STP products..........are they worth it.

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Forgiven

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I'm new to this forum and to additives, so i'm sure this has been answered before. (I should aslo use the search function)

Are STP product worth it. (specifically the gas treatment $1.00) I figure for $1.00 if it helps it would be worth it.
The reason I started I'm considering using this is because I want to take the best car of my cars as I can and if there are things I can "pour in" that actually help it seems worth it to me. I do use SEAFOAM every once and a while (through the IM, GAS, and Crankcase).
Is there anything else I can do as well.
P.S. 99 Honda Si, and 90 Honda Accord
 
I would say no... I have used stp gas treatment, many times, on my 95 neon SOHC.. all times it caused my enigne to run wierd, and casued my engine to either stall, or set off the oil pressure light! However, theey make a concentrated feul treatment, comes in a clear bottle, gold liquid, usualy about $5 for the bottle,, 1 bottle is good for 21 gallons.... really good stuff! ALl i kow is my neon likes it. The other stp products, sucked on performance ect.
 
Quote:

I'm new to this forum and to additives, so i'm sure this has been answered before. (I should aslo use the search function)

Are STP product worth it. (specifically the gas treatment $1.00) I figure for $1.00 if it helps it would be worth it.
The reason I started I'm considering using this is because I want to take the best car of my cars as I can and if there are things I can "pour in" that actually help it seems worth it to me. I do use SEAFOAM every once and a while (through the IM, GAS, and Crankcase).
Is there anything else I can do as well.
P.S. 99 Honda Si, and 90 Honda Accord

Click to expand...


In a word "no".
crushedcar.gif
 
Chevron gas additives are well accepted by fleet operations that actually test the stuff they use. And another product FP by LCD is gaining a place in the market based on performance and testing. The proplem with LCD the company that makes FP is that they are not quite as big as Chevron and don't have the marketing resources of Chevron. Chevron this year is on track to exceed $50 billion in revenue and $4 billion in profit for the first quarter of 2007. LCD has two employees, a desk, phone and space in a warehouse and a couple of formulas for two products. Like Chevron LCD does not make any wild claims and deliver a product that has value. The only problem with LCD products is that their marketing influence does not yet allow them to buy shelf space in every automotive department of every store in the nation. You have to have it shipped, which means you have to really want the product. It's not an impulse purchase while you're walking down the isle at Autozone. Of all the gas additives these two are good products. They may be others but too many of them make claims that would eliminate them from my list of choices. Other good choices might include JB, Gumout and Regane. Pick one and don't expect it to do a valve job or give you the gas mileage of a Prius. Just don't be put of by having to order FP on line. Flashy marketing should not be the method of choice for a BITOG member.
 
Here's a tip: every little grocery store and convenience store carries STP additives. Usually they're right beside the API SA nondetergent oil that misguided people buy to put in their new cars. IMHO: STP = junk.
 
Misguiding and confusing customers is the best way to get them to buy the $1.00 junk bottles.

Heres my point to consider, the average consumer at say a walmart does not understand the concept of the effective abilities of certain cleaner chemistries. They see 2 bottles near each other
Bottle #1, STP Gas Treatment- Promises to help keep the fuel system cleaner(injectors, etc) its sold for 1.00
Bottle #2, Gumout Regane - Promises to keep the entire fuel system, price is 5.32

Our happy shopper thinks that they are being thrifty buy picking the STP because "they do pretty much the same thing". They don't know that the STP bottle will likely do very little to clean anything at all and the Regane could help quite a bit. But in the end, the STP did not help them so they start yelling "fuel additives are ALL snake oil, it didn't do anything for me!".

I have tried most every OTC fuel add on the market that I could get my hands on. I wanted to see what they were all about. I have NEVER been impressed with any of the STP product line...ever. The car didn't even notice them. My car has always been sensitive to the gas/additive mix it gets. To rate the common OTC products I will say in order of the greatest.

Redline SI-1 - Smoothes and quiets the engine like no other OTC
Gumout Regane - Cleared out a rough idle I had for a long time.
Techron Concentrate - Its good but not strong onough againest serious cleaning needs. Maybe better as a maintainence item than a 1 tank cleanup.
I also really like Marvel Mystery Oil and Lucas UCL. Especially when used together they give the car alot more low end get up and go and they drastically quiet the engine down. It is very smooth at idle.

One thing I have to admit that I buy STP for is my weedwhacker and lawnmower. For some reason they are the only things that help bring the sleepy engines back to life after the winter. For 1.00 a bottle, I pour a few ounces in each tank and let them drink it.
 
I don't believe Toluene is that effective, if it was, we wouldn't need any adds in our gas since it already has 5-15% Toluene in it from the pump.

From his testing I can only guess he took a small bit of "tar" and put it into a container with the additive in question. This is hardly similar to fuel system conditions when you consider pressurized fuel delivery and temperatures. Not to mention the combustion itself.

And his nylon sock test, he is pouring the cleaner onto the sock at 100% concentration. The effects would likely be much different if used in the proper ratio.

I ain't buyin this test at all.
 
Thank You, you have really helped clear this up. I love these forums.

P.S. so what would you recommend I use in my GAS Tank. as a miantanance product. (I do use Seafoem about every oil change through the IM, GAS TANK, and CRANKCASE)
 
Quote:

Thank You, you have really helped clear this up. I love these forums.

P.S. so what would you recommend I use in my GAS Tank. as a miantanance product. (I do use Seafoem about every oil change through the IM, GAS TANK, and CRANKCASE)

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As for OTC adds, I like Redline SI-1 personally.
 
I've been using stp complete fuel system cleaner in the silver bottle for over 13 yrs. now, and never had a problem I pour a bottle in the tank twice a year, works fine for me.
 
I dunno, the gas adds make little sense absent a problem. If you're getting a stumble or stutter that could be fuel-injector related, it might be worth a shot of techron, it used to work in my bike beginning of the year. But for a car that's driven most every day, run on a brand name pump gas, until trouble arises, why bother? I ran a stinkin Hyundai 288K and never added anything but a bottle of isopropyl dry gas a time or two after rainy periods and never had to replace an oxygen sensor but did replace a cat that broke a chunk off and rattled. Age, not fouled. A time or two with this car, I used a little UCL, but it made no difference, knocked it off. The risk of fouling plugs, sensors, or an expensive cat just to add "stuff" to the fuel in a good running engine makes no sense..

My
twocents.gif
 
The answer to your question is no. Why are people buying it? The only reason I can see, is because it is cheap. On the other hand, if it doesn't work, it is expensive. Better to use a couple more bucks to buy a quality product like FP60.
 
I think the traditional STP product in the blue bottle is used by folks who have gross oil burners. They probably run 10w40 or 20w50 and still need some thickening to further reduce the burn off.
 
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