FE, "friction modifiers", and additives.

[ZugyNA]

Originally Posted by chesspirate

I've mentioned BITOG on here a couple times but nobody ever seems to go and read the stuff. Its a forum of a bunch of people who talk about oil. Just like this forum, but more specific.

I've been there a few times....good place to study oils/additives. They didn't like my tales of using solid moly and teflon together in an engine though. A lot of people with some prejudices...mostly based on "facts" though.

[chesspirate]

Good to hear of your mpg gains with it!

whoa! read my post, i didn't claim a gain with the VSOT, i claimed a gain with the FP and LC.

I used the VSOT in my Truck and am not sure what to think, old engine, was looking for something good for it.

Using it currently in wifes civic, can't track changes in mileage with her, but i've driven the car with and without the VSOT and like it better with.

I added some LC to her oil without telling her and she proceeded to get excited the next 3 tanks were giving her better mileage (i've at least got her checking her mileage casually)

[DracoFelis]

Originally Posted by chesspirate

whoa! read my post, i didn't claim a gain with the VSOT, i claimed a gain with the FP and LC.

I used the VSOT in my Truck and am not sure what to think, old engine, was looking for something good for it.

Using it currently in wifes civic, can't track changes in mileage with her, but i've driven the car with and without the VSOT and like it better with.

I'm the one that seems to be getting better MPG with VSOT. However, like so many of these things, YMMV (as there are many variables that control how a given engine responds to something you do).

So I have no idea what percentage of other people get better MPG with VSOT. There are some (older) reports on BITOG mentioning better MPG with VSOT, so I'm clearly not the first to notice this effect. However, I don't know how common that FE boost is, nor do I know what factors (condition of the engine, oil used, etc) determine who might get an MPG boost from VSOT, and who won't. And even many of the people that don't seem to get better FE with VSOT, have reported lower wear in their UOA (Used Oil Analysis), and a generally "happier" sounding/running engine.

BTW: I just mentioned VSOT as an example of a "good" additive out there, not as the only one. I still believe that many additives are junk, but (as I said at the start of this thread) we shouldn't assume that all are junk, simply because many are. If you want another example (that I've got on order, but haven't personally tried yet), Auto-RX is also (according to BITOG forums) supposed to be very good for what it does (which in the case of ARX, is to gently clean the junk out of an older engine/transmission/etc, thereby letting the equipment work closer to it's designed/peak effeciency).

NOTE to all:
The BITOG forums ( http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php ) are NOT just about oil. Yes, they are primarily an oil related web site, but they have branched out into several other (mostly car related) topic areas. For example, while I learned about pumping up the PSI on tires from this site, I actually learned a lot more about the physics of what that does to the tire/car (the good, the bad, and the just plain different, aspects of higher tire pressure) from the BITOG "Tires & Wheels" forum (then I did from this forum)! I have also learned a lot about antifreezes/coolants on the BITOG site as well. So, while they may be one of the best oil related sites out there, they are not just about oil.