just added some to my 95 civic ex.. seems to be runnin a little smoother than normal. who else has done this or heard rumors?

 

This guy I talked to at a bar that supposedly owns an airplane said that they use it all the time on, well, airplanes.
He said it was the best stuff, FAA approved and everything, and they just recently released it for cars. He swore by the stuff, so I actually thought about getting it and trying it out.

Then he completely screwed up his credibility by claiming that on a 108hp civic motor, it would give you 40 extra horsepower. If he hadn't said that, I would have probably tried it by now.

 

Haha

Well, there is some truth behind it. Linkite (spelling?) does indeed have smaller particles than oil and can probably get down in the little nooks and crannies.

The infomercial sounds so real.....but like all infomercials, it's probably decieving you.

I dunno....I don't have extra money to be spending on it anyway.

 

next time i take off the valve cover i'll check out the camshafts springs and rocker arms to see if it did anything.. but definately feels a lot smoother

 

I always wanted to try this thing since i saw it like a few years back... the SAME infomercial as it is now btw. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/02/zmax1.htm I don't know if it really works, but maybe if someone would try it... ahaha and maybe waste their money. I don't think that article I posted up there will ever make me try it unless TONS of people say it works... and those people aren't on the infomercial.

xicivic_ex
have you been keeping records of your gas mileage before you added it? Just so you can compare to your after gas mileage.


[Modified by TheX-Man, 3:44 AM 3/18/2002]

 

From the FTC site....

"According to the FTC, the CRC L38 test is a standard auto industry tool to measure the bearing corrosion protection properties of motor oils. In February/March 1997, an independent laboratory performed two CRC L38 tests of zMax for Speedway and Oil Chem. In those tests, motor oil treated with zMax produced more than twice as much bearing corrosion as motor oil alone. The complaint also states that the defendants fabricated one "report" from the two test reports, eliminating the bearing corrosion results and all other negative test results, and then used that report and the "official laboratory results" - similarly edited to remove detrimental data results - as sales tools in the infomercial and on the zMax Web site."

 

i will.. and get back to ya

 

scratch that.. i'm drainin that oil tomorrow.. no way i'm drivin around with some "tinted mineral oil" in my engine

 

That stuff is absolute BS Now those ******** are fockin millionaires

 

As has already been pointed out, ZMax is not what its cracked up to be. The FTC is suing them as they are ALL the snake-oil manufacturers. I think the funniest thing about ZMax is that they got Carrol Shelby to act as a pitchman. For all the neat cars the guy was involved with for the last 30-35 years, he's a well-known liar and crook. Even people who know him and like the guy have to admit that about him.

I know Prolong uses a corrosive agent and it's the by-product of this reaction that produces the slippery internal surfaces. Of course, it first promotes a little wear to get this coating. Isn't the point of lubricants to PREVENT wear? Avoid this stuff at all costs. I'm not sure what special ingredient Zmax uses, if it is the same stuff or not, but it doesn't matter too much to me. I don't trust any of this crap and wouldn't use it if you GAVE it to me.

For all you folks wanting the most out of your engine, use a specialty synthetic oil from a VERY REPUTABLE company (not these fly-by-night hucksters) a good oil filter and bypass all the snake oil ... unless you drive a reptile.

Even then, the newest SL oils are actually formulated with some synthetic and synthetic-like compounds. Volatility has been reduced, oxidative properties and wear protection are strengthened. It's pretty good stuff all by itself. I'd like to see a little more EP additives (either molybdenum or more zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) but the SL stuff is an improvement over the SJ stuff ... which was actually a step backwards from the earlier classification.

Anyway, if you that like to look into this kind of stuff, ZMax has responded to the FTC charges. I read it on a website (zmax.com?) and it's funny, light reading. But I don't buy any of it. These shameless people will say anything to make a sleazy buck.

--- Bror Jace


[Modified by Bror Jace, 2:57 AM 3/19/2002]

 

ok i'll stay away from that stuff

 

http://www.bestsyntheticoil.com/amsoil/index.shtml

Check this site out


[Modified by wantmorepower, 5:00 AM 3/22/2002]

 

That Amsoil site is good because it has all those links to the FTC pages on all the snake oil cases.

BUT, I can't say that Amsoil is the 'best' oil. I used to think this stuff was just another synthetic formula very much like Mobil 1 but now I've come to think of it as significantly better. It is PAO based like Mobil 1 is, but has a much stronger additive package. It uses a huge amount of Zinc DialkylDithiophosphate (ZDDP) at a time when SJ oils in general and Mobil 1 in particular have cut back on this useflu stuff.

I'm not surprised that Mobil 1 was rated last among synthetics, especially when they went to their tri-synthetic formula. That blended base oil is probably still very good, but they went to an ultra-low phosphorus formula (and even brag about this on the bottle) to be nicer to emissions equipment, namely the catalytic converter. I think this diminished the oil's ability to protect the motor ... and that wear test (among others) merely bolsters this belief.

I run Red Line oil in my 4-cyl Honda. It has a different base oil (polyol ester instead of polyalphaolefin) and a little less ZDDP than Amsoil but it adds molybenum as well - very good stuff as it minimizes the annoying "piston slap" start-up noise that many Honda engines develop once they hit 60,000-80,000 miles.

The only thing that turns me off about Amsoil is the way its users and dealers preach it like a religion. People say I should overlook this but it's awfully hard.

If you watch a lot of SCCA racing where the drivers of the cars are also the owners of the cars and often rebuild the motors themselves. They use Red Line oil ... and that's good enough for me.

--- Bror Jace

 

all honda manuals say NOT to add ANY additives to your motor