Just sucks that you need to pay that extra penalty for premium in something that should be fine on regular 87.
Valvoline Restore and Protect Fuel System Cleaner??
- Thread starter TacoFergie
- Start date
Patman
Staff member
Costco 87 has almost as much detergents in it as Shell premium so that’s another option
Our closest Costco is 4x the distance to the closest Shell. Otherwise, I'd fill with them to see how clean the oil filter stayed. Also, we don't drive a lot locally, but take trips to Wisconsin about four times per year. Trying to find consistent fuel stops can be difficult, but I can tell you every Shell station we regularly stop at on these trips.
Just came from local Autozone. Bought 6, came home with 12. Should be good for the next year or a bit more if I do one per oil change.
I wonder if that's why my fuel economy is lower on Costco than Chevron. So much detergent that there's less energy available in the gas! (I assume detergent has lower energy density in it than gasoline!) (I know you get better fuel economy with Costco and that there are so many factors involved that it's hard for me to say with certainty that it's the gas.)
I've used it before and I think it does a good job. But its hard to know without boroscoping prior to adding it to know how well it works and/or how it comparees to other FSC's? But my vehicles aren't really neglected either since I use Techron (a few Reline SL1's in there over the years) before each oil change, so I don't know that theres a whole lot to clean in the first place.
I added a bottle before we took our 21 Subaru Ascent on a road trip over the 4th as I'm doing an oil change this week, about 500 miles total. We averaged a little over 23mpg (hand calulated with Fuelly) overall with about 85% of those miles being highway at 78-80mph in hilly western IA with mostly side winds. Suprisingly not much flat ground out here contrary to popular belief, just constant up and down. Typically on that same road trip we average about 20-22mpg depending on wind. So it might have done something? As a reference, it has a COBB 87+ stage 1 tune, 85k miles and we always use 91+, typically Sam's Club gas since my wife frequents there. There must be some method to my madness because when I changed the plugs at 75k (60k recommended), they looked fantastic and better than most I've seen on the scent pages.
I also just recently added 2 bottles to my 23 F150 3.5 ecoboost with 34k. Nothing to note, maybe slightly smoother idle? But it's all about maintaining a clean engine for me. All of my vehicles also use VRP oil as well.
I like the idea of having another tool in the toolbox when it comes to keeping the engine clean. But not knowing what is actually being used to do the heavy lifting of cleaning has me in a holding pattern on this product.
I read elsewheres in this thread that some guy from Gold Eagle says it doesn't use PEA, which has been the gold standard for years and my go-to accordingly. And it is my understanding that one must be careful about their use when it comes to fsc's employing aminated compounds as an overabundance of amine in the crankcase can have detrimental effects to an oils additives chemistry. So my question is and in light of that response from Gold Eagle is, is this Valvoline FSC not employing use of any aminated compounds at all (like PIBA instead of PEA) or is the product just not using PEA? Because I already use Techron in a tank of gas just prior to changing the oil (literally the tank of gas just before doing a D&F) and another round of Techron in a tank of gas right after doing a D&F. It'd be nice if I could use the Valvoline FSC in-between as a means of keeping things clean between the two PEA treatments the oil sees between D&F's. But I'm afraid of introducing too much amines into the crankcase if the FSC is in fact using an aminated compound, just not of the polyetheramine variety that was asked about. My 100% uneducated guess is that it is using an amine of some flavor since the packaging advises against using more than 2 treatments any one oci. That reads to me a sort of tacit admission that something in its chemistry might not be good for the oil or something in the exhaust stream, if an over abundance gets introduced into the system. I don't have an issue with blow-by, but every car experiences some amount of blow-by due to cylinder imperfections. So even in the best condition of vehicles, you're going to see some amount of combustion byproduct entering the crankcase. But I'm wondering if the overuse warning relates more towards fouling of components in the exhaust stream vs unacceptable levels of adulteration of the crankcase oil via overuse of the product. So until I know more about the product, like it's cleaning abilities and whether or not there's any aminated compounds being employed, I'm gonna hold out for now because it'd mean I have to forgo use of at least one techron treatment if I wanted to remain on the safe side of things. Or, and this is entirely possible, likely even probable, I'm overthinking the whole thing and it'd be just fine running a bottle or two of the Valvoline FSC in-between Techron treatments, lol. Maybe the Gold Eagle guy or someone else who's got the relevant chemistry background could chime in with guidance on that front??! To be clear it's not that I think Valvoline is a shady outfit for my still being on the fence about it's new FSC, it's just I don't know what I don't know and that has me in a holding pattern on this new product. Otherwise I'm all for having a new tool in the engine cleanliness toolbox.
Agreed that some clarification on the underlying chemistry would be most welcome.
I hate to make assumptions but the implication is that it’s using whatever new chemistry they discovered that makes the oil clean so well. This is not too hard to believe since there’s evidence of VRP oil cleaning areas that are exposed only to oil vapor. So the notion that it could be adapted to a fuel system cleaner is not that farfetched. Still just speculation though.
I hate to make assumptions but the implication is that it’s using whatever new chemistry they discovered that makes the oil clean so well. This is not too hard to believe since there’s evidence of VRP oil cleaning areas that are exposed only to oil vapor. So the notion that it could be adapted to a fuel system cleaner is not that farfetched. Still just speculation though.
@Carguy2427, do you have a response or clarification on the formula?? We understand trade-secrets are a thing, but if there's any enlightenment, it'd be welcomed.
IMO, as long as you use nearly any decent FSC every 3-5k miles, you're doing more than 95% of people and keeping things happy. I figure using VRP oil long term and a decent FSC, the whole engine will remain clean and hopefully problem free mechanically on all of my vehicles for a long time. I should have used my boroscope on my wifes Ascent to see if there's any intake valve deposits since it's DI only before using VRP oil.
I just put it in my '18 Legacy heading to FL from NJ. I did a bottle and ~1/2 of another due to it being an 18.5 gallon tank and filling it till it was almost pouring out. I think I got around 588ish miles. Don't have my phone with me to look. Took a picture. I could have gone further but we were in a rain storm in NC and I didn't want to chance not making it to a station. I will say that I could have gotten more if not for the rain, traffic and use of AC.
On the way back I had close to 586 with the computer saying 100 miles to go but realistically probably closer to 50. Had an 1/8 of a tank left. Low fuel light didn't come on. Had to stop cause daughter had to pee and it didn't make sense to get back on the highway to go 50 miles just got get off and fill.
Would you say that's an improvement?
Upon 2nd thought, maybe I should have used 1.5 bottles as well. I think our Ascent has a little over a 19 gal tank. Ehh, I'll do it next time.
I don't think so but maybe? My best was 599.6 last time we went to FL and that was with some serious traffic on the NJTP. I was pretty much on fumes then.
I also run a PEA cleaner every OCI and B12 once a year so things should be clean.
