[BimmerF32_430i]

my F30 is nearing 100K so I'm hoping for that magical boost

[cdgatti]

other good products, that I feel my car responds to are the LiquiMoly line of cleaners. I use the Jectron and the Valve Cleaner product. My car will run noticeably smoother and have better throttle response if I do these treatments about 1/year.

[eluded]

i use Costco and have never felt that 'feeling' that their gas did anything special except cost less.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by richie_s

I've filled up with Shell before but I noticed a subtle difference. The fuel system cleaner really did it for me. I think the carbon deposits were starting to clog up my fuel injectors. From now on, I'll only use top tier gas and the fuel system cleaner every 5,000 miles or so.

Actually fuel injectors are the ones that clean carbon deposits on port injection cars. On DI cars fuel doesn't hit intake valves so that's where carbon builds up, and you can only clean it with walnut shell blasting

Probably wouldn't hurt to use Chevron anyway, but I wouldn't do it every 5k miles. I've used them maybe every 20-30k miles and haven't really noticed any difference

[Seraphblade@sg]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

Actually fuel injectors are the ones that clean carbon deposits on port injection cars. On DI cars fuel doesn't hit intake valves so that's where carbon builds up, and you can only clean it with walnut shell blasting

Probably wouldn't hurt to use Chevron anyway, but I wouldn't do it every 5k miles. I've used them maybe every 20-30k miles and haven't really noticed any difference

+1

Fuel additives does nothing in removing carbon buildup for our direct injection engines... It only works if the fuel actually reaches (washes) the valves.

However that said, I still find myself using techron every 3-5 months....

Did a walnut blasting at 80k, not too much buildup.

[disfunk]

How about motorvac what do they clean

[DTRJ]

Techron And Bmw Fuel System Cleaner Are One In The Same. Turn Over The Bmw Bottle, And Chevron Techron Is Stamped On The Bottom. Gm Also Does The Same Thing. The Techron At Costco However Is Not The Same. It Is Not The Concentrated Product According To My Phone Call To Chevron, And Is Not As Strong

[cncmastr]

Originally Posted by DTRJ

Techron And Bmw Fuel System Cleaner Are One In The Same. Turn Over The Bmw Bottle, And Chevron Techron Is Stamped On The Bottom. Gm Also Does The Same Thing. The Techron At Costco However Is Not The Same. It Is Not The Concentrated Product According To My Phone Call To Chevron, And Is Not As Strong

Was it hard typing that all in Sentence Case?

[goj]

Just like proper maintenance..quality gas is alway my priority. Even if it's a bit more expensive I only use Shell and Chevron.

The inline 6 treats me well, so I treat it well

[jap335]

Originally Posted by richie_s

I've filled up with Shell before but I noticed a subtle difference. The fuel system cleaner really did it for me. I think the carbon deposits were starting to clog up my fuel injectors. From now on, I'll only use top tier gas and the fuel system cleaner every 5,000 miles or so.

i just got a 2009 335i with 100k miles and put in the Techron cleaner 1000 miles ago and it helped a ton. Afterward now though I seem to hear more of a ticking. Any idea why that could be?
Also, I want to put in the Techron again today. Is it too soon? If so, y is it too soon?

I only use 91 chevron gas btw.

Thank you.

[Mr. Tasty]

snake oil

[AshlandTE87]

Using Techron (black bottle) is very popular amongst the E39 crowd and often run before an oil change. There is a noticeable difference in how dirty the oil is with and without, so it does work. I've got 308k miles on my 2001 525 so I'm sticking with my yrs old regimen of Techron.

With that said, I believe our F30 owner's manual states that top tier gas is highly recommended. My manual even states BP as the preferred fuel, though I seek out Shell because there are not many BP stations close to where I live. When I purchased my car I asked about walnut blasting, etc that I had read about. They told me it's not an issue if sticking to top tier gas AND using a bottle of cleaner every 3-4 months. I bought a license plate holder that day from the dealer with the discount and the SA suggested I grab a couple bottles of cleaner since I was getting a discount. Parts guys hands them to me and I looked at the SA and said "this looks like rebranded Techron". He said yep, buy it at Walmart when you need it next.

Now, having said all this and pulling from my experience/regimen on my M54 engine, I do not use Techron every 3k miles on my F30. I figure that if it makes the oil dirtier due to cleaning out deposits/carbon from anywhere that's exposed to gasoline, then I'd rather not run dirty oil for 2k miles before an oil change. I follow the same practice and run a bottle or two through right before an oil change.

To each there own. I plan on keeping the car until it falls apart and am akin to following some of the same practices I have had in place on my 525 since it seems to me at least, to work. And, a bottle of Techron at <$5 at Walmart isn't going to bankrupt me.

I should also note that I do NOT use top tier gas in my 525. I use the cheapest stuff I can find and often mix a ratio of 87 octane w/93 to get 91 in the end. So yes, there is more crud from more surfaces (like valves) that gets cleaned out.

[123Britt]

But tend to use BG 44k in the service dept.

