Fuel Additive Question

[cannon_fodder]

What items touted as cleaning injection ports, spark plus, cylinders or anything else has anyone found to ACTUALLY work?

I bought a new (to me) car over the weekend and wouldn't mind spending a few bucks running cleaners through it if it does any good.  No problems with the vehicle (I took it to a mechanic after negotiating a 5 day right of return and it got the all clear), but surely the dealership and the person who got rid of the car were not too interested in doing extra things.    But generally I think of these products as just filler for fools who think there is a quick fix .

Anyone have any thoughts/ideas or experience with these things?  Worth the money, unneeded extra, or just worthless?  

Thanks.

[sgrizzle]

I have found them to work and not a bad thing to do to a vehicle you know little about. I would run a bottle through (it's a whole $5) and have the oil changed professionally the first time as they will inspect (and try to sell you) a lot of things.

Some swear by a product called "seafoam" which supposedly is the automotive version of that colon cleansing stuff but I haven't had the courage to try it.

[Kashmir]

Eewww.

Master Cleanse, anyone?

[Breadburner]

BG 44K is what injector cleaner I would recomend...What kind of car....?

[cannon_fodder]

It is a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder with the VQ35DE engine in it.

The book says no additives, but it also says have all your work done at the dealership.  []

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

It is a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder with the VQ35DE engine in it.

The book says no additives, but it also says have all your work done at the dealership.  []

I'd definitely ignore that second one. I've never taken a car to the dealership. Actually I haven't taken a car in for work in 4 years.

[custosnox]

I've used seafoam once, but don't remember if there were any possitive results.  I know I didn't have any negative results though.  I generally recommend berrymans B-12 to people.  While it won't get everything (nothing will) it does a pretty decent job of getting out the extra gunk that causes problems.

[waterboy]

Agree with Custo. Used Seafoam cause my b'inlaw up north swears by it but found it no better than Berrymans or others. Be patient and consistent though. Its like vitamins, over the long haul they're good for you.

[custosnox]

Basic rule of thumb here is add in a can every two or three tank fills.  Deffinatly no more then this if you are the type that fills up when your gauge hits half a tank.  The old thing of too much of a good thing comes into play here.

[Breadburner]

Like I said give the BG 44K a shot...Are you handy enough to feed it a set of plugs and wires....

[custosnox]

And since you did just buy it new, beyond the plugs something that you should do is change the fuel filter.  People tend to not think of it, and a lot of times you will have the original still on the car when you buy it used.

[cannon_fodder]

Good tips.  I'm quasi mechanically inclined in that I generally don't know what I'm doing, but know enough to figure it out.  I'll order the book on the car, the generation I has is fairly simply to change most things out on (plugs, wires, oil, etc.) from what I understand.

It will have to wait though, this weekend I'm going to see how well it pulls my fishing boat.  []  I still haven't found the fish in Oklahoma...