Greased Lightning

[jhm]

I just bought a bottle of Greased Lightning fuel system cleaner. The company web site seems to have some credible data to back up their claims. The stuff only cost $8.00 for a bottle and they claim it is good for 12000 miles. They also say Mercedes,Lexus and Toyota all approve it for fuel system cleaning. I havent put it in yet, waiting till I re-fuel. Anyone try this stuff? (greasedlightning.com)

[WEFs99]

Do research on the subject and ignore advertisements. There is a wealth of intelligent information out there but watch out for anything sponsored by an additive vendor. Some of the most heavily advertised additives have been banned by the FTC from making false claims. I didn't read everything the website greasedlightning.com had to say but it sounded identical to ads that another Teflon based additive was banned from claiming. There are volumes of government and legal reports that will answer your question.

[Mike C]

 

AdditivesI go here to check out the truth about additives. They have some pretty good info.

[Black02Silverado]

Chevron with Techron is your best bet. It has been talked up well over the years, never hear any thing bad about it.

[WEFs99]

Chevron with Techron is your best bet. It has been talked up well over the years, never hear any thing bad about it.

Techtron is made by a reputable oil company and is what they use in the Premium fuel. It's good stuff. I may be way wrong but I don't think any big oil company makes an additive for oil.

[jhm]

wefs99, I wasn't referring to the teflon stuff, this is a fuel system cleaner, no teflon in it. I checked out the Techtron stuff but was turned off by the fact that now they sell 2 versions, regular and lite, the lite is 1/2 price of regular. It seems like a marketing gimmick, what exactly is the difference? The greased lightning comes with a no hassle money back guarantee so I figure what the hey...

[WEFs99]

wefs99, I wasn't referring to the teflon stuff, this is a fuel system cleaner, no teflon in it. I checked out the Techtron stuff but was turned off by the fact that now they sell 2 versions, regular and lite, the lite is 1/2 price of regular. It seems like a marketing gimmick, what exactly is the difference? The greased lightning comes with a no hassle money back guarantee so I figure what the hey...

The fact that they even sell the Teflon stuff makes me leary of any of their products. Dupont doesn't want it used in engines. As Black02silverado said, Techtron is good. That is because it is what they put in their own Premium gas. If you do a search on the subject I think you will find some very good alternatives. Occasionally use Premium gasoline, not for the octane but for the cleaning additives. All additives leave deposites and switching between major brand Premiums uses different additives and keeps everything clean.

[jhm]

WEFS99, I must take issue with your statement "DUPONT DOSENT WANT IT (TEFLON) USED IN ENGINES". Actually, they only state that it dosent add anything useful to an engine. They are still happy to sell as much as they can to any additive maker or any manufacturer for that matter. They put the disclaimer on their legal pages so they cant be sued. It is a joke to say they dont want it in engines, my 1972 Chevy Vega and millions of others came from the factory with Teflon impregnated into the cylinder walls, now in 2003 GM is coating the Vortec pistons with Teflon to make them quiet (for a while, until it wears off). DuPont will sell their teflon to anyone, for any legal purpose. When I bought my '01 Silverado, the dealer tried to sell me a Teflon paint "treatment" that would keep the truck shining like new and I would never have to do anthing except hose it down. I did not bite, so he kept dropping the price from $500 down to $200, still I said no. I researched this and found DuPont also states Teflon will not add anything to a paint finish. I also would not put Teflon additives in my engine, but there are lots of people who love it, so it will be sold for a long time. That is an example of our free market society. We have no Chevron gas here, but Texaco puts it's cleaner in all grades of fuel.

[WEFs99]

My mistake. Dupont, in their lawsuit, was against Slick 50's method not it's use in engines. I don't believe Dupont felt any confidence in the additive and feared long term engine damage. The additive is a totally different ballgame than a factory coating.

[bigtruck21]

I researched this and found DuPont also states Teflon will not add anything to a paint finish.

Does any product do anything for a paint's finish? Other than protect it, I don't think so. Teflon would protect just like wax or anything else, and probably last longer because it can take higher heat....just like on pots and pans.

[100R1]

Some of the lawsuits dupont has / had is the fact that manufactures use the "Teflon" brand name (reg. trade mark of dupont) but were / are using P.T.F.E. which is the generic equal manufactured by others not under the license of Dupont.

 

That being aside, Teflon......P.T.F.E. does not belong inside a internal combustion engine. It's a terific product around chemicals for fluid sealing purposes and the transfer of chemicals, medical and food service applications,

 

You won't see it as a fuel additive as the burining of Teflon/P.T.F.E. puts out some pretty bad chemiical byproducts that would not pass the E.P.A.

[Black02Silverado]

Does any product do anything for a paint's finish? Other than protect it, I don't think so. Teflon would protect just like wax or anything else, and probably last longer because it can take higher heat....just like on pots and pans.

Just don't eat off your paint, not the same stuff.

[MoJo]

AdditivesI go here to check out the truth about additives. They have some pretty good info.

Looks like just another opinionated forum to me. Everyone will has a 'kill story'.

Biggest problem is that too many people repeat someone else's opinion, story, etc. without actually trying it out. Repeated enough, it becomes a 'rumor'. Pretty soon, you see people posting it as fact! (it's bad to do..., you'll ruin your...if you...)

Mobil, at least in CA, makes a big deal about how its gasoline keeps injectors/fuel systems clean. Chevron, always at least .10 a gallon more than anyone else, claims Techron is what your car needs.

Getting this stuff tested independently without prejudice is difficult, if not impossible. If it works for you, good, if it doesn't, it doesn't. Either way, if you are giving real world test results, let it be from your test, not what you heard from so an so. Remember, anything YOU have not experienced, is hearsay. We ARE the closest thing to an 'independent' test group you'll find anywhere. Let's not muddy that up with speculation.

BTW, how did this get from a question about "Greased Lightning" to whether teflon in paint actually protects the finish?

[jhm]

My fault for bringing up the teflon paint protector the dealer tried selling me. It was just to point out that manufacturers put teflon in all kinds of products to make a selling point. Even Trico wiper blades has a blade that is "teflon coated"!. Back to the original subject of additives for fuel systems, I found out today that since 1995, the EPA has required gasoline manufacturers to put detergent in ALL gasoline. This is for reduced emmissions. There is a minimum specified, apparently Mobil and others claim their highest octane has more than the min. How much more, they don't say. This is not a rumor, it is a fact and you can go to www.epa.gov/oms/regs/fuels/additive/fact7gda.htm and read for yourself. I havent put the Greased Lightning in the truck yet, waiting to re-fuel this weekend, I'll let you know if it makes any noticeable difference.

[bigtruck21]

post freely...let ideas flow. The fact that additives are added to gas like detergents, stabilizers, clean burning agents and octaine boosters makes me wonder if aftermarket gas additives are even needed. If you look at the cheap aftermarket products and they are mostly alcohol, makes me wonder if running 10% ethanol would be the same thing and maybe better. Lets see 26 gallon tank full of 10%ethanol blend is 2.6gallons of ethanol compared to 16oz of a bottle with alcohol in it. Maybe there are some products that do work well for cleaning, especially if one takes many short trips and lots of idling. Then again, maybe the gas we buy is shorted on the additives, to save the companies money. Who knows? I'm curious to see if the greased lightning helps though. What kind of driving conditions do you do and what kind of symptoms does your truck now have that made you want to try it? Let us know if it cured it.