Is this good to put in our Boxsters periodically? Chevron Techron Concentrate Fuel System Cleaner

If so, how often?

Everybody talks about how good it is but I don't see any threads recommending.

Yeah or a nay?

... and documented in SAE papers.

I run it about once a year, and ensure that its juts before a long trip - hot, continuous running.

There is some debate about whether it should be put in anytime, or just before an oil change. The issue is dilution/contamination. I think this is worry-warting since anything that DOES make it into the oil will evaporate with sustained operation > 100 degC.

More often may be useful, but its s trade-off of cost, effort etc.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Used to give cans of it as stocking gifts to every car in the household. I'd dump it in a full tank of gas and after totally exhausting that tank and a half tank more go change the oil.

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atwnsw
If so, how often?

Everybody talks about how good it is but I don't see any threads recommending.

Yeah or a nay?

If someone buys a new car and from the outset buys top tier gas and fresh gas and his usage of the car sees the car experiencing few short trips or has a mix of short trips with some longer ones mixed in the engine may never need a treatment of Techron. My experience with my Boxster falls into this classification.

As a result I have used Techron just a few times since I bought the car in 02. Once at around 80K miles to address a hesitation/stumble issue that proved to be due to a bad AOS. Then once maybe twice since then as a prep to having the car emissions tested. I did this because I was not sure how well the engine would do and I wanted every edge. So along with Techron I had the plugs changed, the air filter, and even added 6 gallons of 100 octane gasoline to an almost empty tank of 91 octane gasoline. The engine passed with no problems. As I gained insight into this emissions thing I cut back and now just make sure the engine's fully up to temp. However, my usage of the car sees it gets longer trips once in a while and coupled with my consistent use of top tier gasoline the engine makes it through emissions testing with no problems. 'course I do change the plugs on schedule along with the air filter.

OTOH, if the owner's usage of the car involves short trips and if the car seldom gets out on the open highway for an extended run then Techron every so often could be called for. How often? Well, my WAG would be if one is having the oil changed based on time not miles then a tank or two before the oil change use a bottle of Techron as per directions then change the oil/filter.

I would not overdo it with this Techron. As I started out with the best course of action is to use a top tier gasoline and buy fresh gas, buy from a busy station. Then drive the car. I can tell you how it still pleasantly surprises me even after 260K miles on my Boxster to take it on a 60 mile drive at freeway speeds and then back again and note how the engine perks up. Even though I commute 60 miles per day in the car with around 75% of that at freeway speeds an extended run still makes a difference.

There is nothing magical about the 60 miles. I just so happens this is the distance from my house to where I have to drive to/from at least once a week, and sometimes more often than that. As I touched upon above apparently my 30 mile commute does not provide quite the same benefit.

Now in the case of my 996 I bought it used with around 10K miles. While the car/engine was in excellent condition/shape I used Techron shortly after I bought the car and then changed the oil/filter. I wanted to get the fuel system/engine at some known point regarding cleanliness and valve and combustion chamber deposits which is why I used Techron in at least one tank of gas and maybe two. Since then, and now with over 100K miles on the car, I have not used Techron again. But like the Boxster the 996's engine really perks up after an extended run.

BTW, Techron has a deposition and vapor phase and portion of it is not intended to readily vaporize and burn and as a result the use of Techron can dilute the oil. If one is not driving his car very much and in a manner than doesn't require fuel system cleaner usage chances are the oil is getting a good build up of unburned fuel and water and sure doesn't need yet another fluid contaminate adding to the oil's contamination burden.