Has anyone tried the Driven - "Injector Defender" with high PEA?

[Ed_Flecko]

I was watching a video lecture from the Porsche Club of America, and they referenced the Driven - "Injector Defender" - Gasoline Additive. I had never heard of it, but at the lecture they said it's the best thing since sliced bread because of the high PEA content.

Their webpage has a link to the SDS sheet. Maybe some of you can decipher the PEA content?

https://www.drivenracingoil.com/products/injector-defender-gasoline-10-oz-bottle

Ed

 

[Rand]

I'm not a chemist.. maybe @MolaKule or @kschachn

Their description clearly states PEA.

Injector Defender - Gasoline Additive - 10oz. Bottle


Driven Injector Defender contains Polyetheramine (PEA) detergent to control combustion chamber deposits, clean up fuel injectors and intake valve deposits

but the SDS doesnt appear to show PEA.

In fact with the first 3 at the min% that is still 95% so the rest is 5% total?
doesnt appear to make sense.

 

[Ed_Flecko]

I'm not a chemist.. maybe @MolaKule or @kschachn

Their description clearly states PEA.

but the SDS doesnt appear to show PEA.

In fact with the first 3 at the min% that is still 95% so the rest is 5% total?
doesnt appear to make sense.
View attachment 345556

So for a novice like me, if a product contained PEA, it would clearly state in the SDS either "PEA" and/or "Polyetheramine"? Correct?

Ed

 

[Rand]

So for a novice like me, if a product contained PEA, it would clearly state in the SDS either "PEA" and/or "Polyetheramine"? Correct?

Ed

usually or something identifiable.

This is gumout regane high mileage 12oz bottle (6oz bottle is different)

here is the sds for the 6oz Canada version

here is redline si-1 5-2026 revision

I think its possible the "proprietary" 25-35% Monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated on driven might be a form of PEA..
but again .. not a chemist.

Still for 1.40 per oz of driven.. the redline si-1 is possibly a better deal. at 16.99 for 15oz

 

[fdcg27]

AFAIK, Redline Si-1 has the highest PEA content of any OTC injector cleaner.

 

[MolaKule]

I'm not a chemist.. maybe @MolaKule or @kschachn

Their description clearly states PEA.

but the SDS doesnt appear to show PEA.

In fact with the first 3 at the min% that is still 95% so the rest is 5% total?
doesnt appear to make sense.
View attachment 345556

Without a CAS # I suspect number 3 is the PEA. Bear in mind there are many different versions or chemistry tpes of PEA.

 

[melk]

Monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated

First I’ve seen this in a FSC product. With the recent announcement of “next-gen” Techron and the proprietary mystery chemistry of Valvoline’s R&P product, exciting times

Polyetheramine sure had a good run, coming to the consumer market in 1981

 

[Ed_Flecko]

Monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated

First I’ve seen this in a FSC product. With the recent announcement of “next-gen” Techron and the proprietary mystery chemistry of Valvoline’s R&P product, exciting times

Polyetheramine sure had a good run, coming to the consumer market in 1981

What IS "Monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated"?

Where did you hear of the “next-gen” Techron?

Thank you,
Ed

 

[Ed_Flecko]

I searched the web for "Monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated", and a Bardahl Product called "Platinum Plus Fuel System Cleaner" shows up. I didn't find it the Bardahl web site, but Amazon has it: https://www.amazon.com/Bardahl-5025-Complete-System-Cleaner/dp/B011EQLA2A?th=1

I found the SDS sheet for the Bardahl product. It also lists the Monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated as an ingredient, but not as high of concentration as the Driven - "Injector Defender" product. - https://bardahl.com/images/downloads/sds/5025 - SDS.pdf

Ed

 

[melk]

AI warning.


When compared directly to Polyetheramine (PEA)—the long-standing gold standard for fuel system detergency—monoalkylaryl alkoxylate aminated represents a newer, specialized adaptation. Chemically, it is actually a subset or a highly modified variation of the PEA family, but its performance characteristics differ due to its distinct structural layout. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The technical breakdown below highlights how they compare across critical automotive performance metrics:
1. Molecular Structure & Surface Adsorption

• Standard PEA: Possesses a straight or branched polyether backbone capped with an amine group. It relies entirely on the highly polar amine head to attach to and lift away carbon. [1, 2, 3]
• Monoalkylaryl Alkoxylate Aminated: Features a heavy aromatic benzene ring (aryl group) attached to an alkyl tail, preceding the polyether and amine chain.
• The Difference: The added aromatic group gives this compound a much flatter profile and strong pi-electron interactions. This allows it to physically "blanket" and adhere to hard metal surfaces more aggressively than standard PEA, making it highly effective at sweeping away thick, baked-on varnish.

2. Thermal Stability & Combustion Chamber Performance

• Standard PEA: Renowned for surviving the extreme heat of the intake valves and the combustion chamber, allowing it to clean piston tops and direct fuel injectors without turning into sludge. [1, 2]
• Monoalkylaryl Alkoxylate Aminated: The core alkylaryl structure paired with an alkoxylate spacer provides even higher thermal stability than baseline PEA. It resists flash-vaporization inside modern High-Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) diesel injectors and Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) systems, where temperatures and pressures are drastically elevated.

3. Cleaning Target Focus

Feature / Performance[1, 2, 3]	Standard Polyetheramine (PEA)	Monoalkylaryl Alkoxylate Aminated
Primary Target	Intake valves, port injectors, and general carbon mass.	High-pressure injector tips, tight tolerances, and fuel varnish.
Action Speed	Excellent "one-tank" shock cleanup for thick carbon.	Highly progressive micro-cleansing of ultra-thin, hard deposits.
Carrier Requirement	Often requires heavy carrier oils to maximize flow across valves.	Inherently fluid and highly soluble; requires fewer bulky carriers.

4. Oil Sump Compatibility & Safety

• Standard PEA: If a fuel additive is overused, excess PEA passing into the oil sump via blow-by can occasionally interact with engine oil additives, leading to oil thickening or slight seal swelling over time.
• Monoalkylaryl Alkoxylate Aminated: Formulated specifically to mitigate this issue. Because the alkylaryl hydrophobic tail matches the chemical nature of common lubricant base stocks and dispersants, any blow-by fraction that reaches the oil crankcase blends seamlessly without destabilizing the engine oil package. [1, 2]