Oil Companies Sell Additives

Most of the major oil companies are selling aftermarket additives on the consumer market today. One only has to think about this for a brief time and ask oneself, would a major oil company sell such products if they didn’t work? This is especially true when makes up such a small part of their overall business, which is that of selling fuel and motor oils. Would a major oil company risk such liability if they didn’t work and could cause damage to a vehicle. I do not think so. Since the aftermarket additives are some of the same additives used in their motor oils and fuels, but at a higher use, I do not think so. Its pretty easy to figure out that the aftermarket additives do provide a benefit to motorists or they wouldn’t bother.

If you didn’t know what companies and products are being sold on the market here is some important information for you. Pennzoil/Quaker State market Slick 50, the Teflon additive system; Valvoline the motor oil that “mechanics trust most”, at least that is their marketing unique selling proposition, (USP) markets a whole line of products under the Pyroil name. This includes engine treatments, fuel system treatments, diesel injector cleaners etc. They even sell under their own name Valvoline Synpower! Then there is Shell Oil Company that sells Gumout, and Chevron sells Techron as well as some others. Marathon oil uses STP in all of their fuel! Even the anti-freeze guys Prestone get into the act of selling aftermarket additives. Now the major oil companies are even making High-Mileage Motor oil with special additives to condition seals and prevent blow-by. As I researched the countless oil companies making aftermarket additives, I requested information on benefits such as mileage improvement claims etc. To my delight, I received ASTM and validated testing that cost literally hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of testing on their products.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, if you are still deciding if aftermarket additives actually work visit the links that I have included on all of the different aftermarket additive products sold by the major oil companies. There is something to additives as it’s the additives that do the work, not the base oil or carrier oil in the formulation. Whenever a new warranty specification is made for motor oil it always calls for more additives. Pour a bottle in today and see what so many have discovered for themselves and that is additives do work and benefit your vehicle.

In 2006 when a new motor oil warranty category for gasoline engines was developed GF-4, problems started occurring with older cars. When a new warranty specification is put on the market and licensed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) it makes all other previous specifications obsolete. All cars are supposed to be able to run on the new oil, however this is not the case with GF-4.

Zinc and the New Catalytic Converters

For many years major oil companies have used ZDDP (zinc dithiophosphate) in their motor oil formulations. The reason for this is ZDDP acts as a good anti-wear agent, and until metals of all kinds have escalated wildly in price, it was relatively cheap. Furthermore due to the skyrocketing price of platinum and palladium, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) decided to change the composition of your vehicles catalytic converter. With the new catalytic converter material, the new GF-4 specification is fine for new vehicles, however cars with flat tappet engines are not so lucky. Due to the pressure on flat tappets the new additives in the GF-4 are not working and customers are reporting early failure in droves! This is not an isolated problem, and the oil companies were aware of this problem. What has happened is that the EPA has mandated that sulfur, phosphorus and zinc (sulfated ash) were to be removed from the oil as it destroys the catalytic converter over a long period of time.

Older cars have run into a myriad of problems with flat tappet camshafts. Premature failure seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Car owners are mad and want answers fast. The fact is that older cars with their different catalytic converters need a product like zinc to protect its critical parts.

SFR 100 manufactured by SFR Corporation, SFR 100 with remarkable results published on the website. If you need ZDDP look for SFR’s SFR 100.

A mixure of oil and air is not a good lubricant, cannot support bearing loads, and does not provide good cooling. Because it contains air, oil foam is compressible. This impairs its ability to prevent wear, and the result can be the collapse of hydraulic valve lifters and subsequent poor engine operation.

High-quality motor oils contain foam inhibitor additives that weaken the tiny air bubbles and cause them to collapse almost as soon as they are formed in the oil. These chemical compounds, composed principally of hydrogen and silicon, are called silicones. Only a few parts per million are required to make most oil adequately foam-resistant.

The Motor Oil Guide, The American Petroleum Institute.

Motor Oil Guide, American Petroleum Institute