Truck Topics

Wait! Before You Use That Oil Additive

Now there's a topic that's sure to generate a spirited discussion among professional drivers.

Many drivers feel that oil additives are worth every penny of the extra expense and will swear by their favorite product, citing increased fuel mileage and decreased wear, while others say that they're a waste of money and there's no real documented proof that additives actually do what they claim.

The advertising copy that promotes the oil additives does indeed make the benefits of the product sound very desireable:

"Increases oil life at least 50% longer, reduces oil consumption, eliminates dry starts, raises oil pressure and increases power and miles per gallon."

"Reduces engine wear at start-up, extends the duration of engine life, reduces corrosion in engines and protects against engine breakdowns."

However, in the last two years, a number of oil additive manufacturers have received fines from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) for false and misleading advertising.  Additive brand names including Prolong, Slick 50, STP, Duralube, ZMax, and a number of others have all been fined for FTC violations. 

Noted truck technical writer Paul Abelson addressed the oil additives issue in a June and July 2003, two-part article in Land Line magazine, “Fuel and oil additives — are they any good?"

Abelson thoroughly researched the subject, speaking with members of the Technology and Maintenance Council, engine manufacturers and wholesale oil additive chemical suppliers.   

He reports on the experts' conclusions - "They were unanimous in their opinions: Truck operators should not put anything in their oil."

They told him that because OEM engine oil is a delicate balance of base oils and additives, any
additional additive(s) could reduce the oil's effectiveness and possibly harm the engine.

Abelson goes on to say that he has spoken with many oil additive manufacturers at trade shows across the country and reports that, "I still haven’t seen evidence from any (additive) manufacturer with properly documented tests."

"And the oil companies who say they have tested additives (in hopes of gaining exclusive rights so they could get a competitive advantage) have not been able to discover any advantages."

Dan Arcy, a technical marketing manager for Shell Oil Company says, "We have tested a number of different additives," says Arcy. "I can't say one I've ever tested that actually would perform in a diesel engine like some of the claims that were made. One of them we tested actually thickened the oil. You can't improve fuel economy by making the oil thicker."

Alex Bolkhovsky, commercial vehicles technical adviser for ExxonMobil says you might want to upgrade your oil instead of using an additive.
"If you're using an average type product, move to a premium product. If you're using a premium product, move to a synthetic product."

Other experts' opinions continue the warnings. Oil additives provide no benefit and can interfere and react with the additives already present in the oil. Some additives have particles that can clog oil passages and clog filters.

So, are there any additives that are any good?

The additives, or at least one of them, have supporters among the ranks of drivers. A number of expediting owner-operator members of Expediters Online Forums responded to an informal survey question on whether they used oil additives.  For the most part, they indicated satisfaction with one product - the Lucas brand of oil and additives.

"I put a gallon of Lucas in at my last service. My fuel mileage seems to have gone up a few percentage points but I can't say for certain - it's too soon to tell so far. I'm going to continue using it though." - Leo Bricker

"We use Lucas additive. We put one gallon in at every oil change. We have 650,000 miles on our truck and have never had one problem with it nor does it burn a drop of oil." - Nancy McBride

" We use an additive. We are currently using Lucas. We have gotten as high as 900,000 out of a small cat engine with it. The red KW that was at the show (Expedite Expo 2004) is at 450,000."

"We had an overhead ran on it last week in Tampa, and they say it is near perfect with minumal wear. It also raises oil pressure 4 to 5 lbs. I think it is worth every penny. Also acts as an aid for dry starts." - Dave Corfman

"We add 1 gallon of Lucas to the 4 gallon capacity oil change each time.  We really like the protection against dry starts that the company highlights. The engine is noticeably quieter, and we've noted a 15 psi change in oil pressure as well."

"The added cost of the Lucas will be offset in the long run by the longevity of the engine, and reduced maintenance costs due to regular wear on the engine". - The Gibster

I use Lucas after every oil change. I usually use 1-2 quarts,I like to think it helps and one thing I noticed is that my idle RPM increasd slightly. I atribute that to less internal friction,also oil pressure is higher. - Rich Moore

"(When we were still on the road) I used Lucas Oil treatment and felt it helped with cold starts, as well as extending my oil changes to 15,000 miles with no adverse effects. I did oil analysis every other oil change after the truck had around 90,000 miles." - Glen Rice

It appears that there is at least one non-believer among the respondents:

"I used Slick 50 religously in my 1992 powerstroke and drove for nearly half a million miles. I was a believer because, when on Coast Guard active duty I observed a test where a Slick 50 treated diesel generator ran for over an hour with no oil in the sump. Rather impressive display."

"About the time I was ready to replace my '92 Ford, I read an article in the Consumer Reports Magazine which indicated that several Slick 50 treated NYC Taxis in a test group showed no significantly less wear that the non-trated group of taxis."

"I bought an identically-equipped 1996 Powerstroke and had comparable mileage and service without the Slick 50. Some people love this additive and some don't. I'm in the latter group in that I don't think the benefit justifies the cost." - Terry O'Connell
 
So, it would seem that there are some happy oil additive customers.  Although their statements are anectdotal in nature, these are serious, professional owner-operators who keep an eye on their bottom line.  If they state that a certain product enables them to pull more miles or miles per gallon out of an engine, this writer tends to trust their judgment.

We do admit to a degree of surprise that virtually all of our respondents use Lucas products, but not because we've heard any negatives about the brand, just the coincidence.  That being said, they're in good company.

In his article, Paul Abelson says that, "Because so many OOIDA members are convinced the additive they use has helped with no detrimental side effects, I contacted the one company most often mentioned in my research, Lucas Oil."

Later, he concludes, "My own personal opinion is that if it were my truck, I’d pick one oil based on its reputation and use it for the life of the engine without any oil additives. One of the oils I’d consider would be Lucas."