Valvoline Restore & Protect FUEL SYSTEM CLEANER

[fe7565]

They have motor oil, transmission fluid, and now fuel system: Restore and Protect.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/th...leaner.404114/

[shawnhayes]

Why not this?:

[fe7565]

Quite interesting statistics and modeling on the engine oil treatment (by an industry professional who did this on his own time). The Valvoline R&R oil increased his fuel economy by about 10%. Of course this could vary from individual engine to engine.

https://www.youtube.com/live/EhTRucB...Bu3IHn9He3Nlyb

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by shawnhayes

Why not this?:

I’m willing to try, but tell me why that? Besides that it’s BMW labeled and approved.

[Bingham]

[DavyNM]

Originally Posted by fe7565

The Valvoline R&R oil increased his fuel economy by about 10%. Of course this could vary from individual engine to engine.

fuel economy?

I'm willing to bet that "fuel economy" never entered the minds of BMW owners when they bought their BMWs. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by DavyNM

fuel economy?

I'm willing to bet that "fuel economy" never entered the minds of BMW owners when they bought their BMWs. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

This is an easy answer. I actually decided to buy my first four-cylinder turbo versus a six cylinder, because with the six cylinder I was getting 26 mpg, and with this four-cylinder turbo I’m getting 39.mpg.. while at the same times getting the same horsepower.

However, I’m still not used to the diesel sound of the fuel injectors in my four-cylinder turbo compared to the purring kitty sound of my quiet six cylinder.

But the real reason, you and everybody should be concerned about the fuel economy, is explained in the “Motor Oill Geek” clip, I posted above. Especially with GDI (direct injection), your piston rings can get stuck. Which can starve the engine from oil, causes bypass which leads to more deposits, and of course causes more wear. So the increase in the fuel economy is not coming from some magic formulation in the Valvoline R&R oil, but from freeing up the piston rings, so they can seal properly thus restoring lubrication, combustion efficiency, reducing blow by….all of which leading to restoring the original fuel efficiency. Sometimes it’s worth to actually read the comments and watch the links.

[Tejas1836]

https://www.redlineoil.com/si-1-comp...system-cleaner

[ApexEight]

Coming up on 80k miles, original injectors. Have wondered if doing one of these fuel treatments would be a good idea. Averaging 20mpg on like 70/30 hwy/street but do sit in quite a bit of traffic. I don't care as much about increasing my fuel economy, I just want my original injectors to stay healthy. I always use 93 Shell V Power Nitro+.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by ApexEight

Coming up on 80k miles, original injectors. Have wondered if doing one of these fuel treatments would be a good idea. Averaging 20mpg on like 70/30 hwy/street but do sit in quite a bit of traffic. I don't care as much about increasing my fuel economy, I just want my original injectors to stay healthy. I always use 93 Shell V Power Nitro+.

In my opinion, if you suspect that your pistons rings are dirty/sticky (are you burning up oil?), it's better to us their Valvoline R&P oil for about 3-4 oil changes. I had zero oil consumption (non-measurable) since I had my car, so no changes there and my fuel economy was always around 39mpg on the highway. But I used their oil for about 8K miles now (3 oil changes) and my idle is always smooth. Before that I had some occasional random small fluctuations (like from 620 to 660-680, etc).

This new $13 fuel cleaner R&P is so new...but I guess since it's a major brand and not oil...cannot hurt. Maybe once more data comes out. I use Marvel Mystery Oil fuel treatment once in a while which is about $7 at Walmart. Can use one bottle for 3-4 tank fills.

[ApexEight]

Originally Posted by fe7565

In my opinion, if you suspect that your pistons rings are dirty/sticky (are you burning up oil?), it's better to us their Valvoline R&P oil for about 3-4 oil changes. I had zero oil consumption (non-measurable) since I had my car, so no changes there and my fuel economy was always around 39mpg on the highway. But I used their oil for about 8K miles now (3 oil changes) and my idle is always smooth. Before that I had some occasional random small fluctuations (like from 620 to 660-680, etc).

