Vehicle Warranty

Lubricants

When choosing lubricants we always recommend using fluids that meet or exceed the specifications set out by the manufacturer.   Where required, these can be fortified with additional additives packs.

Please contact us if you require assistance with the compatibility of additives with your chosen or existing oil.

Additives

Our reputation is important to us. Therefore, we invest a lot of time ensuring that any products we stock are of satisfactory quality, safe to use and perform as advertised, If used as directed.

Virtually all of our fuel additives are designed to work with standard BS EN590 diesel fuel and BS EN228 gasoline. However, many of them also are effective with gasoline or fuel oil derivatives including red diesel, bio-fuels and other hydrocarbon-based fuels.

Please contact us if you require assistance with choosing the correct treatment for your application.

Additive Safety & Vehicle Warranty

Are fuel system and engine cleaners (or other cleaners, for that matter) safe for my engine?

In all our experience we have yet to find a commercial fuel-based engine cleaning product that when used as per the manufacturer’s instruction, has resulted in any form of short, medium or long-term damage to a fuel system or engine. There are, of course, products that don’t deliver as promised. But the main commercial ones we have tested are at least safe to use. This includes in engines with superchargers, turbo chargers or the very latest particulate filters, or high pressure fuel systems.

Yet, we are inundated with customers falling victim to deposit build-up, excess wear and failures on their vehicles from NOT fortifying the fuel with additives or keeping the fuel system, engine or lubrication system free of deposits.

Providing the recommend dosages are not seriously abused, our cleaners are no more dangerous than putting gasoline (or diesel for diesel engines) in the fuel tank.

So why does my main dealer and car manual insist on no fuel additives?

Firstly, a combination of draconian thinking and revenue protection. Unlike in the U.S. and other parts of the world, manufacturers (fronted through their main dealers) have a vested interest in maintaining a “replace with new policy.”  For example, if a main dealer plugs in their diagnostics computer and it registers a faulty diesel fuel pump or faulty injectors, then they must advise the customer that they require a new pump or injectors.

We have seen a bill from one of our customers for almost £3000 to supply and fit four new diesel injectors. The fact that injectors and pumps can be reconditioned or that a good quality cleaner will 80% of the time resolve the problem is irrelevant. Main dealers have little choice and they risk falling out of favour with the manufacturer or worse, losing their franchise if they deviate from the “replace with new” policy. If you accidently put a stain on a piece carpet would you just replace the carpet without trying to clean it first?

Secondly, risk mitigation. Manufacturers and dealers are simply protecting themselves from customers that may foolishly put a harmful substance in the fuel tank, i.e. bleach (and we’re not joking) or putting fuel additives in with the oil or vice-versa. Hence, they enact a straight- forward “no additives” policy.

Last, but not least, you’ll be surprised to learn that many vehicle manufacturers already use additives. That’s right, but only when it suits them. For example, a prominent European petrochemicals company provided an aggressive fuel system cleaner to a well known European vehicle manufacturer because they were facing hundreds of thousands of potential warranty claims from carbon build-up on diesel fuel injectors. The additive was administered to all affected engines on a recall or during the next scheduled service and customers were none the wiser. Furthermore, many manufacturers now sell their own branded fuel cleaners through dealer networks such as BMW, Ford etc.

So why is it different in other countries?

Unlike in the UK, main dealers in the U.S.have a strong influence over the manufactures. In many cases it is the main dealer that will call the shots. Unfortunately, in the UK and the EU in general, we are a little behind.

The law is on our side (one of the few advantages of being in the EU) and we are starting to witness a change with manufacturers and franchised dealers.

Some additives still comply with BS EN fuel standards when diluted correctly. And even if an additive doesnt comply, manufacturers will struggle to prove that any fault is the result of an additive simply because the additive will not be at fault.

In fact, it is highly unlikely that a dealer would even know an additive was used unless you tell them. It takes serious equipment to detect additives and the reality is that you have a greater risk of a dealer refusing a warranty claim due to using contaminated (untreated) fuel than using an additive to fortify the fuel or clean the system.

If you require further advice on this matter then please don’t hesitate to contact us.