STP oil treatment , would it hurt anything?

[cwilliamsws6]

I have a 2007 Honda CR-V with just over 200k miles and I'm about due for my next oil change. Admittedly I'm kind of lead-footed and I also drive 150-200 miles a week and I was curious about STP oil treatment. If I use it, will it hurt anything or will I be fine?

 

[CT8]

It won't hurt anything unless the oil becomes too thick at startup.

 

[JustN89]

It's not going to hurt anything, but I don't know what it would provide your car with that a quality high mileage oil wouldn't. VOAs run on STP show that it's nothing more than a thickener with little-to-no additives. If you'd like, just step up to a 5W-30 high mileage oil in your favorite brand and you'd be just fine.

 

[Jimzz]

Just use a thicker oil instead. STP just turns a thinner oil slightly thicker. So cut the middle man out and save some money. Try a 10w30 high millage oil.

 

[KCJeep]

Many years ago all of our oil changes included a can of STP because Richard Petty said so. Never seemed to hurt a thing, and we were adding it to 10w40 back then.

I have used it more recently out of experimental curiosity in my Jeep, and again no issues whatsoever. It has fewer additives than the oil you are adding it to, but it does have some (unlike the Lucas garbage that costs 4 times as much). If anything cold starts were a bit quicker with STP in the sump, it is essentially not much more than a heavy dose of VII's (viscosity index improvers).

STP can still be relevant today in an oil burner, or if you find yourself wanting to thicken the oil a bit during an OCI. Otherwise if doing an OCI it makes much more sense to simply pick a thicker oil. In most sumps adding a bottle of STP will jump your oil grade up one grade (like 20 to 30).

 

[StevieC]

I'm of the camp of just using a thicker oil when temperatures permit. At least that way you get more additives than just really an oil thickener.

 

[oil_film_movies]

True that STP Oil Treatment (KV100 = 200 cSt) does thicken your oil. I would avoid it in winter, since all the heat transfer to cold air from the sump & block actually works to keep oil a little cooler running in steady state operation. The STP High Mileage Oil Treatment (the HM version in a silver bottle) does have some seal conditioners for older vehicles, which is a benefit. Still, I'd never run more than a half-bottle in a sump since its a lower grade base oil.

You can calculate how much the 200 cSt STP at 100C will thicken your KV100 by using https://www.widman.biz/English/Calculators/Mixtures.html ....

There is a thinner oil "synthetic" oil version of STP oil treatment, which is totally worthless because it doesn't even thicken the oil in the summer like you might want, and probably contains no seal conditioners either. All the STP variations have very little ZDDP like they claim as past VOAs have shown.

 

[Chris142]

STP is great for pre lubing an oil pump. Its stickyness allows the new oil pump to suck up oil quickly. Thats all I use it for.

 

[chainblu]

I have used it, back in the day, when I was going on a trip and was a half-quart low and didn't have the time (or money) for an oil change. The beaters I drove didn't care. I probably wouldn't do that now, though.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It's a quick way to crank up your viscosity but according to the VOA it doesn't add anything useful such as some zinc and phosphate.

 

[Onetor]

I would use Schaeffer's Moly EP instead. It's a thickener and has some great additives.

 

[DrDanger]

I would try a molybdenum additive/oil if your compression is fine.
STP would help in case you are burning oil or low cylinder compression.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted by Onetor
I would use Schaeffer's Moly EP instead. It's a thickener and has some great additives.
Its a thickener too, at 238 cSt kv100. VOAs from the past, and some insider info on it from the schaeffer sales rep & MolaKule here, has said its got some kind of esters in it, and antimony (EP) shows up on the VOA. I assume its chemistry wouldn't clash with anything. As expensive as it is you might want to use only a half-bottle at a time.

There was a thread on here where some dude was using Schaeffer Moly EP to thicken up an oil for track use, mild racing, on a boosted higher performance engine. Not a bad idea. It would help keep the oil from thinning out too much at high temperatures & the antimony EP could help.

Its best to use a good High Mileage full-synthetic oil (my fav is MaxLife, but SuperTech HM is good as well) and go up one visc grade April-September compared to the thinnest oil seen in the Owners Manual.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by Onetor
I would use Schaeffer's Moly EP instead. It's a thickener and has some great additives.

That would get my vote before STP.

 

[DONWATERS]

I say no, just go up in weight of the oil you use.

 

[Oildudeny]

Run a 5w30 high mileage forget the addititive.

 

[dave1251]

Just use a thicker grade.

 

[widman]

It will just thicken the oil and take it out of spec, make it slower to pump and heat up the engine more.
Why do you want to do anything with the oil? Todays formulas are well balanced.

The only thing I would do at that point is maybe an AutoRx treatment to clean up any deposits.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Only mpg,your wallet, and your pride. Save the stp for a squeeky door hinge.

 

[aquariuscsm]

You'd be better off running 20W50 than pouring an oil thickener into your engine.