Just wondering if anyone out there uses any engine oil additives, if so what do you use? I've asked the Jaguar dealer about this to get their opinion. Being a dealer they say they don't recommend anthong other than Jaguar specific oils, however talking to one of their mechanics said , the main thing that they stressed is not to use any products containing Zinc. They said zinc based products will damage the catalytic converters. The one product I've been reading up on is Energy Release..... Have any of you had any experience with this product??

 

I don’t have anything direct to say about this other than: My instinct would be to focus more on shorter oil change intervals if I was looking to do the best for my engine.

 

What he ^ said. Change your oil more frequently and that will be better than any additives.


In my older cars (non-Jaguar) I have to search for oil with higher zinc content… even the Mobil I used to use, changed its formula.

 

The JLR-spec oils, that contain additives for timing chain protection, will not benefit from additives like ZDDP.

Changing oil more frequently than factory recommendations is Good Practice, since the additives lose effectiveness before the base oil does (according to a friend that worked at Exxon-Mobil).

On our older sports cars with flat-tappet engines, Valvoline Racing VR1 is favored, but those oils are only available in 10W-30 and 20W-50...not recommended for the Jag!

https://shop.valvolineglobal.com/pro..._BwE&Size=1+QT

 

I personally wouldn't use oil additives, which could cause unknown chemical reactions at high temps with your existing oil.

I use LiquiMoly oil and also do Blackstone oil analysis periodically to get objective data. So far so good on all my past and present vehicles.

Fuel additives are a different story, as the injectors are prone to failure. I use Redline for its high PEA content about 500 miles prior to an oil change.

Many different opinions here about these topics...

 

Agreed on above comments. If you're concerned about your oil, have it analyzed. I use Blackstone, and they have an option (small extra cost) to measure TBN. It indicates the strength of the remaining additives. I'm sure their website will explain it better than my not-yet-caffeinated brain can.

 

Been there before. My advice however after years chasing the additive rabbit hole is get an oil extractor and change the oil every 3K miles yourself. That's the best care you can give your engine along with using premium fuel and having mechanical empathy. Sending a sample out for testing once a year or so is another good practice.

I changed the oil myself for the first time last week and it took me less than 10 minutes using an extractor and I got 7.3L out so pretty confident the sump was mostly empty. The AJ engine was designed to have oil extracted that way rather than drained from the bottom making it child's play. Just look up videos showing the AJ assembly process and you'll see how the extraction tube runs all the way down to the sump and ends next to the sump drain plug.

BTW, anyone interested in engine oil analytics should follow this channel
http://youtube.com/@themotoroilgeek?si=N79nM3aZcuI9wpJZ

 

@WSHudds Sage advice from someone who has gone through the nightmare of a destroyed engine from oil starvation despite regular maintenance. That's a good YT channel!

Just to follow-up, what did your mechanics think was the final cause?

I wonder if certain oil additives could create high viscosity deposits in narrow channels that impede flow.

 

Interesting to hear your comment about only using Redline 500 miles before an oil change. Is there a specific reason for that?

I use Redline in my gas here and there, and I’m not being conscious about only doing it in the lead up to an oil change like you. Should I be concerned in any way about that fact?

Cheers

 

I use BG44K, also before an oil change. My understanding is that this is nasty stuff and can poison motor oil. Presumably, it’d take some blow by, so maybe it isn’t a concern.

I guarantee it’s not a concern by changing the oil after the 2nd tank. (They recommend adding it before filling up, then fill up again at a quarter tank. That way, you get 3/4 of a tank at full strength, and most of a tank at 1/4 strength.

https://www.bgprod.com/catalog/gasol...ystem-cleaner/

 

We will never know for sure what caused the big end bearing to go. I suspect the oil starvation was caused by a collapsed oil pump. I had had the oil replaced just a month prior by my trusted JLR specialist using the correct oil that meets the JLR specs. My mechanic did a fantastic job replacing the engine, the lads have truly amazing skills!

A year prior, I had put a bottle of Ceratec in the engine which is an additive that I liked using in the past. Not anymore! It probably didn't cause anything but I decided to move away from oil additives after what happened.

It's been good to drive the car with a brand new engine though with new injectors, alloy pipes, serviced SC, etc. All mostly paid for by my extended warranty.

 

I just bought some Sta-Bil 360 fuel additive, to protect against ethanol and fuel breakdown (because it can take me months to use up a full tank). Any experience with Sta-Bil?

I also use the spec LiquiMoly oil and wouldn't use any additives.

 

@Ramart I have used Sta-Bil for storing gas in 5 G plastic carboys at home for a generator and lawn mower, but not in cars so don't know. However I did pour some 6 month-old fuel from one of these carboys into my 2012 Audi A4 and had an injector seize on the freeway the next day! Could have been some particulate from the plastic/gas/Sta-Bil combo, who knows. Won't be doing that again!

@DMeister I agree with the @DJS approach as there will be some return to the crankcase, however small. Best to change out the oil at that time if there is a reduction in viscosity. Same principal as changing the oil after an injector failure.

@WSHudds Glad to hear the new engine is purring smoothly...

 

I tried looking for info on Redline S1 specifically and most things I’ve found says you don’t need to change the oil, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything ;-0

 

You probably don't need to change the oil (as in big damage if you don't) but I reckon it would still be a good idea to do so.
Coz if the Redline SI-1 (or other fuel system cleaner) really does what it says on the tin then some dissolved carbon/sludge deposits will end up in the crankcase so best to get rid of that contaminated oil.