Hello Ladies and Gents,
I went to my local Auto shop and I always see this "Lucas" Fuel Injectors and transmission additives BUT! I figured I would ask the Jedi Masters of this FORUM for advice. My Jag "Alfred" is running like a champ! besides the ASC light that flashing at times. I don't see a need to use these Lucas products. Any advice? Should I use it ? on my 2000 XJR with 90k miles.

 

And the can of worms opens, lol.

Many varying opinions, but I run BG 44K Fuel System Cleaner in all my high mileage vehicles about every 10K miles. I've actually documented MPG increases & noticeable improvements with it.

Most modern premium fuels have the detergents/solvents etc. in them nowadays. But I run treatments in mine w/ the mind set that I'm not sure what grade of fuel the previous owners ran in the car during their tenure.

 

Not sure with the Lucas products your asking about. I have used SeaFoam, and the Chevron fuel treatments, haven't seen any issues before.


We used to use BG fuel system products which work quite well, if you can find it.


As for the trans - you have a Mercedes Benz Transmission, they are actually quite good. Only replaced 1 in 8 1/2 years at dealer I worked for in Houston, only because the customer took it to an independent shop and used wrong fluid. Other than that, they are pretty good, just keep the fluid changed. The connector sleeve for the wiring harness on these are common for leaking - if you see that leaking, replace it.


I'd stay away from additives ( engine/trans ) if possible - most of them are gimmicks.


As for your ASC light, could be ABS module pump circuit - C1095, easy fix for this. Could be something else as well - recommend getting codes checked first.

 

AND that's my exact thoughts ! The previous owner told me 91- Premium but i just don't have a way of knowing that. Do you notice any jerking or a bit rough while idling ? I read plenty on the sea foam and decided to stay away from that. But growing up my pops always used that lucas stuff on his Fords.

 

Well for my ASC I figured i would start by cleaning the sensors. I watched a very detailed video on here by a fellow member!

 

Hi Dr. Acula,

I have used many of the Lucas products, including their fuel system treatment. I have not used their transmission additives, but over the years I have heard reports of their successful use. I have used their gear oils and "Oil Stabilizer" extensively and believe they are among the best products available for differentials and manual transmissions.

Most of the fuel injector/system cleaners are simple blends of mild solvents and/or oils. The solvents are typically ones known to the public as paint thinners, such as Naptha/Hydrotreated Petroluem Distillates and Mineral Spirits/Stoddard Solvent/White Spirits. The oils ar typically Mineral Oil/Hydrotreated Petroleum Distillates Heavy Paraffinic and or Sewing Machine Oil/Pale Oil. You can confirm this for yourself by googling the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for any of the popular brands, including Lucas, BG 44K, STP, Seafoam, Gumout, Royal Purple, Chevron Techron, etc.

For the record, I have used Techron concentrate in my home fuel injector cleaning rig, and it works great. I can literally watch an injector open up as its conical spray pattern is restored. However, that is using the concentrated form of Techron, forced directly into injectors on my bench. Given that in normal use the Techron is significantly diluted in a full tank of gasoline/petrol, I would expect any cleaning of the fuel system and injectors to be minimal. But any reversal of varnish/gunk accumulation is worthwhile, so using a bottle in the tank at each oil change is not a bad idea, especially if you mix your own as I now do: Mineral Spirits about 50%, Naptha about 30%, Mineral Oil about 20%, or whatever I have on hand. This mixture is very similar to Techron and BG 44K. I use old Techron and Lucas bottles to put it in the fuel tank.

Regarding your ASC light, it's certainly worth cleaning the wheel speed sensors, but if that doesn't resolve the issue, I second JBsXJ40's recommendation to have the diagnostic trouble codes scanned by a system capable of reading the proprietary Jaguar C (Chassis) codes. The most common causes of the light are a failing wheel speed sensor, an intermittent break in sensor wiring harness, or one or more cold solder joints on the circuit board inside the ABS module, particularly the two large pins for the pump connection, but also other solder joints on the circuit board such as those for the larger electrical connector through which all the wheel speed sensor signals pass.

Cheers,

Don

 

On the Seafoam, yes, but that's because its designed to sit inside the intake for a few minutes to clean, then when you start it up, there will be lots of white smoke coming out of exhaust. I've used the seafoam on my vehicles, family's vehicles, friends, etc.... never had a problem. Then again, it was just clean the intake out, I never ran it through the fuel.


I have seen youtube videos comparing Lucas products to others, mixed results.


You definitely need to run premium fuel - 91 if you have to, but preferably 93 if its there.


As for engine and trans - I'd stay away from the gimmick stuff, engine oils and trans fluids these days do just fine on their own. If you have some parts inside an engine that are worn and consumes oil/ loss of power due to compression, the only one I've used that have seen a difference is Engine Restorer. Inherited a 96 Grand Marquis from my grandfather years ago. I could tell the power wasn't where it should be, went through the basic checks, tune, etc. Slight improvement. Friend mentioned running Engine Restorer, quite an improvement.... for that engine. To each his own...


As long as you use good known products, and keep the fluids changed at regular intervals, you should be ok. But I'd recommend using the BG fuel products.

 

Here's a thread you may find interesting. I was pro-Lucas until I discovered BG.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...leaner-113602/

 

I also like that Seafoam Spray and Lube that is injected directly into the air intake after the MAFS (or through the brake booster vacuum hose). There's a YouTube video by Chris Fix that shows a modest reduction in piston carbon after using the Seafoam, and any reduction at all is a good thing. Note that the Seafoam spray is mostly mineral oil and a little isopropyl alcohol, and the smoke produced through the exhaust is almost entirely the mineral oil burning, not engine carbon as claimed or implied by Seafoam. The main advantage is the aerosol packaging and the long tube for injecting the product into the intake.

Seafoam also makes a fuel tank additive, which is a blend of "pale oil" (a light petroleum distillate like sewing machine oil), Naptha, and isopropyl alcohol.

Cheers,

Don

 

... for that intermittent ASC light, could it be that you're racing somebody and didn't turn off the traction control (the TRAC OFF button above the climate control panel)? The yellow ASC will blink and shutdown the engine when one of the rear wheels breaks loose. Then you lose the race ...

 

That was my thought as well.
Regarding any fuel treatment whenI do use it (rarely) I wait until the tank is at about 1/4 full to get a nice concentrate into the engine.
This reminds me I need to do the XJR

 

Agreed. A flickering ASC light is just the normal outcome of stepping hard into the "go pedal". Oddly enough, this is more likely to happen on snow and ice covered roads.

 

I have used Lucas products with good results. Their fuel system cleaner always cured a P0172 in my 08 RRS/SC. Found BG44K and SeaFoam to be even more effective for my last Jag (used in a tank before every oil change) and kept the injectors clean.

One product I really like in Lucas' power steering additive: fixed a hesitant pump on my last Jag and on my wife's Maxima. On my 12 RRS HSE, the steering felt "crampy" (is that a word?), cleared it up quickly.