This new $13 fuel cleaner R&P is so new...but I guess since it's a major brand and not oil...cannot hurt. Maybe once more data comes out. I use Marvel Mystery Oil fuel treatment once in a while which is about $7 at Walmart. Can use one bottle for 3-4 tank fills.

No oil consumption, smoke, perfect idle, pulls hard. I just know replacing injectors on these cars and be pretty expensive. I use Quaker State Euro 5W-40 with an OEM filter.

[AlpineSwift]

Always used Techron whenever I felt like I got a batch of bad gas or performance felt a little 'off' on my higher mileage cars. Never had any complaints with it and worked like a charm. Would be curious to see what some independent test of this would show. Maybe Project Farm will give it a whirl.

[Brandoch]

Marketing

[E90convert]

I always use a couple of bottles of fuel system cleaner suitable for DI engines when I first get the vehicle. After that, it gets a steady supply of 93 octane Top Tier fuel, usually from a name brand fuel source like Shell, which uses bespoke fuel additives. I never feel the need to reclean the injectors.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by E90convert

I always use a couple of bottles of fuel system cleaner suitable for DI engines when I first get the vehicle. After that, it gets a steady supply of 93 octane Top Tier fuel, usually from a name brand fuel source like Shell, which uses bespoke fuel additives. I never feel the need to reclean the injectors.

Top-tier fuel and BMW specs oil is really all you need. Agree.

[M-technik-3]

Originally Posted by fe7565

This is an easy answer. I actually decided to buy my first four-cylinder turbo versus a six cylinder, because with the six cylinder I was getting 26 mpg, and with this four-cylinder turbo I’m getting 39.mpg.. while at the same times getting the same horsepower.

However, I’m still not used to the diesel sound of the fuel injectors in my four-cylinder turbo compared to the purring kitty sound of my quiet six cylinder.

But the real reason, you and everybody should be concerned about the fuel economy, is explained in the “Motor Oill Geek” clip, I posted above. Especially with GDI (direct injection), your piston rings can get stuck. Which can starve the engine from oil, causes bypass which leads to more deposits, and of course causes more wear. So the increase in the fuel economy is not coming from some magic formulation in the Valvoline R&R oil, but from freeing up the piston rings, so they can seal properly thus restoring lubrication, combustion efficiency, reducing blow by….all of which leading to restoring the original fuel efficiency. Sometimes it’s worth to actually read the comments and watch the links.

That might because of the more modern transmission. I'd imagine a N52 would get in the mid 30's with an 8 spd transmission vs what in reality is a 5 SPD with a granny 1st gear that is never used.

I did two R&R cycles on my X3 N52 30Si and it fuel economy has increased BUT that was from last year to this year. So the cruddy winter gas mix has to be accounted for.

[pbonsalb]

I hope Valvoline comes out with a Restore and Protect car wash next that makes my old paint look new.

[Sourd9]

going on about 80k miles been thinking of doing this. Is it worth it or just marketing?

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

That might because of the more modern transmission. I'd imagine a N52 would get in the mid 30's with an 8 spd transmission vs what in reality is a 5 SPD with a granny 1st gear that is never used.

I did two R&R cycles on my X3 N52 30Si and it fuel economy has increased BUT that was from last year to this year. So the cruddy winter gas mix has to be accounted for.

I am pretty sure my 2012 X3 xdrive2.8i has the N52 and ZF8. But I bought the car to give to my niece and have never tracked the mpg. 8 speeds with 2 overdrives do trundle along at low rpm when not under much load. My 2018 M5 (4.4L 600 hp V8) and 2021 Cayenne S (3.0L 440 hp V6) can do mid 20 mpg on the highway at 70 mph. Our 5 year averages with those two are 20 and 21 mpg combined over 50k miles on each, though we do mostly highway and secondary road and small city driving and very little big city traffic. I regularly see 1200 rpm on the highway in both cars. My 2008 M3 (4.0L 414 hp V8) would run 3000+ rpm on the highway and my long term mixed mpg was closer to 17. All 3 of those cars regularly saw/see 100 mph plus and cruising at 80.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

That might because of the more modern transmission. I'd imagine a N52 would get in the mid 30's with an 8 spd transmission vs what in reality is a 5 SPD with a granny 1st gear that is never used.

