# Optilube or Schaeffer?



## finnbmw (Jul 6, 2008)

I might try a fuel additive to see what it can do. I've narrowed my choices to Optilube XPD and Schaeffer's Premium Soyshield

http://opti-lube.com/xpd-diesel-fuel-improver-product.html
http://www.schaefferoil.com/premium-soy-shield.html

Optilube is 1/4 the treatment cost of Schaeffer. What do you think?


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

finnbmw said:


> I might try a fuel additive to see what it can do


What do you expect it to do? What problems are you having that you think an additive can help with? Has your HPFP failed? Have injectors been getting plugged? Are you rattling too much and you think the cetane is too low? What?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549114
http://www.liqui-moly.de/liquimoly/p...oiladb=web.nsf would be my choice (EU not US product - these aren't Cummins TDs)


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## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

I'd advise you to go with Power Service. I use the white bottle year round. It boosts cetane and provides increased lubricity. It also emulsifies water. Good to have when using biodiesel blends.

Optilube did well on one test. I've tried to get independent lubricity test from them but they just don't have it. Not worth the shipping costs and hassle when I can get PS just about anywhere.

I've never seen Schaeffers on the shelf at a retail store. I don't like the idea of mail ordering something I add to every tank.


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## finnbmw (Jul 6, 2008)

floydarogers said:


> What do you expect it to do?


Good question. No problems on either X5, knock on wood.

Primarily improved MPG and less noise/rattling, secondary (long term) preventive against wear, I guess. As I use my X5 mainly on intestates and can't be too picky about the diesel stations, I am thinking that adding a lubricant while filling up at a truck stop would at least guarantee a decent cetane number. Am I wrong?

Thanks for the Bimmerfest link, the other one doesn't seem to work for me.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

finnbmw said:


> Thanks for the Bimmerfest link, the other one doesn't seem to work for me.


http://www.liqui-moly.de/liquimoly/...ndocument&land=DE&voilalang=e&voiladb=web.nsf

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=562215&highlight=additive

I got these references by searching for "additive" in this forum. Please use Search.


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## Axel61 (Mar 10, 2011)

I personally use AMSOIL cetane booster and fuel additive injector cleaner for diesel I used shaeffer engine lube and wow did it impress me u couldn't hear the engine at all

Sent from my SPH-L710 using BimmerApp mobile app


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Cetane improver will smooth out the engine at idle and while cold. 2EHN is a common ingredient used industry wide.


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

The only thing that really matters regarding additives is lubricity improvement. US spec diesel has substandard lubricity compared to European diesel and Bosh has repeatedly gone on record stating that substandard lubricity will cause shortened HPFP life and/or failure. One brand of additive is better than the rest at improving lubricity and it is Optilube. This is why I use it in my 335d and my VW JSW tdi. They have a group buy thing at TDIclub that eliminates shipping charges if anyone here is interested.


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## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

totitan said:


> .... One brand of additive is better than the rest at improving lubricity and it is Optilube. ....


Not proven conclusively. Optilube has not been forthcoming in providing test results.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=360027
I won't use them because they're so sketchy on their claims of lubricity improvement.


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## FredoinSF (Nov 29, 2009)

Did some searching here which led to searching other sites and I think I am going to start using the Power Service additive in the X5. From everything I read, the Power Service Kleen Diesel improves lubricity and cetane, is a proven product, is readily available, and does not seem to have negative feedback. There are additives which claim better results, but the studies either don't seem substantiated or raise questions.

For those of you using it, do you pour it in before you fill up or after? Is it messy? Thinking of getting a small bottle to carry in the car and a bigger jug to fill it with in the garage.


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## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

FredoinSF said:


> ...
> For those of you using it, do you pour it in before you fill up or after? Is it messy? Thinking of getting a small bottle to carry in the car and a bigger jug to fill it with in the garage.


Before you fill up so it mixes better.
It stinks to high heaven so I prefer to dose the tank at home and then drive to the station to fill up. I don't carry it in the trunk unless I am going on a road trip.


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

The nice thing about additives is that they can stay on the shelf and I can keep my money.

Until of course one, just one, decides to publish data that shows it actually does help prevent something. To this day, there are only testimonials. No data. Bosch and the pump manufacturers have had no data on aftermarket fuel additives, zip. 

If there was such a thing, the sales force would have it in your face from day one. You and I know it.

BMW goes and says not to use them, BTW, right? They recommend a cetane level of 51 though, so I guess just getting something that is "safe" and raises the cetane might be a good idea, IF you are willing to take a chance on something not tested or proven to be free of other side effects. Power Service is known to say they do this kind of testing, which they don't bother publishing. There are many areas of fuel quality that can be altered by putting in additives.

That's all I have to say about that.

PL


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

d geek said:


> Not proven conclusively. Optilube has not been forthcoming in providing test results.
> http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=360027
> I won't use them because they're so sketchy on their claims of lubricity improvement.


You are certainly entitled to your opinion.

