GENERAL THOUGHTS ON SELECTING A FUEL ADDITIVE

Our blog will start out with the topic of the best ways to select the most appropriate Fuel Additive.

Over the years I have had lots of interactions with people who had a variety of backgrounds, some with quite a bit of knowledge on the subject and others with a limited experience. . In general, the subject is not an easy one to really be an expert in, due to the vast “confusion and noise” caused by various product manufacturers’ claims.

The most common questions and debate remain related to whether they are worth the investment and do they do what they were designed (and claim) to do?

Here are some of the questions I ask when determining the value and efficiency of an Additive:

• 1. How does it work?
• 2. Does it affect combustion physically or chemically?
• 3. Is it regulated by Federal or State agencies?
• 4. Is it officially verified by a State, or Federal agency?
• 5. Can it have a negative effect on the engine?

Knowing what questions to ask when considering a fuel additive purchase might be a good place to start since rising fuel costs are continuing to eat away at the bottom line and fuel additives should be one of the considerations to ease the pain a little.

But, like for so many people I have had conversations with this can be a very, very daunting challenge. It may seem that it is too hard to do an intelligent evaluation, but believe me, it isn’t!

Here are some of the more frequent statements made by the users of fuel additives I have talked to:

• “Yes, I have used them but I never ever will again!”
• “No, I gave up!”
• “Yes, I tried a couple but one really messed my engine up!”
• “Yes, I currently use one but I am not really sure if it is worth the $$.”
• “I thought I was pretty smart and started to evaluate which one to use……..what a brain tease that was!”

So it goes. Some confusion. Some satisfaction. The question is, was it really worth the $$? What do you think? Share your thoughts with us.