Is there any benefit using redex?

[johnny679]

are there any benefits using redex , in the past ive run the tank dry due to a sticking petrol guage and car has never felt the same since , could of damage been done to the fuel pump , ive recently replaced fuel fiter

 

[ChipChop]

Forte products have a good reputation in the UK although they are quite expensive.

Petrol System Archives - Forté

www.forteuk.co.uk

 

[markjay]

Redex is a fuel additive, containing detergents that will help keep your injectors and combustion chamber clean by eliminating Carbon deposits.

There are various other equally-good fuel additives on the market, including Millers, Forte, BG44K, and others.

Alternatively, you can use premium fuels such as Shell V-Power or BT Ultimate etc, these fuels already contain the enhanced additives pack, and it's easier to just fill-up at the pump and not worry about adding additives from a bottle, though use of premium fuels will be overall more expensive than adding the additives yourself.

That said, fuel additives won't fix a faulty fuel pump (or any other mechanical part in the fuel delivery system).

On modern Diesel engines, the high-pressure fuel pump is being lubricated by the Diesel oil as it is flowing through it, and running the pump dry (and unlubricated) can indeed cause damage. If this happened, then the only remedy is a new (or refurbished) pump - no fuel additive will help. However, this sort of damage usually occurs when filling-up with petrol instead of Diesel oil, causing the pump to work for a period of time with poor lubrication. Simply running out of fuel shouldn't damage the pump in this way, because when the engine cuts-out you'd stop the car, which will in turn stop the pump. So it really depends on how long the fuel pump was working without proper lubrication. What you would normally get when a Diesel engine is allowed to run dry, is air entering the fuel system, which will in turn need to be bled, but this in itself should not cause any permanent damage.

On petrol engines, running the engine dry shouldn't have any consequences and everything should be back to normal once you put some fuel in it.

 

[W1ghty]

As to using Redex and are there any benefits , Yes , using it makes you the driver feel better

 

[zipdip]

Well nothing wrong with using Redex ,if you want to clear your car of carbon,I would run the tank down to say a third and use the whole bottle of Redex in a quiet industrial estate nothing like seeing all that smoke coming out the back best to keep in low gear and rev the engine,then fill up with fuel should sort a bunged up engine.

 

[Neiltodd]

Redex is a fuel additive, containing detergents that will help keep your injectors and combustion chamber clean by eliminating Carbon deposits.

There are various other equally-good fuel additives on the market, including Millers, Forte, BG44K, and others.

Alternatively, you can use premium fuels such as Shell V-Power or BT Ultimate etc, these fuels already contain the enhanced additives pack, and it's easier to just fill-up at the pump and not worry about adding additives from a bottle, though use of premium fuels will be overall more expensive than adding the additives yourself.

That said, fuel additives won't fix a faulty fuel pump (or any other mechanical part in the fuel delivery system).

On modern Diesel engines, the high-pressure fuel pump is being lubricated by the Diesel oil as it is flowing through it, and running the pump dry (and unlubricated) can indeed cause damage. If this happened, then the only remedy is a new (or refurbished) pump - no fuel additive will help. However, this sort of damage usually occurs when filling-up with petrol instead of Diesel oil, causing the pump to work for a period of time with poor lubrication. Simply running out of fuel shouldn't damage the pump in this way, because when the engine cuts-out you'd stop the car, which will in turn stop the pump. So it really depends on how long the fuel pump was working without proper lubrication. What you would normally get when a Diesel engine is allowed to run dry, is air entering the fuel system, which will in turn need to be bled, but this in itself should not cause any permanent damage.

On petrol engines, running the engine dry shouldn't have any consequences and everything should be back to normal once you put some fuel in it.

Never tried BT Ultimate where do you get that?

 

[markjay]

Never tried BT Ultimate where do you get that?

Ha ha, quite right, it's BP Ultimate (not to be confused with BT Infinity....)

 

[Chrishazle]

On the basis that it can't do any harm, I wait for Tescos to have it on special offer at £2 per bottle (enough for 2 tanks) instead of £4 and buy it for both cars. An extra £1 on the cost of filling right up from just below 1/4 tank (which is what I routinely do) is not noticable!

 

[markjay]

While I have been using Shell V-Power for the past 10 years, prior to that I was an avid Redex user (on the engine, that is.....).

And I can tell you from personal experience that it does a brilliant job.

