Most PEA Bang For Your Buck

F

FrequentlyCynical

Joined
Mar 27, 2025
Messages
31
I've spent most of my morning reading old BTOG posts about PEA, Techron, Royal Purple, Techron, and others. (How sad!) The reason being is my recently purchased 2007 Lincoln MKZ with 125,000 miles gets horrible gas mileage. Especially when I compare it to my recently departed (sniff) 2000 Buick GS. Larger, heavier, almost double the mileage, same displacement, same HP. Real world, about 18-19 around town, 23 on the highway. The Lincoln is EPA rated at 19 and 27. That's running Mobile 1 0W-20, the Buick ran Mobil 1 20W-40. Using the built in computer, I get 13mpg on, yes, very short in town jaunts, gets up to about 16+ combined with a short freeway hop. This is SO far below what the Buick did and the EPA claim that it really urinates me off. This isn't some margin of error, climate, or mechanical issues. In fact, I'm driving the Lincoln more conservatively that the Buick!


I've been turning wrenches for over sixty years, I've gone through the obvious and accessible. As an example, pull a spark plug. Perfect in gap and condition.


I've no complaints about power or drivability.


So, I'm getting desperate and thought I'd look into a PEA fuel additive. Other than a few dollars, what's to lose? (The only other thing I can think of is that the internal water pump was replaced maybe 5K miles ago by a previous owner, and maybe the mechanic didn't get the cams aligned right, off a tooth? I don't want to even think about that fix.


Back to the topic, PEA additives. In hours of reading, so much opinion, so much subjectivity, so much bad science with a smattering of objective experiences. I figured I might as well get the most PEA bang for my buck. (I know that all PEA's are not created equal, but I need to keep this simple.) I looked up the SDS's for Royal Purple Max Clean, Redline Si-1, and two Techrons, High Mileage and Complete. Since SDS's give a range of ingredient percentages, I went with the average of low and high. Those results are:


Royal Purple, 10%
Techron Complete, 15%
Techron High Mileage, 22.5%
Redline, 31%


Since the bottle sizes and prices vary for each product, using a local national chain prices, I came up with the following cost per ounce of PEA:


Royal Purple, $10
Techron Complete in 32oz, $4.69
Techron High Mileage, $4.81
Redline Si-1, $3.44


It's obvious which one I'm going to try. Now, should I go for the total dump, or divide it by two or even three tank fulls? The latter would be the equivalent of three Royal Purple treatments. Man, a guy can go nuts trying to figure this all out.
 
Is your MKZ AWD ?
If it is its definitely a factor in poor fuel mileage .
And if it was off a tooth on timing you would definitely feel it.
 
hemitom said:
Is your MKZ AWD ?
If it is its definitely a factor in poor fuel mileage .
And if it was off a tooth on timing you would definitely feel it.
Click to expand...
No, 2WD.

I don't have any way of knowing it if was a bit off. I once had a 1958 Dodge Power Wagon. Ran very cold, lots of choke (remember them?) until hot. Low end wasn't very good, high end was, as much as a 2 BBL carb could let it do. I don't recall what led me to the timing chain. Turns out the cam was running a full 45 degrees retarded! Other than the cold issue, I would have called it normally drivable. So i doubt if one tooth were off it would be felt seat of the pants.

I later swapped that engine for a 354 Chrysler Hemi. Wowsers. I could climb Eisenhower pass, 12,000 feet above sea level with a camper and the family in high gear!
 
Believe it or not, the ultra thin oil will not help MPG. Often the ring sealing is so much worse, MPG suffers, especially on experienced engines.

Guessing that camshafts are fine, as a mistimed cam will absolutely run poorly, and very likely generate codes (not always though).

If I had to take a stab at it, I'd say your O2 sensors are tired. I'd also note that some engines, for various reasons, really do poorly on fuel with ethanol. I'd try your injector cleaner. And I'd try a full tank of 0 ethanol fuel. While not a 'solid clue', near miraculous results with 0 ethanol fuel does point to lazy O2 sensors.

Use a quality 5W-30 synthetic, change regularly, and consider replacing the two sensors upstream of the cats.
 
Good catch, I forgot about that one. The Regane SDS I pulled up says 10-30%, so that's an average of 20%. At $7.29 for 6 ounces, that's $6.08 per ounce of PEA, the most costly by far.

I'm also not comfortable with such a wide range, that 10-30% thing. I understand that manufacturers do this to both obfuscate the exact amount, but this way they can also change the formula w/o changing the SDS.
 
There is very much a reason that companies now use very thin oils. It increases fuel mileage. You reduce friction, you reduce your energy needs. Works every time.

o2 sensors "get tired?" Without throwing a code?
 
Davejam said:
That's excessive for a maintenance dose and I wouldn't do it too often. Maintenance dose is 1/3-1/6 oz/gal.
Click to expand...
Well, Redline does say to use the whole bottle for a regular tank. But I agree, it's an insane amount compared to every other PEA purveyor out there..
 
Davejam said:
Gumout Regane Complete is 25% PEA, $3.33/oz PEA

I calculate Techron complete as $3.65/oz PEA and Redline at $3.44/oz PEA
Based on Amazon Prices (17.53 for techron 32oz, and 15.99 Redline/15oz, Gumout 29.99/6oz*6 )
Click to expand...
For
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10-30%
1743106507104.webp
 
Cujet said:
Believe it or not, the ultra thin oil will not help MPG. Often the ring sealing is so much worse, MPG suffers, especially on experienced engines.

Guessing that camshafts are fine, as a mistimed cam will absolutely run poorly, and very likely generate codes (not always though).

If I had to take a stab at it, I'd say your O2 sensors are tired. I'd also note that some engines, for various reasons, really do poorly on fuel with ethanol. I'd try your injector cleaner. And I'd try a full tank of 0 ethanol fuel. While not a 'solid clue', near miraculous results with 0 ethanol fuel does point to lazy O2 sensors.

Use a quality 5W-30 synthetic, change regularly, and consider replacing the two sensors upstream of the cats.
Click to expand...
Even if it does, no one, ever, will see the difference in everyday driving. There are far too many uncontrolled variables to distinguish the relatively tiny difference from the oil.
 
kschachn said:
Even if it does, no one, ever, will see the difference in everyday driving. There are far too many uncontrolled variables to distinguish the relatively tiny difference from the oil.
Click to expand...
Actually, it is very well documented. Those tiny percentages add up when trying to increase corporate fuel economy.

I saw this over at The Oil Geek YT channel. I think it was about 2%. A similar gain when switching to synthetics.

At 20mpg with a thicker, traditional oil, that's .4mpg. Drive that car 15K miles/yr, and there is savings.
 
FrequentlyCynical said:
Actually, it is very well documented. Those tiny percentages add up when trying to increase corporate fuel economy.

I saw this over at The Oil Geek YT channel. I think it was about 2%. A similar gain when switching to synthetics.

At 20mpg with a thicker, traditional oil, that's .4mpg. Drive that car 15K miles/yr, and there is savings.
Click to expand...
You go for it then.
 
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