Are Engine Oil Additives Snake Oil?

LMalik Nasser on 14/05/2024 - 21:52
Last edited 15/05/2024 - 12:33 by 1 other user

There has been quite a bit of discussions regarding engine oil additives.

The Engine Oil Geek has released a new YouTube video comparing and analysing a number of engine oil additives. In short it looks like these additives are not recommended.

Some background and qualifications on The Engine Oil Geek:
Who is the @themotoroilgeek ? I'm a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Certified Lubrication Specialist and Oil Monitoring Analyst (I've maintained both of those for over a decade). I also worked for Joe Gibbs Racing for 12 years as their lubricant specialist. During that time, we worked with Wix Filters (one of our sponsors) to test and develop filters for our race engines. We also worked with Lubrizol and Chevron-Phillips Chemical to test and develop oils for our race cars. Following that, I was the head of R&D for Driven Racing Oil. During that time, I formulated and tested over 50 products. We also worked with Cummins, Comp Cams, Oak Ridge National Labs and General Motors on various R&D products. Those efforts are recorded in peer reviewed white papers published by SAE International and ACS Sustainable Chemistry journals. I also own and operate SPEEDiagnostix, which provides used oil analysis.

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  mapax on 14/05/2024 - 22:11

  +2

  Yes…

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  Wiadro on 14/05/2024 - 22:12

  yes

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  Hybroid on 14/05/2024 - 22:33

  +2

  In a laboratory, under certain controlled tests, in a specific engine with a specific oil, they might be shown to make some form of lab tested difference.

  In the real world? Pretty commonly accepted to be no difference. Get better quality motor oil instead.

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  Muzeeb on 14/05/2024 - 22:38

  +6

  I'll just do whatever Scotty Kilmer tells me to do.

  @pegaxs - am I doing this right?

  • 

    pegaxs on 15/05/2024 - 08:01

    +2

    Well, have you had a search on AutoExpert to see what John Cadogan recommends? Or you could try one of Chris Fix’s 15 mins long advertorial for sponsors tools and cleaning products…

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  Cave Fire on 15/05/2024 - 00:20

  depends… someone on here was a oil specialist. You could add an oil additive that blocks your engine for example. or it could be what you needed. I think the use cases are mostly older cars to stop smoke.

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  payless69 on 15/05/2024 - 04:29

  Cadogan has ALL the answers!

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  Euphemistic on 15/05/2024 - 08:32

  +2

  Dont you think that the oil suppliers would be putting these producta in their oils if they made oil any better?

  • 

    NevC on 16/05/2024 - 17:34

    One oil supplier was doing exactly this. Can't remember which one right now. I have used Slick50 in a number of vehicles. One had very low compression on one cylinder, which come good after Slick50 treatment.

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  Baysew on 15/05/2024 - 12:34

  There has been quite a bit of discussions regarding engine oil additives.

  Where?

  • 

    Euphemistic on 16/05/2024 - 15:34

    Thats just code for "i saw a clickbait headline"

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  cloudy on 16/05/2024 - 20:11

  A few years ago my car acceleration started to feel weird, like it gets my intended revs then it drops and then it goes back and then drops.

  Figured it’s probably the fuel injector getting some clogging, we thought about getting it cleaned but the location of the engine meant it’s going to costly, so I bought some injector cleaner additive, and after a few bottles the problem has gone away.

  So it seems like it worked for me

  • 

    Malik Nasser on 17/05/2024 - 18:47

    Fuel injector cleaners definitely work.

    This thread is about engine oil additives.