Gasoline Fuel Additives

A vehicle demonstrates its best efficiency and engine performance when it is new. As the engine ages, its performance suffers from gasoline fuel-generated deposits that form on the fuel injectors, intake valves and combustion chamber. Additives are required to control deposit formation.

Today’s fuels, however, lack sufficient treatments of either enough additives or high quality additives. Fuel system deposits result in the following:

AMSOIL P.i. is the most potent gasoline fuel additives available today. As a concentrated detergent, it is unsurpassed in cleaning combustion chamber deposits, intake valve deposits and port fuel injector deposits. AMSOIL P.i. helps maintain peak engine efficiency, fuel economy, power and drivability in newer low mileage engines. In engines with accumulated deposits, testing showed AMSOIL P.i. provided the following clean-up benefits after only one tank of gasoline:

Port Fuel Injector Deposits form after the engine has been shut down and there is no gasoline flowing through the injectors. During this “hot soak” period the injectors heat up and the gasoline remaining in the injectors degrades and forms deposits. This can happen very quickly with the use of poor quality gasoline and short trip driving. Because the clearances within the injectors are extremely tight and injectors must deliver precise amounts of “atomized” fuel, even small amounts of deposits can cause injectors to malfunction. Fuel flow is reduced and spray patterns are disrupted, decreasing engine efficiency, power and fuel economy, while increasing exhaust emissions.

Intake Valve Deposits form on the intake side or back side of the valves. As deposits increase, they restrict airflow and alter airflow patterns in the cylinder. The deposits disrupt the balanced air/fuel ratio by momentarily absorbing and releasing fuel, and they can cause valve sticking by getting in the way of the valve stem and guide. Deposits also restrict proper seating, and the valves may be burned. Intake valve deposits cause lost engine power, increased emissions, poor engine efficiency and potential valve failure.

Combustion Chamber Deposits form on the top of the pistons and on the cylinder heads. They increase compression and absorb heat during combustion to later release it during the intake cycle. In some engines with tight squish domes, combustion chamber deposits cause the piston to actually hit the cylinder head. This is referred to as combustion chamber deposit interference or “carbon rap.” Combustion chamber deposits also flake off as they get large, and these flakes can get trapped between the valves and valve seat, resulting in compression loss, difficult starting and rough idle.

Higher compression and stored heat cause increased intake fresh charge temperatures and the increased likelihood of pre-ignition “knock” or “pinging” when the fuel spontaneously combusts prior to spark ignition. This increases emissions and may cause engine damage. Many of today’s cars have “knock” sensors that adjust spark timing to prevent knock.

Although audible knock is controlled, power is lost from retarded timing. Higher octane fuels of 4-5 octane numbers can be used to help prevent knock, an effect called “octane requirement increase.”As a vehicle ages, more-expensive, higher-octane fuel is needed to keep it operating at peak performance. By cleaning combustion chamber deposits, knock is controlled, power is restored, fuel economy increases and higher-octane fuels are less necessary for peak performance.

AMSOIL P.i. maximizes fuel efficiency by dissolving and removing fuel system deposits and other contaminants for improved power and overall performance.

Treat one full tank of gas up to 20 gallons with one bottle of P.i. For very large gas tanks, partially fill to 40 gallons and treat with two bottles of P.i. Using more than two bottles per treatment is not recommended. Treat gas every 4,000 miles of service (or 100 hours for marine, stationary and off-road gasoline-powered engines). P.i. helps pass emission tests by running one tank of treated fuel through the engine prior to testing. Safe for use with catalytic converters, oxygen sensors, oxygenated gas and 10 percent ethanol blended gas. Not recommended for two-cycle engines.

Degraded fuel presents a major maintenance issue in small engines and powersports equipment. It can form varnish, gum and insoluble debris that clog carburetors, fuel injectors and fuel filters. Carbon buildup can form on the tops of pistons that leads to pre-ignition, rough idling and poor throttle response. Fuel-related problems are only expected to intensify in the coming years as the ethanol content in pump gasoline continues to increase.

AMSOIL Quickshot® (AQS) is a premium fuel additive formulated to thoroughly clean and restore peak performance in small engine and powersports equipment fuel systems. It also stabilizes fuel between uses and during short-term storage periods. Its revolutionary technology focuses on three major fuel-related issues plaguing small engines and powersports equipment: ethanol, water and dirty pump gas.

Ethanol in fuel has a tendency to absorb water and separate from the gasoline, sinking to the bottom of the gas tank, where it quickly degrades and creates gum, varnish and other insoluble debris that can plug fuel flow passages and negatively affect engine performance. When this ethanol/water mixture is pulled into the engine, it creates a lean burn situation that increases combustion chamber temperatures and can lead to engine damage. AMSOIL Quickshot is designed to keep water dispersed throughout the tank, moving it out as a normal part of operation and decreasing the chance of ethanol separating from the gasoline.

Quickshot was tested in fuel containing 10 percent ethanol. Controlled plugging of injectors showed a 70 percent flow improvement, while oxidation stability improved 44 percent over untreated fuel.

Water finds its way into gas tanks through condensation in tanks open to the atmosphere, gas pumps and other environmental conditions, and if left untreated, will cause a myriad of starting, performance and corrosion problems. By keeping water dispersed in tiny molecules and safely moving it out of the tank through the combustion chamber, Quickshot helps maintain engine performance and protects against damaging corrosion.

