Talking with my dealers service manager a couple years ago I asked about fuel injectors because mine had 13,000 miles on them. He said the injectors last a long time until you start putting in fuel additives. Scared me off.

 

Any lead based additive in a e tech will eventually kill the plugs. Diesel engines are a whole different animal

 

Never heard of those but I like to use Stabil, the Yamaha "ring free" (or similar Doo product), and ISO-HEET. My riding buddy doesn't use Ring Free but he uses Lucas top end lubricant. No failures lately from either of us. If fuel injector cleaner gives you a problem then you probably already had a bigger problem coming... the ethanol is gasoline is also a solvent and people use it all the time.

 

There is an interesting article for detergent additives that are already in the gas we buy. The idea behind adding a fuel treatment like carbon free is to increase the amount of detergent now and again, much like buying fuel from Top Tier retailers. The thing is, these TT retailer do their testing to devise recipes that don't cause problems, so when I add other additives then I also change this recipe. For this reason I don't add anything for storage and only use additives when I am ready to ride. The only additive that I want is for the fuel with the hope that cleans any carbon in the injectors and in the ring lands.

Top Tier Detergent Gasoline

"Licensed Top Tier fuel retailers use a higher level of detergent additives compared to other non Top Tier retailers using only the minimum EPA required detergent additives in order to help prevent the buildup of harmful engine deposits which may reduce fuel economy and optimal engine performance. According to an automotive industry spokesman, the regular use of this type of gasoline results in improved engine life.

The Top Tier standards must apply to all grades of gasoline or diesel that a company sells, whether it is economy (low-octane) or premium (high-octane)"

 

Add a little Seafoam to your tank every now and then. I use that stuff in everything but my vehicles, two and four stroke.

 

Why do you use it in your 2 and 4 strokes but not your vehicles?
Does it do something for the 2/4 strokes that you don't need with your vehicles?
If so what is it that seafoam does?
Just curious if this is something I should consider.

 

I only use stabil when the sled is stored. I drain all the gas out and refill with fresh 91 non oxy before first ride of the season. I put the old gas in my truck.

 

Seafoam user here as well. It has a stabilizer, cleaner and lubricant all in one. It helps lubricate rubber fuel system components and keeps them from drying out from the fuel. I use it often in my diaphragm type carbs, to keep the diaphragms from drying out over storage. It extends the shelf life of fuel as well.
I also like that you can add more to your fuel for cleaning properties, with no real risk of adding too much, within reason of course.

 

Run good gas, aka non-ethanal, from a reputable pump and I doubt you'll run into many problems. I've used Seafoam and Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment in the past just for the tank of fuel I leave in there during the summer. That said, I drain that gas and put fresh ethanol free in before the season starts.

 

I run non e gas no snake oils. If good gas isn't available I'll burn through a tank of the cheap stuff just to keep keeping on.
I don't use snake oils for storing either. Non E gas is it. And that goes for the bikes ,lawn mowers, classic car..

 

Not sure what the OP is referring to where he's talking about "Oil Additives"... in his opening post it sounds like he's talking about 2-stroke engines? Who adds anything to 2-stroke injection oil?

 

I don't know, that's why I am asking. Yes, I am referring to 2-Stroke, and when I say "Oil Additive," I am referring to products that improve the lubricant's performance. These can result in better performance, increased efficiency, and improved wear protection. I asked the manufacturer of the additive if they recommend using this in 2 Strokes, they said yes, I asked the crowd if anyone had experience doing this.

 

I picked up a Fitch fuel catalyst for my new sled so I'll probably skip the Stabil from now on.

 

What drove you to purchase this? Have you had experience with it in the past? I remember seeing these in magazines and thought they were snake oil, but what they are claiming on their website is very similar, if not identical results from what fuel additive companies are marketing. I would love to hear more about it.

 

That's what I thought... so yeah, I've never heard of using any additive with any 2-stroke injection oil, irregardless of the oil's brand name.

 

Just run the correct ski doo injection oil.

 

Like mentioned before, just run Ski Doo Oil!

Bob

 

I would be very skeptical of an oil additive for a 2 stroke. Todays 2 stroke oils are very good and clean burning for the exhaust valve to stay clean and to keep them from sticking. In 2 strokes, I highly recommend running OEM oil per the manufacture, they test these oils using controlled environment to make sure they get the best durability for their engine design. You may pay a little more, but with the security you are running what is best for your particular engine. You are only talking in most cases a few extra bucks for the season and with todays cost of sleds and repairs, it's a great piece of mind.

Bob

 

I’ve never heard of an oil additive also. If someone offers you to use one, I’d stay clear of it.


