Techron gas additive $4.99 for 12 oz
#1
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Thread Starter
Techron gas additive $4.99 for 12 oz
Just seen this advertised. Auto Zone has Techron 12 oz for $4.99 a bottle. I know a few of you use this so just letting you know.
Last edited by frankb; 11-06-2017 at 08:56 AM.
Popular Reply
11-06-2017, 04:53 PM
Drifting
There’s no way to talk die hard additive fans out of using additives, so I won’t attempt to do that. But for anyone who is “on the fence”, actual engine testing data says you don’t need them. Assuming that you use top tier gas regularly, you will be a teeny tiny, little bit WORSE off using extra Techron (or any other additive) than just using the top tier by itself. Our testing over many years (I’m retired from a major oil company) clearly and repeatedly showed that it was entirely possible to use too much detergent. That’s because the detergent itself leaves a tiny bit of residue. So if the engine is clean (which it will be with top tier), then extra detergent won’t make it any cleaner, but it will make it a teeny tiny bit dirtier by the amount of detergent residue left behind. It would be sort of like using an ultra heavy load of detergent in your washing machine. If you did that regularly, it wouldn’t rinse out very well, and eventually, you’d have a collection of soap scum in your clothes. In the case of gas additives, the point of the above message is not to say you will hurt your engine by using them. The teeny bit of residue left by extra additives isn’t enough to hurt anything. The point is, if added on top of gas that already has top tier additives, it isn’t going to help either, so you are wasting money.
There are only two situations where you might gain some benefit from extra additives. One is if you have a seriously dirty engine from tens of thousands of miles on cheapo gas. Even there, the benefit isn’t huge. Just plain old top tier will do as much in a few dozen tankfulls as extra additives would in a tank or two. Neither approach will get the engine back to clean as new, but either approach will get it well over half way back. That one I know from looking at actual test data. I cannot vouch for this next situation from any testing I have personally seen, but several on the forum have reported that Techron sometimes corrects gas gauge problems in earlier generations of Vettes. I have no idea what percentage of the time it works, but fuel sender replacement is several hundred bucks, so if you gas gauge fails in an earlier generation Vette, why not try it. Even if it only works 1 time in 100 (and forum scuttlebutt says it works more often than that) for a few bucks to have a chance of saving several hundred bucks, odds say you should try it. As far as I know, there is no comparative data even on the forum about whether using extra Techron every now and then would reduce odds of having a gauge problem in the first place. Somebody might say “I’ve used top tier plus extra cans of Techron and never had a gas gauge problem”, but tons of people haven’t used extra added Techron and never had a gas gauge problem. So to know if it was effective as a preventive measure, you’d have to do a controlled, statistical study, and to my knowledge, nobody has.
There are only two situations where you might gain some benefit from extra additives. One is if you have a seriously dirty engine from tens of thousands of miles on cheapo gas. Even there, the benefit isn’t huge. Just plain old top tier will do as much in a few dozen tankfulls as extra additives would in a tank or two. Neither approach will get the engine back to clean as new, but either approach will get it well over half way back. That one I know from looking at actual test data. I cannot vouch for this next situation from any testing I have personally seen, but several on the forum have reported that Techron sometimes corrects gas gauge problems in earlier generations of Vettes. I have no idea what percentage of the time it works, but fuel sender replacement is several hundred bucks, so if you gas gauge fails in an earlier generation Vette, why not try it. Even if it only works 1 time in 100 (and forum scuttlebutt says it works more often than that) for a few bucks to have a chance of saving several hundred bucks, odds say you should try it. As far as I know, there is no comparative data even on the forum about whether using extra Techron every now and then would reduce odds of having a gauge problem in the first place. Somebody might say “I’ve used top tier plus extra cans of Techron and never had a gas gauge problem”, but tons of people haven’t used extra added Techron and never had a gas gauge problem. So to know if it was effective as a preventive measure, you’d have to do a controlled, statistical study, and to my knowledge, nobody has.
#5
It's essentially just an extra dose of what you get when you purchase Chevron Top Tier (TT) fuel. I use it every 4K or so, and I can't say I notice a difference, but for $5 every 4K miles, why not.
Back in the 80's, BMW used to required it, but that was before TT fuel standards were introduced.
Back in the 80's, BMW used to required it, but that was before TT fuel standards were introduced.
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JerryU (11-06-2017)
#7
Yes, additives are expensive, which is why TT fuel costs more. But, if you're only spending $5 every 200 gallons of fuel, what's the big deal?
