Oil Additives, do we really need them?

[polvadis]

I changed my oil today at the same place I've done it for a couple of years now, but today I was surprised with a $20 dollar addition to my oil change bill for BG MOA engine oil additive that's supposed to treat my engine just right.

I've never ever added anything to my oil, now this guy is doing oil changes ONLY with this additive. The price of the oil change was somewhere near the $60 dollar mark with all the "inspections" he did.

Here's the link to that BG MOA web site.

Am I getting ripped off here or does this actually make sense. Do we need anything else besides regular oil changes? I use just standard oil, not Synthetic.

-Slav.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

If you aren't using syn oil then it's probably good to run that stuff through once a year but not every 3000 miles.

 

[greasefingers]

Engine oil is full of additives. I would not care for anymore.

What is that any oil is missing is what I would ask.
They mostly will not have a coherent answer to this and will just tell you that it is recommended.

 

[gapboi210]

We carry BG additives including the MOA Friction Fighter too. I don't remember what we charge for it but I have heard really good things about it. Many of our customers report that they have smoother idle and other good things. I have not yet used MOA but I have faith in it and BG has some products out there that really do work and work great.

ie. 4400K

 

[jeober]

These are products designed to take your money with no return.

I wasted a lot of money years past on Teflon oil additives that accomplished nothing. And remember the Arco graphite oils?? It's easy to be bamboozled by something that appeals to your logic.

It would be more productive to use this money for more frequent oil changes. API SM rated gasoline engine motor oil is already carefully formulated for the application.

 

[greasefingers]

Bamboozled

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I do like a can of BGs 44K through my fuel system about once a year.
I use synthetics in everything since they don't need any additives period.

 

[gapboi210]

oil additives dont hurt (most of them) but I do use one since I do a lot of stop and go driving. I also just flushed my transmission and added a BG additive. Slick 50 and ProLong were legally sued for false advertising. I think it is a bit shady though that your mechanic is saying pay $20 for the additive or no oil change at all. That's a bad way to do business.