.

This naturally keeps one issue strongly in focus – oil quality can be improved for optimizing performance, delivering peak output and reducing deposit formation in the engine, intake, EGR and so on.

Engine oil has two main components – base stock and an additive package. The bulk of the oil – nearly 70 to 95 percent – is made up of base fluid(s) with the rest being the additives. The additive chemicals add value to the positive qualities and minimize impacts of the negative qualities of the base stock. Base stocks are of two main types, petroleum and synthetic. Crude oil in its purified form is the petroleum base stock. Petroleum has been in use since the earliest development and application of lubricants to the moving parts of an engine. Synthetic base stocks, on the other hand, are made in the laboratory. Specific chemicals that correspond to different functions are used to meet performance requirements. Synthetic base stocks are thus very much use-specific. Although they came to be known in the 1900s, they started getting prominence in automobile industry in the 1970s. Further information on the composition of oil can be found in our article, “What’s in Engine Oils?”

So, if additives are essentially in oil from the outset, then why is there so much controversy in fortifying existing oil with additional additives? For one, oil companies are likely considering how profits would be affected by selling longer-lasting oils and realizing it’s not a good business decision. Second, some make the argument that additional additives would upset the carefully selected blend of existing additives.

The reality is that selecting the appropriate constituents for the additives and their blending is a very expensive affair. If the oil companies were to invest substantially to create better oils, the end product would be costlier. Again, we return to the fact that oils only need to comply with the regulatory performance criteria in a given country. There is no general need for an oil company to spend money over-engineering an additive pack. Instead, this effort is saved for their more exclusive customers, like high-profile motor racing teams.

Another blockage is created by the car manufacturers. They refuse to honour the warranty obligations if oils with additives are used in the engines manufactured by them. It’s profit that’s uppermost in everybody’s mind. When a car manufacturer makes an engine they expect it to have a certain lifespan, on average. If they run longer than expected thanks to excellent engine oils charged with appropriate additives, their business is certainly compromised. So naturally, they would discard the idea of using such products that give engines a longer life than is needed.

Furthermore, there are unscrupulous individuals in the marketplace that insist on selling additives that claim ultimate protection or unrealistic gains in miles per gallon. This is unfortunate as it has somehow resulted in the unreasonable deduction by some misinformed people – usually self-claimed “experts” that frequent the Internet forums – that if additives were any good then manufacturers would include them in their own oil. Well, the answer is they do, but usually in small (lower cost) quantities that leave much room for improvement.

From all this heat, one thing emerges firmly – additives do have a positive role in enhancing engine oil quality. And only intensive research by credible companies with limited vested interests can improve engine oil quality and find more cost effective ways to improve engine performance and increase engine life.

Our advice is to do your research before considering putting an additive in with your engine oil. Check the ethical standing of the manufacturer and search the Internet for product reviews. We also welcome you to contact us directly if you require a recommendation for your particular vehicle or application. In some cases and depending on your requirements, your chosen oil may not need fortifying.

oil additives
archoil-AR6400-D-professional-polyetheramine-concentrate-430ml
Fuel Addtives, Fuel Saving, Fuel System Cleaning, Heating Oil Additives

Do Fuel and Oil Additives Really Work?

May 30, 2013 Oilem 18 Comments

Firstly, we really need to understand what is meant by “work” as there are conflicting ideas and interpretations. Some would consider “work” as improve performance or increase mpg, whereas others would consider “work” as clean the fuel system, restore fuel injector efficiency or reduce friction. Others would consider a product to have “worked” if it resolved an underlying problem, such as resolves engine hesitation, restored lost performance or reduced excessive emissions.

So which is correct? Firstly you need to understand how additives work and what they really do:

Fuel additives directly deliver one or more of the following:
1. Clean the fuel system and restore injector efficiency
2. Remove combustion deposits
3. Help clean emissions control system components
4. Lubricate the fuel system and combustion area
5. Protect against chemical or biological contamination
6. Preserve fuel and offer cold weather protection
7. Improve the quality of combustion (catalyst)
8. And so on.

