40% of random inspections failed! Is Fuel Treasure a "treasure" or a "pit"?

Text/Chen Haoxing

　　Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation announced the results of national supervision and spot inspections of automotive gasoline cleaners, commonly known as "Fuel Treasure": 105 batches of products were randomly inspected in 12 provinces, and 42 batches of products were found to be unqualified. The rate is 40%.

　　When many car owners go to refuel, they will be sold the fuel treasure; in some e-commerce live broadcasts and short videos, the effect of the car fuel treasure is even more praised: a bottle of fuel treasure can easily remove carbon deposits, improve power, and even It has the effect of saving gasoline and reducing exhaust emissions while driving.

　　What kind of "treasure" is Fuel Treasure?

Is the fuel treasure useful?

Screenshot of the fuel treasure sales page on the online shopping platform.

　　The survey found that there are two types of fuel treasures currently on the market:

　　A kind of fuel treasure that can increase the octane number of gasoline and improve the thermal efficiency of the engine. It is also called a power fuel treasure;

　　Another kind of fuel treasure is designed to clean the deposits accumulated in the engine, combustion chamber, fuel injection system and other parts. It contains specific ingredients that can clean or take away the deposits, so it is called clean fuel treasure.

　　Zhang Xiang, a researcher at the Automotive Industry Innovation Research Center of North China University of Technology, said in an interview with China News Service Guoshi Express that the core function of the fuel treasure is to remove sediments, that is, carbon deposits, in the automobile fuel system. Carbon deposits will cause increased friction between engine parts and affect the efficiency of the engine system. Therefore, removing carbon deposits is crucial to maintaining efficient engine operation.

　　In Zhang Xiang's view, the core materials of clean fuel treasure are polyetheramine and polyisobutylene amine. These two substances can indeed remove carbon deposits.

　　As for the power-type fuel treasure, Zhang Xiang believes that although it can increase the octane number, the use of this kind of fuel treasure itself may also cause carbon deposits. The best solution is to buy high-octane gasoline instead of relying on extra fuel. At present, the best solution is to add high-grade gasoline at gas stations. All things considered, the use of this type of octane-increasing fuel treasure is not recommended as it may cause damage to the engine.

　　But he also pointed out that the actual use effects of some fuel treasures are suspected to be exaggerated, and are somewhat different from the magical effects promoted by advertisements and refueling staff.

　　Zhang Xiang explained that since Fuel Bao is mixed with gasoline, it can only exert its cleaning effect where the gasoline can reach it. Theoretically, it cannot be cleaned in places where gasoline cannot reach, such as the throttle valve, the back of the intake valve of a direct injection engine, etc., where carbon deposits may form.

　　Zuo Jianyao, founder of Beijing Noche Studio and an automotive aftermarket practitioner with 13 years of experience, said in an interview with China News Service Guoshi Express that the clean fuel treasure indeed has the effect of cleaning up carbon deposits. However, it cannot increase the original power limit of the vehicle. Its main function is to optimize the fuel combustion process and improve the efficiency and performance of the engine.

When do you need to use fuel treasure?

　　Experts analyze that most ordinary family cars do not need a fuel tank. Daily driving can also remove carbon deposits in the engine and ensure normal engine operation.

　　Zuo Jianyao believes that new cars do not need to add fuel treasure and only need regular maintenance. Old cars can use the fuel treasure in moderation. It is recommended to add it every 5,000 kilometers and not too frequently. If the old car's engine is in good condition and has less carbon deposits, there is no need to use a fuel tank. As the cleanliness of gasoline improves, gasoline itself has a cleaning effect, and high-speed driving is enough to clean up carbon deposits.

　　Zhang Xiang further gave an example. For example, running the engine at a high speed moderately or driving on the highway for a period of time can accelerate the internal circulation of the engine and make combustion more intense, thereby helping to burn away carbon deposits and achieve removal. Effect.

　　In some special circumstances, it may be more reasonable to use fuel treasure. For example, vehicles that are driven at low speeds, in traffic jams, or in extremely cold or hot weather for a long time are more likely to produce carbon deposits. Therefore, whether you need to use fuel treasure or not, you should make an appropriate choice based on the vehicle usage environment and driving habits.

How to choose fuel treasure?

　　Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation announced the status of national supervision and spot inspections on the quality of automotive gasoline detergent products in the circulation field. Focus on inspection of 7 items including pour point, flash point (closed), sulfur content, chlorine content, rust resistance/corrosion degree, demulsibility, simulated intake valve sediment quality, among which the flash point (closed) item is Safety Project.

　　Officials said that among the 105 batches of products inspected this time, 42 batches of products were unqualified, with a failure rate of 40%. Among the 42 batches of unqualified products, 22 batches of products failed the chlorine content item, 19 batches of products failed the simulated intake valve sediment quality item, and 15 batches of products failed the flash point (closed valve) item.

　　In this sampling, the inspectors tested basic gasoline with different fuel treasures under specified conditions in accordance with national standards. The difference in carbon deposits adsorbed on the sediment collector was very obvious.

　　Liu Cixiang, an engineer at the Petrochemical Institute of the Shandong Provincial Product Quality Inspection Institute, said that the test results fully show that the "fuel treasure" that fails to simulate the intake valve deposit quality project will not only fail to remove carbon deposits, but may actually aggravate the car's The generation of carbon deposits in the fuel system.

　　Public information shows that there are about 500 "fuel treasure" manufacturers in my country, more than 90% of which are small and micro enterprises, mainly distributed in Guangdong, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong and other places. There are obvious differences in the prices of different fuel treasures.

　　How to choose fuel treasure? In Zhang Xiang's view, special attention should be paid to the spot inspections of Fuel Treasure products by the State Administration for Market Regulation to avoid buying Fuel Treasure products that have been announced as unqualified brands by the State Administration for Market Regulation. In addition, it is recommended to choose products from big brands, because these big brands usually have stricter management standards for quality control and provide more reliable products.

　　In addition, consumers should also pay attention to the ingredients of fuel treasure. "Consumers should pay attention to the concentration of core ingredients in Fuel Treasure. For example, in the product ingredient introduction, the concentration of polyetheramine should be kept above 30% to ensure that the product has an effective cleaning effect." Zhang Xiang said.