What motor oil has the most detergents?
- Thread starter KieferS
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From what i've seen... Redline.
I think Maxlife has higher detergents. You could always buy a bottle of CD-2 Engine Oil Detergent and throw it in.
You're fooling yourself if you think oils with a strong add pack will clean your engine. Get the scrubbing bubbles image out of your head, and just use auto-rx if you want to clean your engine.
You can try Red Line or an HDEO, those are probably your best bets. Red Line for esters, HDEO's for high additive levels.
*Think of it this way. It's kind of like asking which gasoline brand has the most detergents to clean your engine. Thats not what they're designed to do, their job is to keep your engine clean, not to clean it up. Yes, maybe if you tried for long enough using the brand of gasoline with the most detergents might clean your engine a little, just like a hdeo might clean your engine up a little, but your best best is auto-rx, or fuel system treatment.
Just for the sake of argument...
I think that Shell V-power has the highest level of detergents and they do advertise (and we all know that makes it gospel) that it will clean a dirty engine. Stick with Top Tier fuels and you'll have nothing to worry about. Given similar prices, I will choose Shell V-Power when purchasing premium.
As for oil, why is it that if one takes a used car that has "black" oil and changes/flushes the oil multiple times the will often eventually stay "clean." Synthetics are known to "clean" out gunk and expose leaks that were hidden/plugged by conventional oils. It seems that it is reasonable to assume that some oils "clean" better than others. Maybe the synthetic MaxLife would be the ultimate brew for this?
Quote:Never heard of a gasoline that cleans oil residue inside engines.
I think that Shell V-power has the highest level of detergents and they do advertise (and we all know that makes it gospel) that it will clean a dirty engine. Stick with Top Tier fuels and you'll have nothing to worry about.
Myself & my buddies here to the right are not buying that story! 
The product data sheet info will give a good indication of the detergent/dispersant levels.
Look for a TBN of above 8.0 and a sulfated ash level of .80 and above. And the 30 weight high mileage oils are typically good examples of both.
Quote:I am going full syn almost solely on this post. Wow. Synthetics have the potential to clean is all I needed to heat.
Just for the sake of argument... I think that Shell V-power has the highest level of detergents and they do advertise (and we all know that makes it gospel) that it will clean a dirty engine. Stick with Top Tier fuels and you'll have nothing to worry about. Given similar prices, I will choose Shell V-Power when purchasing premium. As for oil, why is it that if one takes a used car that has "black" oil and changes/flushes the oil multiple times the will often eventually stay "clean." Synthetics are known to "clean" out gunk and expose leaks that were hidden/plugged by conventional oils. It seems that it is reasonable to assume that some oils "clean" better than others. Maybe the synthetic MaxLife would be the ultimate brew for this?
Quote:Depends on the basestock Esters, yes pao, no.
Just for the sake of argument... I think that Shell V-power has the highest level of detergents and they do advertise (and we all know that makes it gospel) that it will clean a dirty engine. Stick with Top Tier fuels and you'll have nothing to worry about. Given similar prices, I will choose Shell V-Power when purchasing premium. As for oil, why is it that if one takes a used car that has "black" oil and changes/flushes the oil multiple times the will often eventually stay "clean." Synthetics are known to "clean" out gunk and expose leaks that were hidden/plugged by conventional oils. It seems that it is reasonable to assume that some oils "clean" better than others. Maybe the synthetic MaxLife would be the ultimate brew for this?
If you want oil to clean, go ester like Redline. Will take some time though.
Isn't calcium a multifunction additive that also serves for detergent? Maxlife has a lot of calcium.
BTW, I don't know that it is worth using Maxlife Synthetic, when regular Maxlife Blend is already so very good (part PAO, high calcium, seal conditioners, 300 ppm moly, etc).
I thought the original post was an excellent question. I am not sure why KieferS asked that question but I would like to rephrase it without being pushy. 
If you had a car/truck with a very well maintained engine, what motor oil would you use to KEEP it clean?
Do any particular oils have an outstanding detergent additive package?
Also, it would be great to have a choice of Dino, Synthetic & Blends.
If you had a car/truck with a very well maintained engine, what motor oil would you use to KEEP it clean?
Do any particular oils have an outstanding detergent additive package?
Also, it would be great to have a choice of Dino, Synthetic & Blends.
Quote:Well also for the sake of argument, the color of the oil does not indicate a cleaning ability. Many times the black color comes from the heating of MoS2. If you put a high moly content oil like Havoline or Chevron you will see it darken to almost black and it is conventional oil (and very inexpensive). As others have stated a high ester content oil or an additive like AuotRX will clean your engine. Heck a solvent flush will clean your engine too. The "leaks" you are referring to can be compensated by seal swelling additives. Some synthetic oils don't have those conditioners (this is where the high mileage oil marketing comes in) so the seals shrink and can cause leaks. It's not necessarily that the synthetic is cleaning up the junk as you suppose - although it is a possibility as well.
Just for the sake of argument... As for oil, why is it that if one takes a used car that has "black" oil and changes/flushes the oil multiple times the will often eventually stay "clean." Synthetics are known to "clean" out gunk and expose leaks that were hidden/plugged by conventional oils.
Bill in Utah
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Quote:
Quote:I am going full syn almost solely on this post. Wow. Synthetics have the potential to clean is all I needed to heat.
Just for the sake of argument... I think that Shell V-power has the highest level of detergents and they do advertise (and we all know that makes it gospel) that it will clean a dirty engine. Stick with Top Tier fuels and you'll have nothing to worry about. Given similar prices, I will choose Shell V-Power when purchasing premium. As for oil, why is it that if one takes a used car that has "black" oil and changes/flushes the oil multiple times the will often eventually stay "clean." Synthetics are known to "clean" out gunk and expose leaks that were hidden/plugged by conventional oils. It seems that it is reasonable to assume that some oils "clean" better than others. Maybe the synthetic MaxLife would be the ultimate brew for this?
This is a perfect example of how FACTS matter....
And also shows where this board is going... 
So, lets all run Top Tier gas (premium) and run Full Syn (the most expensive would be better) and no sludge, most MPG, no coolant leaks, never a overheat and 1 million miles with ease! 
Oh well... Glad to see almost 5 years here has taught me something.
Bill 
tellpaul, this is the first time EVER i have seen someone talk about cd-2 oil detergent other than me.
have you tried it?
Quote:Ummmm...do most of you simply ignore the comments Tallpaul made? It's not just his word, it's based on actual data. All that talk about moly,calcium, this add, that add, more add, less add. Why does everyone overlook Val Maxlife since it has so much of what everyone wants, and now it's even better since it is a synthetic blend/allways was.
If you want oil to clean, go ester like Redline. Will take some time though. Isn't calcium a multifunction additive that also serves for detergent? Maxlife has a lot of calcium. BTW, I don't know that it is worth using Maxlife Synthetic, when regular Maxlife Blend is already so very good (part PAO, high calcium, seal conditioners, 300 ppm moly, etc).
I'm using maxlife in the wifes toyota so far it runs the same as the "weak additive pack" valvoline ac that it ran the first perfect 100,000 miles on...
Quote:Well, I'll give you that. If you used even the cheapest oil and changed it at proper OCI's, I'm sure your engine would last just as long as if you ran Amway, I mean Amsoil
I'm using maxlife in the wifes toyota so far it runs the same as the "weak additive pack" valvoline ac that it ran the first perfect 100,000 miles on...
But hey, I only brought up my most recent point in this thread because everyones looking for the magic bullet and seem to say ZERO about Valvoline Maxlife.They all think valvoline has weak additives...but I have used it for 20+ years in all types of applications.
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