There has only been one independent test of diesel additive lubricity....The Spicer Report. Optilube was the best by far. PS didnt even come close. Testing and claims of lubricity improvement from the various additive manufacturers are, in my opinion, invalid, due to conflict of interest.

There has been approx 2700 HPFP failures in 2009 and up VW diesels. Almost all of them were owned by people who disregarded the well known need to increase the lubricity of the fuel they used. Interestingly enough there has not been a single documented HPFP failure when the the owners used Optilube with every fill up. Draw your own conclusions and proceed accordingly.


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## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

The spicer report was quite flawed- especially in regard to the way they obtained the optilube sample. Power service has there own test lab and samples hundreds of fuel sources a year. Optilube has nothing of the sort and has not been wiling to pay there own way for testing. Use whatever you want but stick to the facts when making a decision.


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

d geek said:


> The spicer report was quite flawed- especially in regard to the way they obtained the optilube sample. Power service has there own test lab and samples hundreds of fuel sources a year. Optilube has nothing of the sort and has not been wiling to pay there own way for testing. Use whatever you want but stick to the facts when making a decision.


When you are in the market for a new BMW do you read only the performance data from BMW, or do you read the reviews from the various independent websites, publications, CR, etc? Maybe you are one of those who believe everything BMW tells you, but I doubt it.

If you really want to see who is serious about their product all you have to do is review their respective MSDS and check the percentages by weight of key ingredients. I'll even give you the links

Optilube: http://opti-lube.com/downloads/MSDS/Opti-lubeDFI_XPD_MSDS.pdf
PS: http://www.powerservice.com/msds/pdf/dk140_msds.pdf


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## FredoinSF (Nov 29, 2009)

Pierre Louis said:


> {snip}
> 
> BMW goes and says not to use them, BTW, right? They recommend a cetane level of 51 though, so I guess just getting something that is "safe" and raises the cetane might be a good idea, IF you are willing to take a chance on something not tested or proven to be free of other side effects. Power Service is known to say they do this kind of testing, which they don't bother publishing. There are many areas of fuel quality that can be altered by putting in additives.
> 
> ...


BMW used to be led by product and engineering dept. Nowadays, the finance and marketers have the lead. If I believed BMW, the trans, diff, and various filters in my cars would last a lifetime and motor oil would last 17k miles. Having owned these things produced in the 60's and 80's when you could not change oil often enough, I take some of BMWs current recommendations with a grain of salt.

In this case, I am fairly convinced the admonishment against additives that improve lubricity is the same as the one against changing trans fluid. OK if you're keeping the car 100k, maybe not so much if you want to get closer to 200k which I've hit with older BMWs that were maintained by the old school method. That admonishment also conflicts with the minimum requirement for cetane and lubricity given the typical stuff dispensed at the pump.

I plan on keeping the X5 for 10 years, meaning I has to hold up for 150 -170k miles. With all due respect, I'll disregard BMWs warning against additives on that car just like I've disregarded their advice about oil change interval and trans fluid lifespan since the advent of included maintenance with the 1997 model year.

I could be wrong, but everything I've read says its good medicine for the long term. Since I plan to be in it for the long haul, rendez-vous once the warranty expires to see if I shot myself in the foot.

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

d geek said:


> The spicer report was quite flawed- especially in regard to the way they obtained the optilube sample. Power service has there own test lab and samples hundreds of fuel sources a year. Optilube has nothing of the sort and has not been wiling to pay there own way for testing. Use whatever you want but stick to the facts when making a decision.


Agreed. Spicer report is irrelevant on some levels.


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

FredoinSF said:


> Did some searching here which led to searching other sites and I think I am going to start using the Power Service additive in the X5. From everything I read, the Power Service Kleen Diesel improves lubricity and cetane, is a proven product, is readily available, and does not seem to have negative feedback. There are additives which claim better results, but the studies either don't seem substantiated or raise questions.
> 
> For those of you using it, do you pour it in before you fill up or after? Is it messy? Thinking of getting a small bottle to carry in the car and a bigger jug to fill it with in the garage.


PS is probably one of the more well known additives. They use commonly known ingredients aside from a lack of 2EHN. Liqui Moly uses 2EHN, but then again diesel fuel has a finite response to that product and the majors use it to dose their bulk fuel.

Generally all cetane improvers pull from the same group of chemicals.

Same goes for lubricity additives. There's no magic ingredients. It's just the same stuff that the majors use.


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Pierre Louis said:


> The nice thing about additives is that they can stay on the shelf and I can keep my money.
> 
> Until of course one, just one, decides to publish data that shows it actually does help prevent something. To this day, there are only testimonials. No data. Bosch and the pump manufacturers have had no data on aftermarket fuel additives, zip.
> 
> ...


True and yet in the US you can buy BMW branded Techron.


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm not an engineer, but I play one on TV.

http://www.dieselnet.com/tech/fuel_diesel_add.php

http://fleetowner.com/fleet-management/truth-about-fuel-additives

View attachment EVALUATIONS OF QMI AFTER-MARKET ADDITIVES.pdf


Regards

PL


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