Nothing special about factory oil. Just a myth the manufacturer’s try to scare you into using there over priced oil.
they cannot deny a warranty claim if you used a different brand that meets/exceeds recommended ratings. If they were to deny warranties for using a different brands of oil, then they would have to provide every snowmobile that has factory warranty with free oil, until warranty expires.

 

That’s what I love about your posts. Very detailed, and informative. Goes the extra 10 miles. A lot to learn from them.
Me, am just a basic poster. Like the little warning stickers we all remove. 😂🤣

My point was the manufacturer’s cannot void your warranty for using a different oil. As long as it meets the manufacturer’s specifications.

 

I think you are much more than that, and you make a valid point. Where it gets interesting is they can void the warranty if the aftermarket oil is not certified to what is shown in the Operator's Guide as: JASO FD (M345-2004) and 2) SAE J1536, SAE Grade 4 (F/M 4). I can only imagine the better oils meet those standards, but which ones do we know are actually certified? Ironically I don't believe the OEMs need to certify their oils to those standards, because they are the ones developing the oil for specific engines.

The obvious answer is to device an industry standard to meet the needs of these SDI and DI snowmobiles. I don't know what is involved to do this, but I imagine the cost may outweigh the benefits since sleds are such a small market compared to automobiles. My best guess is the OEMs have every interest to avoid going to court for such things. Who are they going to bring to court, their owners??? And what does it ring as a precedent? It's a can of worms that so far has provided the OEMs incentive to go to great lengths to avoid such as supplying more effective marketing for their oils. So far Polaris have been the best at this, and they could reach further.

Setting all that craziness aside, why are we even burning oil in our two strokes, or having a oil pan in our four strokes? I find that we are continually digging our heels in subjects that would be better suited for the past tense. I would prefer something like <Do you remember those days when we were talking about best oils and still being suffocated by smoke when warming them up in the trailer?> And no I am not referring to battery powered sleds. The 850 E-TEC was supposed to be the next step, but a wrench got into those spokes...

 

There is an oil additive product called Energy Release. It’s been around for quite a while. I think I starting hearing about it back in the 90’s maybe. Not going to venture a guess about if it’s any good or not.

 

The only person who ‘needs’ these products is the guy selling them because he has a mortgage to pay !


You can ‘want’ these products real bad, but they are not needed, and still … the guy selling them ‘wants’ you to buy them even more then you want them. Because he just bought a boat too !

Never once have I been broke down on the side of a highway or had to pay a bill of any sort, nor have I ever heard of anyone else having a failure of any type related to the non-use of expensive additives. SNAKE OIL thru n thru !

But that’s just me !

 

All,

Thanks for the feedback and discussion thus far. I understand that manufactures are conducting testing and finding what works; they are also running a business. While I do believe the Ski-Doo oil is great, is it truly the best? And are is there an additive that will increase its performance?

I did ask about fuel additives as well, and I suggested HotShot Secrets "gasoline extreme." The consensus thus far is Non-E gas and any additives that fight fuel with Ethanol. Some have even brought up running Non-E gas with Ethanol fighting additives, then draining that gas before using more Non-E gas with more additive.

Everyone has a different experience, I love hearing everyone's trials and tribulations. We may not have millions to spend on R&D, but collectively, we have thousands of years of experience. Overall I am not looking to fix a problem, I am looking to increase the performance of my fuel and lubricants.

 

Ski-Doo 100% synthetic got me to 13,500 on my 16 800 E-Tec . Always ran oxygenated fuel 91 or93 whatever I could get. No problems.

 

Oil is just like gasoline, they are all not created equal! The gas you buy at Walmart is not the same gas you buy at a Mobil gas station! This argument could go on forever, but the ones that know and the disbelievers that say B.S. have their head in the sand.

Bob

 

Some articles to chew on while you wait for snow.

What Kind of Oil Does a Snowmobile Take? [Oil Chart by Brand] |

What kind of oil does a snowmobile take? Which is the best 2-stroke oil for snowmobiles? Can you mix snowmobile oils? Get all the answers!

powersportsguide.com

Why OEMs Make Their Own Two-Stroke Snowmobile Oil - Snowmobile.com

Why OEMs Make Their Own Two Stroke Snowmobile Oil: Groundbreaking two stroke engine technologies such as E TEC direct injection C TEC2 injection and Cleanfire injection scream for equally high tech two stroke oils that run clean aid durability and are EPA compliant.

www.snowmobile.com

 

Top Tier premium fuel and synthetic oil (2 or 4 stroke) is all you ever need.