I have been using Redex regularly on my Vauxhaull Omega 2.6L V6, added to regular 95 RON fuel, and when I took off the injectors rail, the injectors were spotless - I have never seen them that clean when removed from the engine. Admittedly, the car only had 40,000 miles on the clock at the time, but it's usually more than enough to cause some build-up on the injectors.

I obviously don't know for fact, but while I had a good experience with Redex, I am assuming that other brands and also premium fuels will do the same job.

 

[190]

A left field alternative to Redex, is 2 stroke oil, specifically marine 2 stroke oil that meets the TCW3 spec. 2 stroke oil is high in detergents that are necessary to keep a 2 stroke engine clean. Anyone that has run a 2 stroke will know their propensity to carbon up and the challenge that a lubricant faces. The reason for the marine spec is that the oil additives are ashless and leave no deposits when burnt.. I've been using it as a 4 stroke fuel additive on a continuous basis for many years in the ratio of 1:640 and have seen visible evidence of the long term effects of cleaning combustion chambers and pistons.

 

[Gazwould]

190 has a respectable handle on oils .

I'm interested in the TCW3 spec and how it would compare with JASO FB to which halved my older cars MOT smoke opacity test .

 

[190]

Yes, I hear 2 stroke oil is also popular as a diesel fuel additive in higher dose ratios.

I never questioned the obvious logic of using TCW3 spec oil. The fact that it's formulated to minimise the contamination of water ways when used in outbard motors seemed a good recommendation.

 

[grum71]

If you have run the tank dry, I would change your fuel filter as you may have the debris from the bottom of the tank lodged which is causing flow restriction.

 

[Gazwould]

Yes, I hear 2 stroke oil is also popular as a diesel fuel additive in higher dose ratios.

I never questioned the obvious logic of using TCW3 spec oil. The fact that it's formulated to minimise the contamination of water ways when used in outbard motors seemed a good recommendation.

What's the base oil ?

 

[190]

It's described as synthetic based but I doubt that means any more than it does for normal engine oil. it doesn't cost enough at around £20 for 5 litres to be real synthetic.

 

[rf065]

Ha ha, quite right, it's BP Ultimate (not to be confused with BT Infinity....)

Who's to say BT Infinity would give the same results?

 

[Shadychris]

My indy MB specialist recommended me to use it on a few tankfuls to help clean out the injectors on my SEC. It may have run a little smoother afterwards - or perhaps it was just placebo effect... ;-)
Cant say I noticed any improvement in fuel economy or performance. Former was still depressing and latter was still more than I needed.
Some interesting reading here which gives figures for mpg: Redex fuel additive trial: the verdict | The Car Expert
However in non-lab conditions I think those slight changes are pretty subjective - too many variables could be at play, and you'd really need to dyno your motor before and after to see if power is improved

 

[markjay]

My indy MB specialist recommended me to use it on a few tankfuls to help clean out the injectors on my SEC. It may have run a little smoother afterwards - or perhaps it was just placebo effect... ;-)
Cant say I noticed any improvement in fuel economy or performance. Former was still depressing and latter was still more than I needed.
Some interesting reading here which gives figures for mpg: Redex fuel additive trial: the verdict | The Car Expert
However in non-lab conditions I think those slight changes are pretty subjective - too many variables could be at play, and you'd really need to dyno your motor before and after to see if power is improved

Interesting read.

The point that is often missed is that fuel additives won't make the engine run any better than it did when new.

What they do is remove carbon deposits and restore some of the efficiency of the engine which was lost due to the carbon build-up.

But if you take a new engine and always use fuel containing detergents, you will see no difference. Which is good, because the detergents will prevent efficiency degrading over time.

Similarly, after you have used detergents for a while on an old engine, the fuel system cleaner will have removed as much deposits at it can, and from that point onwards it will simply help keep the engine's efficiency at the same level.

So if the engine didn't have a problem with carbon deposits build-up beforehand, using Redex or other fuel additives will have no noticeable effect. But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be using it.... because If you do, it will help prevent performance degradation.

 

[optimusprime]

It is up to each owner . But RED X is not every ones cup of tea. Me - i love it and i have used it for 50 years in every car i have owned . There is a reason but i wont tell you the tale,, i dont want to bore you to death haha.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

It is up to each owner . But RED X is not every ones cup of tea. Me - i love it and i have used it for 50 years in every car i have owned . There is a reason but i wont tell you the tale,, i dont want to bore you to death haha.

Why mention it then ?