Redex

[aswearing]

if you've used it - pipe up

what do you think of it? did it live up to expectations? could you FEEL the difference?

i certainly could, setting of made a huge difference. no more clogged injectors and no flatspots upto 6000 revs!

[HDi fun]

Redex is great - I used to use the injector version all the time in my 2.0 Primera.

It's one of those old fashioned well kept secrets

[waynne]

I love the stuff and use it every couple of months. It keeps everything in tip top condition so I can't say I noticed an improvement as the engine has only done 50,000 miles but in older cars there is a lot more to clean up and it really does improve things a lot.

[Pixel]

Redex is pretty good and its cheap but you have to fill your tank up and that would cost me £45 - lol!

Plus my engine has only done 70,000 miles, but I guess it could make a difference if its the first time for the car.

[HDi fun]

I have not tried the diesel version of redex as it's not compatible with the emission controls on my 2.2 HDi. My comments about the Nissan referred to a petrol derivate (yes, Waynne, I did have a life once, before I started being a Derv man )

Pixel, please DO NOT use the petrol version of Redex in your HDi! Make sure to get the diesel product as otherwise you'll completely stuff the high pressure pump and possibly the injectors, too. They're about £300 quid each, the pump is probably about the same.

These HDi's operate rail pressures anywhere between 800 and 1300 bar and the petrol Redex product will cause damage through loss of lubrication.

[yoshiman]

Redex is lovely stuff - on older diesels it seems to reduce combustion/engine noise quite considerably.

Whenever I've bought a car (all 2nd hand + highish miles) first thing I've done is give it a good dose of Redex - really does clean out all that nasty varnish and carbon from rings, piston crowns, valves, etc.

[waynne]

Thanks for the recommendation and welcome to the site Yoshiman. Does anyone use other petrol/diesel additives that they rate?

[yoshiman]

Thanks for the welcome

I've not tried any other additives but I'm surprised that more people don't use Redex.

I was wondering how many people bother using flushing oils these days? Does anybody, or do we all rely on those super detergent properties that modern fuels and oils are claimed to have?

[waynne]

I've stopped using the engine flush. I felt that some of it was going to stay in the engine and ruin the properties of the new oil. If you warm up the engine and patiently wait you can drain out most of the oil anyway.

[pgarner]

yeah ive only just engine flush the 1st time i did it then found that if the enines hot most of the oil comes out much easier

[HDi fun]

Millers Diesel additives are good, esp Power Sport 4 which you can use in cars with FAPs. Performance gains are impressive with a std dose adding four cetane numbers to pump diesel.

I also rate forte's Diesel and Petrol fuel treatments. Both good for an intensive cleanup.

Having said that, if you avoid supermarket fuel then your engine should not require extensive cleaning additives unless you're a low mileage 'engine always cold' type of driver.

Cold starts are fine if you proceed to the drive a fair distance. Switching off a lukesarm engine leaves acidic gases and moisture inside. This does untold damage over time. This is thought to be more accountable for cold engine wear than the cold start itself.

Clearly, if you fire her up and then rev the nuts off it immediately you're asking for trouble.

[Sgt Chief Apone]

well ive just put some in my golf today, i rekon its the first time its ever had some too, how long till you notice the effects then? if any.

[HDi fun]

If it's badly furred up then it'll take a few hundred miles. Initially it might drive strangely as the baked on carbon will get hotter (this is a good thing, means it's burning off) but will lead the ECU into fiddling with fuelling to keep the oxygen sensor happy. This is good. Excess air will help burn away the carbon deposits. Give it grace for this tank fill, then do the same again.

There's a lot to be said for the old fashioned Turin-Tune-Up technique. It involves letting the enigne warm up gently and then checking the engine oil level after it's been parked for an hour or so. Top up to the dipstick max.

Now, restart and let it come to operating temperature whilst driving half sensibly. Find a good clear section of dual carriageway and drive at the legal limit checking for mobile speed traps.

Go right round the next roundabout, back the way from whence you've come, and boot it. All revs in all gears. Next roundabout, round again and off you go...again! A couple of dozen miles of this will remove the remaining dirt and clean the exhaust and cat too. Let it cool before turning off (yes, even nat asp engines need time for oil to cool to avoid baking deposits onto piston rings etc.)

Next fuel visit, refill tank with decent unleaded (no TEsco rubbish) and a dose of Redex then go and enjoy a clean and lively engine.

It's a good way to prep your car for a MoT emissions test.

PS - I like the 8v 2.0 Golf far more than I like the the 16v. It's torquier at low revs and so much much quieter.

RGds,

P.

[Sgt Chief Apone]

nice, cheers for that, i got a large bottle of redex so i got plenty for the job :P