Redex. Does it work?

Redex was added to the fuel of World War 2 planes to keep them flying for longer . These planes were marked with a characteristic Red X to give pilots extra confidence before flying.

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That’s a lovely story - I was speaking with someone the other week about Botswana, they fly gliders there, and they said it was a magical place, wildlife especially.

As a token effort to reply to the Redex question (I recognise elephants are something of a digression) - as long as I didn’t think it’d do any harm then I’d try some if I was curious, as it’s pretty cheap.

There’s also a write up on Car Expert, HERE, that (conveniently) looks at using Redex in a 2013 2.0 MX5. It’s sponsored by Redex, so may not be impartial, but probably worth a look.

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I have put premium fuels and additives in my cars, and NEVER noticed any change in performance or range. One car I had did 268k miles all on super market fuels. Save the money for a track day

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A pal of mine worked in a refinery.
Apparently there’s only 1000 liters of “super ingredients” in a 40,000 litre tanker :thinking:

Jason Plato did a video on YouTube where he took an old VW Corrado that lost horse power over the years. They dino’d the car before doing the remedial work and after to see what gains each bit did. It included oil change, new spark plugs and leads etc. The greatest gain in horsepower of all came from adding Redex and driving the car for a week before dinoing again.
Redex might have sponsored the show ( not sure ) but the proof was there for all to see.
Also as Maccy said, it’s well worth watching Jay Emm on Cars interview with petrolium expert. Very interesting about all fuel coming from the same distribution points and delivered by lorries to the for courts around the country. The exception is Shell’s top of the range petrol that has extra additives in.

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There are some very unbiased and unsponsored Youtube mechanics that are very quick to warn you about snake oil products that swear by things like redex. One example would be Scotty Kilmer, who has a video showing how it seems to clean up the performance of an aging vehicle.

I personally use V-power and I feel that helps a lot, but I will occasionally use redex to treat my cars, though I don’t really notice much of a change. Then again, is it enough just to stick it in 1 tank of petrol now and then, or should one run a few tanks at a time to actually feel its benefits?

Overall, I’d say it probably works, but isn’t essential. If you have a car that is notorious for fuel system problems and dodgy injectors then it’s a great idea; if you have a reliable runabout that doesn’t see performance use, then it’s probably pointless!

In the 1960s we used to use it as “Instant Decoke.”

This was in the days of dodgy fuel and sooted up engines.

However it did release gummed up piston rings, but not when running the engine.

First do a compression test to see just how bad it really was, it cannot fix a broken ring.
If it showed hints of promise, then the usual method was to squirt a teaspoon of it (or diesel) into each pot, turn the engine over by hand a couple of times and leave it to soak overnight. Next morning, turn it over slowly a few more times by hand and wait another day.

Be warned, cranking on the starter will throw redex out the plug holes and it goes absolutely everywhere.

Then came the fun bit.
First make sure the neighbours are away and the exhaust pipe faces out of the garage.
Then put on your gas mask, and fire up the engine for a minute or so, no more.
Then plugs out again and do the usual compression tests.

Sometimes it worked, but by no means always. However, it was always worth a try, for entertainment value if nothing else. And I cannot help smiling when remembering that French mechanic fixing the 2CV.

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After all this talk of Redex I ended up going for Liqui Moly “Direct Injection Cleaner”

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Great posts.

Hi, I have a 2006 nc3, wondering if it’s worth a fuel cleaner fluid putting in, any thoughts. It has been standing a while although started every week and short drive but smells a bit rich if that makes sense……thanks for the help

So, it would seem that there are 3 main contenders for for fuel/ injector treatments.
Redex
Liqui Moly
Lucas oils injecor cleaner.

Im guessing , they “broadly” do the same thing & assuming none belong in the snake oil category, which might be the best one to use?
Maybe a straw poll, perhaps?

There are a lot more than those three. The basic ingredient in the majority of them is Polyether amine (PEA). I’ve used Forte, Archoil, Seafoam, and hard to say which is better. Forte seems to have a good reputation in the motor trade but is one of the more expensive ones.

I used Forte in my MX5 before it’s first MOT with me and it flew through the emissions check and did seem a bit more economical.

Probably anything is better than nothing.

You really shouldn’t do short runs if you can avoid them. The engine does not get up to proper running temperature and contaminants that get in the oil (mainly water from condensation and unburnt fuel because the engine is running on a rich mixture) do not evaporate off. Instead they get emulsified into the oil which might account for the smell of fuel. The oil becomes degraded as a result and no longer lubricates the engine effectively.
Close to 100% of engine wear occurs when the engine is below operating temperature.

As for fuel additives the best additives are those included in every litre of Shell V Power.

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Redline sl1 is a great additive as well.

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I stick a shot of Millers Ecomax in mine to a full tank once in a while, it makes me feel better if nothing else!
I do notice a slight difference in the performance of the Diesel engine though.

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You can get a double pack at Lidl currently for £4.99. I’ve used the diesel version on our Volvo just because there are so many emissions problems that cost an arm and a leg to fix, why not throw a fiver at it and hope?
The Mx has been flawless engine wise so nothing to fix.
My take on these is they have been around since yer dad talked to you about cars so may be still trading their name on stuff that may not still be relevant.
I look forward to their take on how Redex will improve your electricity?

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I used to use redex on my (carburetor equipped) bikes, they seemed to run a little bit better for it. However a few years ago after seeing a few YouTube videos singing its praises I gave seafoam a try and they definitely ran better and idled smoother after it. I can’t say I’ve noticed much difference in the MX5 or any other car I’ve put it in but it’s the old saying “If it doesn’t do any good then it’s not going to do any harm”

Give it a bash, if it doesn’t do anything all you’ve lost is a few quid and at best you’ll have slightly cleaner engine internals and maybe a wee bit more MPG.