What you say above is like complaining that a decent bottle of wine is $100/gallon.
What you say above is like complaining that a decent bottle of wine is $100/gallon.
Last edited by Foosh; 11-06-2017 at 10:05 AM.
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Yaupon (11-07-2017)
#8
Race Director
I really don't think it's necessary at all if you're always using Top Tier gas and I believe forum member LDB (our resident fuel/oil expert) might have even mentioned on here a few times that it's slightly harmful to have too much detergents in your fuel.
I also disagree with the notion that $5 every 4000 miles is not a big deal. After 100,000 miles of driving, that's $125, that's a couple of steak dinners right there
I also disagree with the notion that $5 every 4000 miles is not a big deal. After 100,000 miles of driving, that's $125, that's a couple of steak dinners right there
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ETM (11-06-2017)
#11
There are many important components in a fuel system besides the valve train (e.g. injectors, fuel lines, fuel pump, sending unit, etc. It's important for the entire fuel system to stay clean. While cleaning additives do not wash the tops of the valves as happens w/ port injection, the important sides do get cleaned during the injection/compression cycle.
Last edited by Foosh; 11-06-2017 at 02:09 PM.
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BRussell (11-06-2017)
#12
Burning Brakes
There are many important components in a fuel system besides the valve train (e.g. injectors, fuel lines, fuel pump, sending unit, etc. It's important for the entire fuel system to stay clean. While cleaning additives do no wash the tops of the valves as happens w/ port injection, the important sides do get cleaned during the injection/compression cycle.
#13
Team Owner
Had a 98 till 05 and was a member of the C5 Registry, that chemical saved a lot of people a lot of money and nasty tear downs. A lot of work to access those fuel tanks! I also had the tank problem and it worked well.( Year 2000) Added for two tank fulls and the gauge then worked perfectly again!
Foosh, no Chevron gas up here. I always have a few bottles in my garage and swear by it!.
Foosh, no Chevron gas up here. I always have a few bottles in my garage and swear by it!.
#14
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Member Since: Jan 2006
Location: Down south in Dixie
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I guess the only way I can answer is that I never had any problems with the sending unit (I can't remember what the real name of the thing is) that switched the tanks in my C6 after using the Techron. Those things C6's were bad to hang up on cars that weren't driven regularly. I can't really say if the use of Techron kept mine working though. Just some preventive maintenance for my peace of mind.
I would venture to say of you run the Exxon/Mobile premium with Techron all the time, you wouldn't need any of the additive. IMHO
I would venture to say of you run the Exxon/Mobile premium with Techron all the time, you wouldn't need any of the additive. IMHO
#15
As I mentioned above, Techron has been around since at since at least the mid-1980s, before the Top Tier (TT) Gasoline std. was developed by a consortium of manufacturers (BMW, GM, and VW among them). With the advent of TT, all of the those fuels contain detergent additives similar to Techron, so it's less important to use it today.
I use TT exclusively, but I still use a 12 oz. bottle of Techron at fill-up every 4K miles or so.
I use TT exclusively, but I still use a 12 oz. bottle of Techron at fill-up every 4K miles or so.
Last edited by Foosh; 11-06-2017 at 02:26 PM.
#16
Le Mans Master
There are many important components in a fuel system besides the valve train (e.g. injectors, fuel lines, fuel pump, sending unit, etc. It's important for the entire fuel system to stay clean. While cleaning additives do not wash the tops of the valves as happens w/ port injection, the important sides do get cleaned during the injection/compression cycle.
I don't know that detergent has ANY benefit outside the valvetrain, but if it does, you're likely already getting enough in the basic top tier gasoline. Adding more doesn't hurt, but I've stopped using additional it in my DFI vehicles. To each their own, it's your dollar!
#17
I'm pretty sure I just said the same thing in post #15. However, it's so cheap to add a little extra insurance every 4K miles or so, it's not worth arguing about. The owner's manual also recommends the periodic use of the GM equivalent additive, particularly if you don't always use TT fuel.
Last edited by Foosh; 11-06-2017 at 02:39 PM.
#18
Race Director
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. See Fuel 0 213.
If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
not available, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment Cleaner added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
So in reality they are saying to use it only if Top Tier is not available, they aren't saying to do both.
#19
Lmao
#20
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St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
A bottle every oil change would be close to every 10K miles?