Can Premium Fuel REDUCE Engine WEAR?

Summary

In this video, Lake, the Motor Oil Geek, explores the relationship between fuel and engine wear, emphasizing how fuel quality impacts oil performance. Through research from labs like Southwest Research and ACT, it's shown that premium fuels with friction modifiers reduce engine wear compared to basic fuels. The video highlights how fuel additives can improve the chemical interaction between oil, piston rings, and the cylinder wall, significantly lowering wear in engines. Lake also explains how fuel contamination in the piston ring area differs from the oil sump, demonstrating the importance of using high-quality fuel to optimize engine health.

Takeaways

• 🔧 The brand and quality of fuel can be as important as the brand of motor oil when it comes to reducing engine wear.
• ⛽ Shell's V-Power Nitro Plus fuel contains additives that form a protective film on metal surfaces, reducing wear and corrosion in the engine's fuel system.
• 🔍 Research shows that the correct additive package in fuel can lower engine wear, making the choice of fuel a critical factor in engine health.
• 💡 The oil in the piston ring groove is chemically different from the oil in the sump due to higher temperatures and greater fuel dilution, which makes fuel chemistry even more influential in wear reduction.
• 🧪 Tests conducted by German research labs and Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) showed that fuels with friction modifiers significantly reduced engine wear compared to fuels without them.
• 🔬 Engine parts, especially piston rings, experience more wear with basic fuel than with premium fuel containing friction modifiers. This is particularly evident in the ring liner interface.
• ⚙️ The anti-wear additive ZDDP in the oil can be consumed quickly in high-temperature areas, reducing its effectiveness, making the role of fuel additives even more crucial.
• 🚗 In Europe, where both premium and basic fuels of the same octane are available, research showed that premium fuel resulted in significantly less engine wear.
• 📊 The wear difference between engines running on basic and premium fuels was confirmed using multiple measurement methods, including radiation, 3D surface profiling, and used oil analysis.
• 💥 The quality of fuel has a direct impact on engine wear and oil performance, with premium fuels providing more protection and resulting in better long-term engine health.

Q & A

How can fuel impact engine wear?

Fuel can impact engine wear through the correct additive package. Properly formulated fuels, like Shell V-Power Nitro Plus, contain friction modifiers and additives that form protective films on metal surfaces, reducing wear and corrosion in the engine.

Why is the interaction between fuel and oil important in reducing engine wear?

The interaction between fuel and oil is important because the fuel chemistry affects how well the oil performs in protecting the engine. Fuel dilution in the oil, particularly in the piston ring area, alters the oil’s composition and can either reduce or increase engine wear depending on the fuel's additives.

What is meant by 'fuel dilution' in the piston ring groove oil?

Fuel dilution in the piston ring groove oil refers to the contamination of the oil with fuel, where the oil in this area contains much more fuel than the oil in the sump. This high level of fuel changes the oil's chemical properties, impacting wear and performance.

What was the significance of the research done by the German labs and Southwest Research?

The research by German labs and Southwest Research demonstrated that fuels with friction modifiers significantly reduced wear in the engine, especially at the piston ring and cylinder wall interface. They used advanced techniques like irradiating piston rings to measure wear and confirmed that fuel additives play a critical role in reducing engine wear.

How do friction modifiers in fuel reduce engine wear?

Friction modifiers in fuel help reduce engine wear by creating a protective layer on metal surfaces. As the fuel is injected into the engine, these friction modifiers enter the combustion chamber and the ring-liner interface, reducing friction and compensating for the wear that the oil might not be able to prevent under extreme conditions.

How does the wear between engines using basic fuel compare to those using premium fuel?

Engines using premium fuel with friction modifiers showed significantly less wear compared to those using basic fuel. Research showed a difference of 7.32 microns of wear with basic fuel versus 1.7 microns with premium fuel. Additionally, the used oil analysis confirmed less wear in engines running on premium fuel.

Why is the oil in the piston ring groove chemically different from the oil in the sump?

The oil in the piston ring groove is chemically different due to higher temperatures and greater fuel dilution in that area. These factors cause the oil in the piston ring groove to degrade faster and function differently than the oil in the sump, which experiences lower temperatures and longer residence times.

What role does the ZDDP additive play in engine oil, and why is it consumed rapidly in the ring zone?

ZDDP (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) is an anti-wear and antioxidant additive in engine oil. In the ring zone, the high temperature and pressure cause ZDDP to be consumed rapidly as it works not only as an anti-wear additive but also to counteract oxidation. When it's depleted, the wear rate increases because the primary protection is lost.

What impact does fuel quality have on the results of used oil analysis?

Fuel quality is a major variable in the results of used oil analysis. Even when using high-quality oil, poor-quality fuel can lead to increased wear and worse performance. Fuel with proper additives helps reduce friction and wear, leading to better oil analysis results.

Do all fuels come from the same source, and how do brands differentiate their products?

Yes, most fuels come from the same pipeline, but they are differentiated by the additive packages added at the distribution point. These additives, unique to each brand, impact the fuel’s performance, including its ability to reduce engine wear and improve overall engine longevity.