I did two R&R cycles on my X3 N52 30Si and it fuel economy has increased BUT that was from last year to this year. So the cruddy winter gas mix has to be accounted for.

I am certain you are not saying that a transmission design change would account for a 26 mpg (6cyl, 3L non-turbo, 2007 X3 N52) to 39 mpg (4 Cyl, 2L, turbo, 2012 328i N26) increase? Roughly speaking...that 50% mpg increase is from the turbo packing in the same power as the non-turbo into a 33% smaller space.

But the point of the original post is not fuel savings. It is restoring the engine to original performance as much as possible which yields of course higher miles just as a consequence of restoring combustion efficiency.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by Brandoch

Marketing

Although many products are "marketing" and hype in the auto industry, dismissing wholesale everything as "marketing" is shortsighted. In my understanding, proper specs engine oil itself is the best detergent. And changing it regularly at reasonable intervals is the best "snake-oil remedy". So, I would NEVER put any oil additives into my oil unless it was formulated as such (like the Valvoline R&P, or the so called "high-mileage oils", etc) which were specially designed (chemically) to accomplish a certain task.

Adding oil additives to your OEM specs oil may or may not be fine. But doing it is a lottery, because you change your oil's (deigned) chemistry which may put it outside of your OEM specs. And then one of the following can occur: helps your engine, does nothing, hurts your engine. Without regular oil analysis (which I do not care to do), you will not know for sure if the oil additive you used does work as intended in your own particular engine.

This is not like taking Vitamin C where you know that the impact to a human body will be the same positive (99.9% of the time. The oil additive can change the chemistry of the OEM spec oil in unpredictable ways in relation to your specific engine and oil used...unless that additive was designed for that particular oil product (i.e. mixed from the factory /other ways: designed/). Or by the user mixing it with a specific OEM engine oil supposed to lead to a pre-determined guaranteed chemistry modification as designed (claimed) by the oil additive manufacturer.

The problem is that only engine oils must meet certain specs and claims...oil additives do not. So while oil manufacturers/distributors must prove their claims via a lengthy and expensive government certification process...oil additives manufacturers do not have to do the same. Does it mean that oil additives are not to be trusted? No...but if you use them, better do oil analysis or have credible/verifiable third-party data that it works in your specific engine with your specific oil you are using.

I am only speaking from personal experience as far as the Valvoline R&P engine oil, and that experience is only limited to a more smoothened idle. So, far from an engine tear-down or deep diving into the data....like in the related linked videos. Did you watch/digest the data posted in the video? In the Motor Oil Geek's videos (not unlike Project Farm) he tries to be objective by presenting data and facts to keep things verifiable...because he self-admittedly has close oil-industry familiarity relationships. Hard to avoid having close relationships to an industry when you are an expert in that industry....so that's why focus on data and not claims.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by AlpineSwift

Always used Techron whenever I felt like I got a batch of bad gas or performance felt a little 'off' on my higher mileage cars. Never had any complaints with it and worked like a charm. Would be curious to see what some independent test of this would show. Maybe Project Farm will give it a whirl.

Techron was/is the highly rated (if not highest rated) as a fuel additive for over two decades...at least for modern engines. When Costco sold it, I used to buy it in bulk. Now, it's too expensive (for me) to use as a "preventative" , so I use Marvel Mystery Oil fuel additive which is fairly highly rated as well. For that price-economy I do not mind using a fuel additive that may or may not do anything measurable.

The Valvoline R&P fuel additive is too new so I will keep my eye out on more credible data about it. Considering that it's from a major manufacturer that has engine oil (and the stringent certification it requires) as its core-product, I would trust it more than by a manufacturer that makes boutique (oil) additive products only to be mixed in with third-party oil products they have no control over.

I am not saying that boutique oil or fuel additives may not be good, just that I would need to see more third-party independent verification of their claims or large user-base experiences that goes back a lengthy time of usage.