There is the neverending debate about fuel additives, injector cleaners, detergents and so one. Having just bought a MC (non-S) I obviously want to keep it top-shape (in-and-out).

Do you use any of the (STP-like) plethora of products (octane boosters, fuel cleaners and other snake-oil products?).

Thank you - MMM

 

The general rule for most owners of any MINI is-
Always use top tier Premium gas
Keep your air filter clean/replace on regular basis
Don't worry about any "additives"

More important is to check tire pressures.

For those that must have additives (due to heavy performance driving: autocross/track/driving school events)-
The only one that I might recommend once or twice yearly is
BG 44K Power Enhancer
http://www.bgprod.com/products/fuelair.html

 

The only additive I recommend is "Sta-bil" or some other kind of fuel stabilizer if the car's not going to be driven for several months.

 

Nope, I just use premium fuel.

 

NOT Driven! Impossible!

Ok, maybe if you break both my legs and I am in a coma then you can add the Sta-bil to my MINI.

The only time I was separated from my MINI-
When I had to wait about 3 or 4 weeks for my mechanic to put in my Quaife differential (he took his time- first time he did Quaife in a MINI).
OK, one more time-
Vacation in Scotland for 2 weeks.

 

I'm frequently away from home because of my deployments with the Navy. As much space as there is on an aircraft carrier, I don't think I could convince my CO to let me take all my cars and bikes along for the six-month trip.

Sta-Bil is a cheap alternative to potentially having to drain and flush the fuel system.

 

I recommend snake oil, but it is a hassle gathering the snakes.

 

Years ago I spoke with a guy that works at Seimens (sp?) in Newport News VA rebuilding fuel injectors and he said that Chevron's Techron fuel system cleaner is THE best he's ever seen at cleaning injectors. I rarely put additives in any of my vehicles but I will throw in a bottle of Techron if any of them act funny as a cheap first diagnostic step. I've also put some in my push lawn mower when it was surging and it cured it within 5 minutes.

 

6 month deployment! Hey a carrier is pretty big. Big enough for autocross I think, like the Italian Job. Get your ship Captain to buy a MINI and I think you can bring yours along... maybe.

Sta-bil: great for those pleasure or speed boats that sit around for their owners to return. Sounds good for your pleasure to speed MINI as well.

Techron Fuel system cleaner-
http://www.chevron.com/products/prod...ate_plus.shtml
$6.99 for 12 ounces- good price
Worth a try.

I did try the BG 44K and I could not tell the difference in the three cars I tried it on but my mechanic says that for some cars it can make a big difference.

 

but I came across a product called "Sea-Foam". It's a combination of really nasty distillates and is used like Techron for cleaning the injectors via a bottle in a half-tank or so. But what got me jazzed was that if you suck it into the intake under vacuum, soak the insides of the motor real good, and wait 15 min. Fire up your car and a cloud will emit, and most of the carbon build up in the combustion chamber was gone! I'd been having pinging problems for quite a while, and it practically cured it. They also claim that you can dump some in your oil, and you drive for a while (<100 miles, no racing!) and it will dissolve deposits and sludge for your oil change. I didn't do the tank treatment or the oil treatment, but the in cylinder cleaning was good.

Now the SCed MCS ran pig rich all the time. If the new turbo does as well, keep an eye on this.

Matt

 

Anything with a lot of petroleum distillates will effectively clean out sludge/varnish/deposits from the oil system. I haven't used Sea Foam for that, but Gunk's "Motor Flush" is basically a one-quart can of kerosene that you add to your oil. You don't drive around with the MF in, though - it thins out the oil too much. You just let the car idle for a while and then drain the oil (and the crud) out.
I used it twenty years ago, but with my more-modern cars, junk doesn't seem to build up on the oil system surfaces the way it used to.