Gasoline additive

[Doneworking]

What is the best additive for our Roadtrek 6L engine to clean it out a little?

Sometimes it idles a little rough and occasionally the check engine light comes on. My mechanic's scan is just like mine and doesn't show any cause. I just clear it and it may or may not happen for many miles.

I would like to try an additive before we take a five hundred mile trip coming up in a few weeks and am wondering what is the best one to use. Seafoam? I don't want to add anything that might also be harmful to that cantankerous Onan we all know and love.

 

[booster]

For the van itself Techtron
has been the standard for a very, very long time. Our 6.0 started to run a big rough at cold idle a few years ago for the first time which surprised me. I cleaned the throttle body and no help.

Then I found out that the main station we used for years, Kwiktrip, got rid of Top Tier. Ran a couple of can of Techron though and it smoothed right out like it used to be. Coincidentally my wife's 2009 Honda CRV started idling bad about the same time. Techron cleaned it also. Top Tier is getting quite hard to find around here now, which is too bad.

It works be if you use when you are doing short trips around town with overnights in between so it has more time to work. It goes through too fast on constant highway speed, I think.

AFAIK it should also do a very good job on the Onan carb, but you may want to confirm that.

 

[wmgeorge]

I think you mean

Chevron Techron Fuel System Cleaner,​

Dextron is a automatic transmission fluid. I have used Techron for years and years and like you highly recommend.

 

[Snowy]

Costco has Top Tier gas. It is usually the cheapest and best gas around here.

 

[Doneworking]

Thanks for replies. I'll pick up the Techtron.

 

[B&JinNC]

What is the best additive for our Roadtrek 6L engine to clean it out a little?

Sometimes it idles a little rough and occasionally the check engine light comes on. My mechanic's scan is just like mine and doesn't show any cause. I just clear it and it may or may not happen for many miles.

I would like to try an additive before we take a five hundred mile trip coming up in a few weeks and am wondering what is the best one to use. Seafoam? I don't want to add anything that might also be harmful to that cantankerous Onan we all know and love.

I would recommend changing to top tier fuel if that is not already your practice. The low cost gasolines generally use less additives to save expense. I think the main benefit of top tier is keeping the fuel injectors clean which promotes a proper spray pattern.

 

[jjrbus]

The only time I have used an additive in a long time was with the RT 5.7. I get codes on occasion with no CEL or have running issues with no code or light. Last code was misfire #8 cylinder, was running fine. Looked around the net and Techtron seems to be most recommended. Cleared the code and has not returned.

I have often looked at which gas to use or octane etc. Interesting that when tanker trucks fill with gasoline they are allowed to have a certain amount of diesel fuel in them! Google the SDS for Sea Foam main ingredient is Naptha.

Then there are a bunch of lists like this on the net.

https://www.autoblog.com/maintenance/gas-stations-with-best-quality-fuel

 

[wmgeorge]

I had on occasion from time to time to be at pipeline terminals to service HVAC units. Be aware there are not separate pipelines for different brands of gas! Tankers all fill up at the same terminal pipeline, the only difference is what they dump in the tank for additives. Top Tier gas is getting harder to find, I use the Techron whenever I have doubts.
Sea Foam BTW is more than Naptha it has light oil and more, folks have used it for years, I have "fixed" engines running poorly with a hefty dose of it.

 

[booster]

I had on occasion from time to time to be at pipeline terminals to service HVAC units. Be aware there are not separate pipelines for different brands of gas! Tankers all fill up at the same terminal pipeline, the only difference is what they dump in the tank for additives. Top Tier gas is getting harder to find, I use the Techron whenever I have doubts.
Sea Foam BTW is more than Naptha it has light oil and more, folks have used it for years, I have "fixed" engines running poorly with a hefty dose of it.

Yep, I agree. All the same at the pipeline and additive package add by the driver is the difference.

Same on the difference between Seafoam and Techron. Seafoam is good for old gas residue cleaning or the ethanol gelling clean out with their solvents. Techron will do some of that also, but it has PEA additive also which helps get the carbon and other deposits off the intake runner, intake valve and piston top.

Top Tier gas also has the PEA and that why it is called out by vehicle manufacturers for the direct injection engines which are prone to carboning up the intake manifold and intake valve.

As near as I have been able to find out the additives that Marathon Arco, Amoco, Shell. and Mobil Exxon passed Top Tier as they were previously good enough.

 

[jjrbus]

I had on occasion from time to time to be at pipeline terminals to service HVAC units. Be aware there are not separate pipelines for different brands of gas! Tankers all fill up at the same terminal pipeline, the only difference is what they dump in the tank for additives. Top Tier gas is getting harder to find, I use the Techron whenever I have doubts.
Sea Foam BTW is more than Naptha it has light oil and more, folks have used it for years, I have "fixed" engines running poorly with a hefty dose of it.

Correct more than Naptha, also contains light oil, any oil such as kerosene and alcohol.

 

[Sensfan-ClassB]

I’ve been adding Stabil since 2023 to prevent ethanol related damage, especially to my Onan 2800. I have recently read articles that suggest Starbrite Star Tron outperforms Stabil for both ethanol damage protection and vehicle performance, e.g. mileage.
Does anyone have experience using Starbrite Star Tron?

 

[wmgeorge]

I have heard about it but never used, like you I use Stabil and never an issue