Blew my o rings with too much Techron or Redline...

[NTULINUX]

Like many others have said, age caused the o-rings to fail, not additives. Also, I'd never consider dosing my car like you did yours.

Scott

Thanks!

 

[Pablo]

It is a fact that amines are not exactly friendly to most all polymers. Old polymers, plus overdosing. Things happen.

 

[NTULINUX]

Oh I didn't know that! Another possibility, the P0430 code could have been because of an injector that was stuck open/clogged and usually it'd start really rich and then run lean. It's possible that the o rings didn't go earlier because the injectors just weren't pushing out as hard. Maybe a combination, thanks Pablo!

Still though, o rings aside, I'm glad Redline and Techron made everything run perfect!

 

[Astro14]

Next time, pull the injectors, send them to this guy:

https://hurstinjectorservice.com/

For less than you spent on cleaners, you’ll have perfectly functioning, balanced, injectors. Plus, you’ll get new orings on there, which your car needed anyway.

Do it right the first time, don‘t try to fix cars by pouring stuff in the gas tank.

 

[hemitom]

In the end i think you just wasted money on massive doses of cleaners ,where one to two properly dosed treatments would have been enough.
Did it hurt your o-rings i doubt it , more than likely 20 years worth of gasoline running through them did it..

 

[doitmyself]

Years ago here, one poster claimed that he damaged/melted the in-tank filter sock by overdosing fuel additives. I suppose I would try to find someone at the companies and ask them about severe over dosing.

 

[andyd]

My car sat for about 4 1/2 years being redone
What kinda shape were the hoses in? I replace them too, just cuz.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Old polymers, plus overdosing. Things happen.

This is my guess, too: the combination of old o-rings plus overdosed cleaners.

 

[CleanSump]

Thank you for the interesting experiment that I choose not to replicate.
I'm in Pablo's camp; old, probably hardened Butyl, and maybe the additive, maybe just time for it to happen
Remember, this is BITOG. Anecdotes are only data points if they agree with our preconceived notions based on what was read from sources that support said notions.
Mercedes, BMW, and GM recommend Techron. Hence, I am 100% sure it's not "snake oil". Some people always throw that out there about everything. LOL

 

[Imp4]

I appreciate the feedback, so even with the absurd amount of concentration I've used, that shouldn't cause damage to o rings?

Why, oh why, oh why do people ascribe to the idea that if 'some' is a good thing then 'an ever loving boatload' must be better????

 

[ammolab]

Um did you consider redlining your car increases the fuel pressure, that's why they busted, unless you redline it to work everyday...

With modern electric fuel pumps and fuel injection isn’t fuel pressure a constant and injection duration the variable. RPM doesn’t change fuel pressure.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

One clue that steers me away from the (dump of too much cleaner) is car sat up for so long.

 

[CleanSump]

Why, oh why, oh why do people ascribe to the idea that if 'some' is a good thing then 'an ever loving boatload' must be better????

Because it's human nature to want more of something good to be more better.

 

[Lubener]

Maybe that's why they put directions on the bottle.

 

[Blinker]

I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that you overdosed on fuel additives on consecutive tanks, or the fact that you frequently red line and neutral drop your vehicle.

 

[kschachn]

The snipe at me in regards to causation and correlation was unnecessary btw, Arcographite.

Quite the contrary. After reading through this entire thread I think it was entirely appropriate. You need to take it to heart.

 

[totegoat]

Run Chevron gasoline and you won't suffer injector problems.

 

[2heeldrive]

I would be more worried about those additives ending up in the oil. I hope you changed it.

From the Chevron web site (I added the bold text):

Techron® Concentrate Plus, Complete Fuel System Cleaner, is designed for gasoline carbureted or fuel injected spark ignition engines. To keep the entire fuel system clean, use Techron Concentrate Plus, Complete Fuel System Cleaner, every 3,000 miles (4,800 km) or at scheduled oil change intervals, not to exceed twice per oil change.

 

[wemay]

If used according to mfc recommdations, I doubt the additives would've caused this. If used outside those recommendations, anything goes.

 

[pghvolvo]

You shouldn't need to use a fuel system cleaner more than once a year. I was losing fuel mileage and the engine was running iffy and I was worried something expensive was going wrong. A guy who's got a few Guiness World Records for fuel mileage under his belt on another board, told me a bottle of good fuel system cleaner and run Shell V Power in the car and it should solve your problem.

Poured in a bottle of Techron, filled with Shell V-Power and went for a Sunday drive. Not much change for the first 200 miles then it happened the engine suddenly smoothed out and was purring. Fuel mileage was still So So no real change until the third tank of Shell V-Power. That was when I started to see the fuel mileage climb back to normal.

BTW I had to replace the oil pan gasket and my steering rack last year due to the seals starting to leak. The build date was Nov 1996 so the seals lasted well beyond their designed life expectancy.