The above direct actions then, may or may not result in:
1. Increase in power and torque
2. Increase in fuel economy
3. Smoother running engine
4. Smoother idle
5. Reduced exhaust emissions
6. Less mechanical vibration or noise
7. And so on.

Can you see the difference? The point I am making here is that an increase in performance or mpg are normally the resultant benefits of cleaning a fuel system, engine or reducing friction. They should not always be considered as the direct aims of fuel or oil additives. The usual goal of additives is to rid the fuel system and combustion area of deposits and thus from these actions, restore any lost performance or MPG. Further combustion modification (catalysts) can then improve MPG further.

We often see the expectations with additives mismanaged. If a vehicle was achieving an expected and realistic 50 mpg, one would then be disappointed to discover when they purchased and used a fuel cleaner that the MPG didn’t improve, if they had actually purchased the cleaner with the purpose of improving MPG. There has to be a degradation of fuel economy in the first place. To improve MPG up and above what the engine is designed to deliver on standard pump fuel you need to use additives that are actually designed to improve combustion and thus maximise the energy output of the base fuel, not a cleaner.

Therefore, to remove any confusion, most fuel additive cleaners do not directly increase economy or performance. The poor cleaners actually do very little whereas the high quality chemistries remove debilitating deposits and thus restore fuel system and combustion efficiency. This may or may not then result in an increase in fuel economy or engine performance. It really depends on what you started out with. Highly quality additives with effective fuel catalyst technology can then marginally increase MPG over standard figures, depending on the quality of base fuel being used.

Symptoms can also be mechanically related. A user may inadvertently use a cleaner or additive to resolve what is in fact a mechanical or electrical issue. This is not necessarily a bad thing as additives can be used as a low-cost process of elimination. However, when using additives to resolve problems it is important to understand the symptoms and thus the probability of these symptoms being resolved through “chemical” means. Additives are not mechanics in a can.

Furthermore, a successful cleaning cycle does not automatically result in a smoother, more performant or more economical engine. Different engine designs respond to deposits in different ways.

Many cleaners (not all) work by restoring performance and MPG. Time and time again we see customers purchasing one-shot cleaners to improve MPG on an engine that is running well and achieving the expected MPG with the hope that it would magically improve fuel economy. Now, if you purchased the cleaner to maintain a clean system then this is valid but we see the expectations of many customers mismanaged when it comes to what they were expecting, versus what they should reasonably expect, versus what products really do and how this translates into discernible improvements to their vehicle.

The best advice we can give is for you to understand your own requirements and goals with respect to fuel, fuel additives and lubricants. Don’t purchase additives on a whim or hope that they may fortuitously effect some change as this is a sure fire way to disappointment. Work out what you are trying to achieve: rectify a running issue, protect the fuel system or engine, maintain a clean running system to prevent future problems, reduce wear, increase power, improve fuel economy, improve the quality of fuel or many of these combined etc. Then complete your own research and/or consult with a professional to match the correct products for you needs with an understanding on what the products actually do and how this translates into measurable results for you.

To summarise, there are legitimate circumstances when additives offer genuine benefits (when chosen correctly and matched to actual requirements,) and other times when they become a waste of money. They become a waste of money when users misunderstand what it is they are actually buying versus what they are trying to achieve.

In the follow up article we are going to break this down further by revealing why results can be so inconsistent when using additives so that you can make an informed decision as to whether your vehicle will benefit or not from their use. We will also reveal some of the pitfalls, the concept of Negative versus Positive Gain and testing protocols so that you, a consumer, mechanic or fleet operator etc., can accurately measure your MPG improvements.

If you require any expert advice or help then please don’t hesitate to contact us and either I or a member of my team will be pleased to help.

 

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