[UnDeR EsTiMaTeD]

What does Techron really do when added to gas? I recently purchased a bottle of that Techron concentrate and it said to add it to my fuel every 3,000 miles. Is this just some sort of cleaner? What makes it any different than others? The only difference I can see right now is, it's one of the more expensive gas treatments.

 

[fvt]

Originally posted by UnDeR EsTiMaTeD@Jan 12 2004, 11:04 AM
What does Techron really do when added to gas? I recently purchased a bottle of that Techron concentrate and it said to add it to my fuel every 3,000 miles. Is this just some sort of cleaner? What makes it any different than others? The only difference I can see right now is, it's one of the more expensive gas treatments.

yeah i have used it before.....i supposedly cleans the fuel lines and mainly restores lost power to certain level. I guess it is a high octane agent?

 

[sixfofalcon]

AFAIK, it is just a volatile solvent that dissolves injector clogs, carbon buildup, etc. There was a test recently of a whole bunch of "injector cleaners" and other fuel additives, and Techron did pretty well in all categories. Some others were higher in various categories, but I believe Techron was one of the better ones overall. (I can't remember if I found this out at TCCA, V8SHO list, SHOForum, BobIsTheOilGuy... ??)

Unrelated to that info, there is a former mechanic at my work that swears by Techron... and he's not the type to buy snake oil. FWIW, I use it about 500 miles (2 tanks) before my scheduled oil changes. That way if it gets past the rings/seals it only affects the oil for a week or so before I change it. Probably unnecessary, but it makes me feel smart. (And I need all the help I can get in that category

)

 

[alex_perry]

http://www.taurusclub.com/archive/index.php?showtopic=12271

a post I made a while back. techron didn't turn out as good as other additives.

 

[Rockledge]

Originally posted by SixFoFalcon@Jan 12 2004, 12:32 PM
AFAIK, it is just a volatile solvent that dissolves injector clogs, carbon buildup, etc. There was a test recently of a whole bunch of "injector cleaners" and other fuel additives, and Techron did pretty well in all categories. Some others were higher in various categories, but I believe Techron was one of the better ones overall. (I can't remember if I found this out at TCCA, V8SHO list, SHOForum, BobIsTheOilGuy... ??)

I saw the same test results somewhere and got the same impression ...that Techron scored well overall but some of the other fuel ststem cleaners did better in other areas. IIRC, some of the categories included how well these additives actually clean, how safe they are for the fuel system components, how well they act as an upper cylinder lubricant, and those kinds of things.

 

[sixfofalcon]

Originally posted by Alex_Perry@Jan 12 2004, 01:07 PM
http://www.taurusclub.com/archive/index.php?showtopic=12271

a post I made a while back. techron didn't turn out as good as other additives.

I'm not trying to discredit that info at all, but the tests cover about 1% of the functions of these types of cleaners. Dissolving asphalt/tar in a lab and removing caked carbon deposits in a running vehicle are quite different scenarios. FWIW, if you check the dilution ratios that the manufacturers recommend, along with the frequency of use, you'll see that the nylon dissolving properties are quite irrelevant. The man who provided the data is obviously qualified in the area of petroleum solvents, but he admittedly doesn't consider those results to be a thorough, comprehensive analysis of the whole picture.

 

[mykej27]

I only use Seafoam and Chemtool. I'll add half a can to one fill up and the other half to a second fill up. I do this every other month. Seems to do great to keep the carbon build up down.

I prefer both formulas because they can actually recondition nylon seals.

 

[KrazyFiend]

I use chemtool and seafoam exclusively as well..i have heard from various mercedes mechanics that use it on older benz's ..use it on a 92' 190E 2.6 and Taurus 96' LX ..both at 130k

 

[99V8SHO]

If you like Techron, then fill up at Chevron. They put Techron in all their fuels. That way you don't have to go out every 3000 miles and buy an expensive bottle of Techron. Chevron gas is no more expensive then others, in fact in my area, it is the cheapest gas around.

 

[qwertz9586]

I don't know, I haven't really been noticing a difference by using Chevron's Techron, but on the other hand my family uses Chevron gas all the time.

 

[UnDeR EsTiMaTeD]

Originally posted by 99V8SHO@Jan 12 2004, 03:13 PM
If you like Techron, then fill up at Chevron. They put Techron in all their fuels. That way you don't have to go out every 3000 miles and buy an expensive bottle of Techron. Chevron gas is no more expensive then others, in fact in my area, it is the cheapest gas around.

Chevron is probably one of the more expensive places around here. For regular 87 octane I just paid $1.81 a gallon.

 

[mykej27]

Chevron is one of the most expensive places to purchase gas, if not the most expensive in California. I prefer 76. It's just as good, if not better and it's usually 10 cents cheaper.

Chevron hardly puts any Techron in their fuel anyway like they used to. About 10 years ago they used to put a lot in their fuel and there were a lot of reports that it caused sever damage to your fuel system. Dateline NBC had reported that a lot of consumer complaints about Chevrons fuel. It was reported that long term use of this fuel will clean your fuel system, but can also be damaging because it ruins your nylon & rubber seals. Since then, they reduced the amount of Techron that's added to their fuel, that they started offering it over the counter in concentrated amounts.

 

[jedhead]

I use this procedure to decarbon the engine.

http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/modules.ph...&thold=0&sid=70

Then I take apart the intake manifold and clean all the gunk out. I am sure the procedure can be adapted to non-SHO cars.

Bob

 

[alex_perry]

Originally posted by jedhead@Jan 13 2004, 05:02 PM
I use this procedure to decarbon the engine.

http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/modules.ph...&thold=0&sid=70

Then I take apart the intake manifold and clean all the gunk out. I am sure the procedure can be adapted to non-SHO cars.

Bob

I did that, too. not the seafoam part, but spraying water into the tb did a good job of cleaning it up.

 

[99V8SHO]

I paid $1.69 for premium at Chevron, as opposed to the 1.79 that othe gas stations are asking for premium.

 

[alex_perry]

I'm a firm believer of "if you don't put gunk in your engine, you don't get gunk in your engine". Now I know there's the PCV system that could mess it all up, but keep it clean/maintained, and you'll never have any problems.

Except for the SHO, it just has a hose going from the valve cover to the intake. No valve to prevent oil from flowing back.