can anyone tell me about any oil/fuel additives that you have had good luck with. and also ones i should stay away from.
Don't waste your money. Just make sure you use premium oil in your car as most better oils contain all the additives your car needs. Pretty much the same goes for gas, just stay away from 'noname' gas stations. Other than that the only thing that you may want to consider is a winter additive for your gas (if you live in a very cold climate).
Just from what I've heard from people I work with, I would not consider any oil additives. You keep oil in your car 3500 to 5000 miles, you don't change it as much as gas, and it plays a very important role in the durability of your engine. Personally, I wouldn't mess with the oil. Lucas Fuel Injector/Carburetor Cleaner works pretty good though as a gas additive.
The advantage of additives you can experience with a bit worn out engine, but not worn out completely. The ingredients PTFE (teflon) or MoS2 (molybdenum dislufide) actually create a coating on the inner surfaces of the engine, decreasing friction, wear and reducing the tolerances - the too big ones on the worn out engine. In this way they reduce fuel and oil consumption, but again, the engine has to be worn out only to cerain extend, because they cannot do miracles. So you look for additives with this ingredients from a brand you trust or you can afford. The additives will need some kilometers/miles to perform the best so don't expect results immediately. On a new car and with modern syntethic oils which car manufacturers require additives are a waste of money - cannot improve the performance - and can only lead to warranty problems or similar. Caution! Do not put additives into gearbox or differential oil. There the friction between certain parts must not be reduced!
