By default, all modern engine oils contain various additives that give the base oil improved properties that it does not have on its own, so that the oil is perfectly matched to specific engines.
See: What do additives in lubricants do?
However, there are additional oil additives available on the market that can be mixed with a lubricant and primarily serve the following purposes:
It is important to follow the recommendations or dosages of the additive manufacturers, as more is not necessarily better and can even harm the entire oil system.
Additives for cleaning the oil system
Additives for cleaning the oil system are added to the old oil before an oil change. It must then be allowed to work for a certain period of time so that the dirt can be released before being drained off with the oil change. These additives are used for preventive measures.
Midland has the following additives for cleaning oil systems in its range:
To fix leaks in oil systems
If you notice oil loss due to a leak, this can have various reasons. It could be a mechanical leak that needs to be repaired by a garage. However, often it is only a gasket that no longer performs its functions and becomes permeable. For these cases, there are certain additives that can be added to the oil to regenerate and protect rubber and neoprene gaskets in oil systems.
The following Midland products can be used if you find a leak in an oil system gasket:
Additives for the mixture of water and fuel
There are also additives that, in addition to cleaning, ensure that any water in the tank is mixed with the fuel so that it is destroyed in small quantities via the combustion chamber. This can prevent the water from accumulating on the bottom of the fuel tank and reaching the combustion chamber in larger quantities.
Fuel-Injector Cleaner & Water Remover has this property and can be used in both gasoline and diesel engines before refueling.
Additives to improve various properties of the oil
There are various additives that improve the properties of the oil. This leads to less wear, better protection of the whole oil system and makes the oil more stable to aging.
The following Midland additives improve the oil properties:
- "Engine Oil Treatment" is an engine oil additive that reduces oil consumption, makes oil more viscosity stable and proactively protects seals.
- "Friction Modifier" is a friction reducer additive that can be applied to engine oil to make the oil more stable to aging and provide additional protection to metal surfaces. By reducing friction, the additive also has a fuel-lowering effect.
- "Limited-Slip Axle Additive" is a gear oil additive. Certain transmissions require a transmission fluid with Limited Slip additive (also called LS additive) to prevent limited slip differentials from rattling. There are premixed transmission oils that already contain this additive in the correct dosage. However, it can also be added independently to the appropriate transmission oil.
- "Zinc Booster" can be added to the engine oil to make it more pressure stable. In older engine oils, the zinc content was still increased. However, this proportion was reduced with the invention of exhaust aftertreatment systems such as catalytic converters, as too high a zinc content is harmful to them. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using Zinc Booster and it should only be used at a specific dosage and on specific vehicles where an engine oil with increased zinc content is desired.