Do fuel additives really work ?

Worried about your car’s performance, emissions, and fuel charges burning a hole in your wallet? Enter – fuel additives, a magic formula designed to improve your car’s performance, economy and reduce harmful emissions. Available for both petrol and diesel vehicles it is simple to use – buy the bottle and pour it directly into your fuel tank. But is it all that it’s made out to be in advertisements?

When something claiming to be as versatile and practical as fuel additives hit the market, people are quick to jump on the bandwagon; however, do they work? How important is it to use fuel additives? Let’s find out!

How does it work?

Fuel additives claim to be able to do many things from keeping carburetors, injector and intake valves clean, as well as removing water from the fuel system. There are other supplements available that are formulated to work on the catalytic converter and exhaust parts. This simply means you will be left with a smooth running engine.

It is readily available and easy to use, just follow the instructions on the bottle. However, the common instruction is to pour the additive into the fuel tank once full. This allows the additive to dilute into the fuel, which flows along the fuel lines, through the fuel pump, enters the injectors or carburetor, and into the combustion chamber, cleaning it along the way.

Is it necessary to use additives?

No. If your vehicle has been maintained well, then using fuel additives will not make much difference to car performance. Fuel additives have almost no effect on brand new vehicles; however, if the vehicle is quite old and has not had proper maintenance then fuel additives would be helpful.

If you want your engine to perform well then it is best to opt for premium petrol or diesel which has the same effect as that which fuel additives claim to have. Premium fuel is a bit expensive and using an additive will seem like a cheaper option, however, the amount would add up to be the same or more – so it is more economical to use premium fuel.

Types of additives

There are many types of additives available; however, you have to be very careful when choosing one for your vehicle. Most cheap additives can do more harm than good to your vehicle; therefore it is best to stick to more premium brands –meaning it will be less economical.

Some additives use very harsh chemicals to make sure the engine works to the desired effect – this means that your engine would be working even harder to expel these extra chemicals, worsening emissions and making you spend more on fuel and maintenance.

In conclusion

Additives may not be necessary for making sure your engine is running smoothly if you look after your car well and service it regularly you can easily avoid any engine mishaps. So don’t forget that next maintenance appointment!

So, what are your thoughts on car fuel additives? Are they useful or not? Will you be using them for your vehicle?