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You go to the auto parts store and load up on additives to feed your car at regular intervals, but are these additives harming your engine? Do they work? Are they necessary?

The short answer is in most cases is the additives do not cause harm to the engine and other systems of the car, but they also are not beneficial. Your car does not "need" these additives to operate properly.

MYTH: If you use oil additives, you can extend the period of time between oil changes. This belief is based on the fact that the chemical breakdown is reversed or changed.

FACT: Additives are only one aspect of the oil. Carbon solids contaminate the oil as a by-product of combustion. It is not a good thing to have these solids circulating in your engine's oil system for extended periods of time as erosive damage can occur to the journal bearings (such as main bearings and connecting rod bearings and wrist pin bushings).

MYTH: Synthetic oil allows me to extend the length of time between oil changes.

FACT: For the same reason stated above. Dirty oil is more harmful to your engine than chemical breakdown. The journal bearings are separated from the rotating component (such as the crankshaft journals) by an "oil wedge." If this oil is dirty it will have a sanding effect on the bearings.

MYTH: Oil additives will extend my MPG in my car.

FACT: How you drive, the overall mechanical condition of your car, the weight you carry (get the sand bags out if winter is over), proper tire inflation, all have more of an effect your car's MPG than a bottle of additives in your oil pan. If they do, the money spent on the additive will not make it cost effective.

MYTH: Fuel additives remove water from the gas.

FACT: This may have been true a decade ago. Today most areas sell ethanol and E85 gas. If you use one of these blends, the gas no longer floats on top of the water. The water is mixed in with the gas. Unless the additive specifically states it works with ethanol fuels, it probably will not do anything except separate your money from your wallet.

Additional facts: If you follow the recommended manufacturer's oil change periodicities for your car's oil based on your driving habits, you should not need additives. Most oils are a synthetic blend. The additives in the oil are designed to last the length of time of a normal oil change.

Injector cleaners, winterizers, "extends your gas mileage" oil additives, and any others are typically a waste of money. Don't use them as a "quick fix" for a problem you think you have.

In closing, the U.S. Navy has many engines in their equipment. They conducted an extensive study to determine if any of these additives are worth using in their equipment.

Today there is only one additive they use. It is a product that will prevent the biological growth in the diesel fuel. They do not use oil/fuel additives beyond that. They are cost prohibitive' when weighed with any possible benefits and are no substitute for routine maintenance.

Learn more about this author, B. L. Babb.
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