Dirty gasoline causes fuel system gumming and varnish, as well as piston and combustion chamber deposits. Although all gasoline sold in the U.S. is formulated with a lowest additive concentration (LAC) level of detergent additives, these detergent levels are not enough to prevent deposits from building up on critical fuel system components. Quickshot contains unique chemistry that quickly detaches and carries away deposits and buildups in fuel systems, injectors and carburetors, while also cleaning hard-to-remove deposits on piston tops, spark plugs and other combustion chamber parts.

Quickshot is recommended for use in all two- and four-stroke gasoline-powered engines, including motorcycles, snowmobiles, boats, personal watercraft, ATVs, edgers, tillers, mowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, generators and farm and construction equipment. However, AMSOIL P.i. Performance Improver is the superior choice for passenger vehicle applications.

Quickshot is designed for an initial clean-up dose of 8 oz. per 6 gallons of gasoline, followed by 8 oz. per 12 gallons thereafter.

Gasoline is not formulated for long-term storage and can start to degrade in as little as 60 days, leading to varnish and sludge deposits that clog injectors, fuel lines and carburetors, stick floats and cause poor engine performance, starting problems, increased maintenance expenses and decreased equipment life.

It is difficult to drain all of the fuel from equipment before storage, and doing so would expose the system to other problems, including the formation of rust and corrosion on the bare metal in the tank and fuel system and the drying and cracking of gaskets and seals. Some fuels are pre-treated with oxidation inhibitors that allow them to be stored for short periods without forming excessive deposits, while other fuels have no inhibitors at all.

AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer (AST) reduces the oxidation process that occurs when fuel is stored for extended periods, improving performance, extending equipment life and decreasing maintenance expenses.

AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer applications include, but are not limited to, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, outboard motors, stern drive and inboard marine engines, personal watercraft, lawn equipment, chainsaws, snowblowers, portable generators, hand-held power equipment, motor scooters, powered farm equipment, powered construction equipment, cars and trucks.

One ounce of AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer treats 2.5 gallons of fuel, including fuel that contains up to 10% ethanol.

AMSOIL Series 2000 Octane Boost improves the performance of all two-cycle and four-cycle gasoline-fueled engines. Just one treatment significantly increases engine response and power. AMSOIL Octane Boost reduces engine knock, improves ignition and helps fuel burn cleaner. AMSOIL Octane Boost is the recommended octane boost for all high-performance off-road and racing applications.

Most users will find one 12-ounce bottle of AMSOIL Octane Boost for 15 gallons of gasoline provides the ideal performance increase. AMSOIL Octane Boost is also excellent as a lead substitute at same treat rates in collector automobiles, older off-road equipment and pleasure vehicles.

The tendency of a hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, to knock is measured by its octane number. Lower numbers denote a greater knock tendency; higher numbers denote greater knock control. “Knock” is an uncontrolled and explosive ignition of fuel in the combustion chamber. It causes a knocking or pinging sound, robs the engine of power and, left unchecked, causes serious engine damage. Knock may be eliminated with the appropriate octane number.

When treated at 1.3 oz. per gallon of fuel, Motorcycle Octane Boost increases the octane of gasoline up to three numbers. Increased octane improves power and can eliminate performance-robbing and potentially damaging engine knock or ping.

Engine knock is especially noticeable in some motorcycles during idle or low-rpm operation and high-temperature driving. Most modern bikes are equipped with sophisticated knock-detection systems that can alter spark timing and the air-to-fuel mixture until knock ceases. Although these systems protect the engine from damage, they can also cause reduced horsepower and poor low-rpm operability. AMSOIL Motorcycle Octane Boost helps reduce the need for knock-detection systems to compensate, ensuring maximum low-rpm power and performance in modern bikes.

Because Motorcycle Octane Boost contains active detergents, it can help maintain efficiency. For clean up, however, AMSOIL recommends treating gasoline with AMSOIL Quickshot®, which contains a greater concentration of cleaning agents.

The tendency of a hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, to knock is measured by its octane number. Lower numbers denote a greater knock tendency; higher numbers denote greater knock control. “Engine knock” is a reference to the sound made from an uncontrolled and early ignition of fuel in the combustion chamber. It causes a knocking or pinging sound, robs the engine of power and can cause catastrophic engine damage. Knock may be eliminated by increasing the fuel’s octane.

Research Octane Number (RON), Motor Octane Number (MON) and Anti-Knock Index (AKI) are the three most common octane ratings. AKI, the rating with which most North American motorists are familiar, is typically displayed on gas pumps as the average of the fuel’s RON and MON [(R+M)/2]. RON, however, is the most common industry rating. Therefore, AMSOIL uses the RON rating when conducting performance tests and product validation. Gasoline’s RON generally is a few numbers higher than the AKI posted on the gas pump (e.g. 87 octane fuel, or regular pump gas, has a RON of about 91-92).

When marketing their products, some additive manufacturers have adopted a points system where 10 points equals one octane number. A claim that an additive increases octane 30 points translates into an increase of three octane numbers. This approach is often used only to artificially strengthen marketing claims and is not endorsed by AMSOIL.

One 4-oz. bottle of AMSOIL Motorcycle Octane Boost treats four to six gallons of gasoline. Slight overtreatment causes no issues.

Motorcycle Octane Boost is primarily recommended for use in four-stroke air- or liquid-cooled motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson®, Yamaha®, Honda®, Ducati®, BMW®, Triumph® and all other four-stroke motorcycles. It may be used in off-road applications, including ATVs, UTVs and snowmobiles, as an alternative to AMSOIL DOMINATOR® Octane Boost. Note: Clean spills immediately using a clean towel. If left standing, Motorcycle Octane Boost can stain painted or metal surfaces. If cleaned immediately, there is no need for concern.