Author Topic: Fuel system/engine cleaners  (Read 4049 times)

Steve McF

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Fuel system/engine cleaners
« on: 24 February 2018, 11:06:40 AM »
Does anyone have any experience of using these 'official' Saab fuel system and engine cleaners from Orio?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-Professional-Fuel-System-cleaner-Petrol/263468770989

If so, do you notice any difference after?

collywobble

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #1 on: 24 February 2018, 03:18:39 PM »
My 17 year old Astra G (2.0 litre Di diesel - basically the same engine as in my Saab but only 1995c.c. and no intercooler) died on me a few weeks ago and the AA man started it with the battery pack they carry. He then proceed to tell me a horror story about faulty injector seals, leak off and vacuum pipes.  Now I have previous experience of the AA with my 2.2 TiD linear estate not starting which turned out to be a loose earth on the fuel pump/ECU.  He did not know where the ECU was on the car and their technical people who he rang had no information on the car either!

Anyway the Astra started fine after a couple of runs round the estate and I happened to read an answer to a technical query in 'Diesel Car' magazine recommending to try using Wynn's fuel system cleaner and Turbo cleaner both together.

Well the Astra now starts better with less white smoke, idles much more smoothly and is quieter.

I won't be renewing with the AA either!

Audax

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #2 on: 24 February 2018, 06:24:22 PM »
Does anyone have any experience of using these 'official' Saab fuel system and engine cleaners from Orio?

Unlikely to do anything and unlikely to harm anything. They were never a product when Saab were in business but now Orio are looking at new ways to make money they are suddenly something they suggest using. If they would  work so well why didn't Saab ever test them in their R&D facilities and put them on the parts list?

collywobble

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #3 on: 24 February 2018, 07:06:02 PM »
Saab always recommended 'Forte' fuel treatment. I always put a bottle in the tank at every service. Both the sulphur in diesel and the lead in petrol were lubricants and the fuel pump in the 2.2 TiD needs fuel with good lubricity to keep it going. That's why I never ever use supermarket diesel and why Peugeot actually state that supermarket diesel should not be used in their cars.

sgould

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #4 on: 24 February 2018, 07:08:11 PM »
When Viking Saab were still family owned, they used Forte engine cleaner in the fuel and the oil flush.  I have no idea if it was any good...
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Audax

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #5 on: 25 February 2018, 09:00:14 AM »
Saab always recommended 'Forte' fuel treatment. I always put a bottle in the tank at every service. Both the sulphur in diesel and the lead in petrol were lubricants and the fuel pump in the 2.2 TiD needs fuel with good lubricity to keep it going. That's why I never ever use supermarket diesel and why Peugeot actually state that supermarket diesel should not be used in their cars.

Saab never recommended forte engine treatment, it's not on the service schedule and there is no reference to using it anywhere in the servicing documentation, individual dealers might but that's just them making a bit extra on the side while giving the illusion that they did something more to your car.

I don't believe that statement about Peugeot either, If Peugeot are unable to engineer their vehicles to meet the relevant fuel standards (which supermarket fuel does) then their cars would be quite simply defective as other manufacturers do this without issue, do you have a source for this claim?

When Viking Saab were still family owned, they used Forte engine cleaner in the fuel and the oil flush.  I have no idea if it was any good...

That's just the dealer making a bit extra on the side, I've know of several specialists who have never used an engine cleaner or fuel treatment and cars serviced by them never suffer as a result and keep coming back year after year.

collywobble

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #6 on: 25 February 2018, 09:31:40 AM »
The 'Honest John' website...


Audax

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #7 on: 25 February 2018, 10:06:20 AM »
The 'Honest John' website...

Which when you dig into it is a front for a media company who make a lot of money from generating page impressions and selling advert space on the website. The whole "honest John" element is a clever bit of marketing stuck on the front of some opinion column journalism.

I note Orio just emailed me for the 4th time in a month trying to sell me fuel system cleaners...

fka

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #8 on: 25 February 2018, 12:15:48 PM »
I've been tempted by these emails but I'm falling on the side of it being a waste of money, especially when most branded fuels contain detergents and I pay a premium for VPower for this very reason... I also don't have full trust in Orio since a number of parts have "allegedly" been replaced with Proparts items, instead of alternative quality parts. The valve cover gasket being one example.

I notice they're also peddling an oil system cleaner. Now I have used flushes in the 93, which was a sludge monster when I bought it and my personal opinion was that it was beneficial for that motor, however there's a massive caveat that some oil will always remain when you drain it, thus so will some flush, thus degrading the fresh oil you put in. Unless they're recommending an oil flush to flush the flush, this is dangerous territory IMO..
« Last Edit: 25 February 2018, 12:48:09 PM by fka »

Audax

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #9 on: 25 February 2018, 04:11:10 PM »
I notice they're also peddling an oil system cleaner. Now I have used flushes in the 93, which was a sludge monster when I bought it and my personal opinion was that it was beneficial for that motor, however there's a massive caveat that some oil will always remain when you drain it, thus so will some flush, thus degrading the fresh oil you put in. Unless they're recommending an oil flush to flush the flush, this is dangerous territory IMO..

I was always in two minds about using flush with the engines affected with sludge build up, on one hand cleaning out all the nasty sounds like a good idea but at the same time doing anything to release more deposits could make a bad situation even worse. Either way an engine with a sludge problem isn't really a "normal" situation but would be a scenario where careful use of a cleaner might make sense, for normal day to day I don't really see the point.

fka

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Re: Fuel system/engine cleaners
« Reply #10 on: 25 February 2018, 06:03:59 PM »
My thoughts exactly. IMO it was the right thing to do for the 93, however having had the lid off my 9-5 and seen how clean it is, at least around the cams and upper chain, I don't see any point in flushing. Again the oil itself should act as a detergent under 'normal' conditions..