[Bestodabest]

Originally Posted by AshlandTE87

Using Techron (black bottle) is very popular amongst the E39 crowd and often run before an oil change. There is a noticeable difference in how dirty the oil is with and without, so it does work. I've got 308k miles on my 2001 525 so I'm sticking with my yrs old regimen of Techron.

With that said, I believe our F30 owner's manual states that top tier gas is highly recommended. My manual even states BP as the preferred fuel, though I seek out Shell because there are not many BP stations close to where I live. When I purchased my car I asked about walnut blasting, etc that I had read about. They told me it's not an issue if sticking to top tier gas AND using a bottle of cleaner every 3-4 months. I bought a license plate holder that day from the dealer with the discount and the SA suggested I grab a couple bottles of cleaner since I was getting a discount. Parts guys hands them to me and I looked at the SA and said "this looks like rebranded Techron". He said yep, buy it at Walmart when you need it next.

Now, having said all this and pulling from my experience/regimen on my M54 engine, I do not use Techron every 3k miles on my F30. I figure that if it makes the oil dirtier due to cleaning out deposits/carbon from anywhere that's exposed to gasoline, then I'd rather not run dirty oil for 2k miles before an oil change. I follow the same practice and run a bottle or two through right before an oil change.

To each there own. I plan on keeping the car until it falls apart and am akin to following some of the same practices I have had in place on my 525 since it seems to me at least, to work. And, a bottle of Techron at <$5 at Walmart isn't going to bankrupt me.

I should also note that I do NOT use top tier gas in my 525. I use the cheapest stuff I can find and often mix a ratio of 87 octane w/93 to get 91 in the end. So yes, there is more crud from more surfaces (like valves) that gets cleaned out.

Your 525 isn't direct injected, so yes your intake valves would be exposed to the fuel-injected cleaning agent. You wouldn't see this benefit with the direct-injected N54/N55.

[AshlandTE87]

Originally Posted by Bestodabest

Your 525 isn't direct injected, so yes your intake valves would be exposed to the fuel-injected cleaning agent. You wouldn't see this benefit with the direct-injected N54/N55.

Correct about the M54 not being DI. I've always assumed that anywhere gasoline combined with combustion and/or high heat occurs, there is opportunity for some carbon depositing to take place and therefore, an opportunity to clean it off/out. If Techron were $50 a bottle or some ridiculous price rather than $4 something, I'd probably spend more time researching and analyzing the cost vs benefit aspect of.

[insanecoder]

The only fuel additive I use..

[lkoyanagi]

I bought a 2004 Lexus Rx330 with 97,000 miles and a Techron cleaner bottle vastly improves throttle response and acceleration. For cars that are lagging, it is not snake oil no matter the age. I surmise that certain gas brands will deposit gum or sticky stuff in the injectors. A dealer cleanout for $100 will have the same effect, if it needs it. So, with it you have a near new performing car, if it needs it. I buy mine at Costco. Techron at the gas station is not enough, they dont say how much the content is. Buildup will occur regardless, no matter how you drive.

[spitpilot]

'This stuff used to work wonders on Audi/Vw motors in years past...but that was when the fuel injectors were in the intake ports....we used to dump two bottles into a 1/2 tank of gas...run through...repeat, then do an oil change due to the concentration of cleaner used. Really cleaned up the injectors and more importantly did a decent job of decarbonizing the intake valves (these deposits absorb fuel during start up and cause some problems).
Now with most car makers going to "direct injection" to improve efficiency...all the cleaner in the world won't help...no fuel is touching the backs of the intakes. I do remember seeing a write up on a motor using a combo of port and direct injection to help with this issue..but the direct only motors are out of luck...blasting the intake valve with walnut shells at about 50K miles is the fix...
but costs a heck of alot more than a few bottles of Techron!

[F32Fleet]

I use Berryman B12 every 30k miles.

[Fronttwelv]

In my past two DI cars I ran a half bottle of Seafoam through the vacuum line going into the intake. The car smoked like hell. Instructions: Slowly let the hose suck in the fluid, then when a little is left let it suck the rest of it in. The car will stall out. Let sit for 15 mins. (its supposed to soak the carbon deposits in the intake. Most say Seafoam and using this method is "snake-oil'. My experience has been it really smoothed out the idle, restored lost fuel consumption and power. Also total hooligan rolling down the street with white clouds bursting out of your tailpipe!

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by Fronttwelv

In my past two DI cars I ran a half bottle of Seafoam through the vacuum line going into the intake. The car smoked like hell. Instructions: Slowly let the hose suck in the fluid, then when a little is left let it suck the rest of it in. The car will stall out. Let sit for 15 mins. (its supposed to soak the carbon deposits in the intake. Most say Seafoam and using this method is "snake-oil'. My experience has been it really smoothed out the idle, restored lost fuel consumption and power. Also total hooligan rolling down the street with white clouds bursting out of your tailpipe!

Yes, I used to do this with my hopped-up E30.
We called it giving the car a "bong hit"!

Murf

[Mr Podman]

We call it monkey milk.
You're wasting your money.


podman