[ford6693]

what ive learned about cars ive learned through working on my own car. so my knowledge is shakey. so this question might be dumb. but, octane boosters. i used to have a 5.0. it loved them. i could dump one in and it really would burn cleaner. i traded it in for my current car, a stock 03 gt.
why is it that when i use any fuel additive the spark plugs burn up every single time. i even had a fuel induction service done at a shop. when they added an injection cleaner to the tank and did the routine i had to change my plugs a week later. when i pull the plugs they are always a bright orange. why is this?

[mpboy]

im shaky on motors to man, but ive talked to some pretty knowlagble motor heads. they say all that octane booster, lucas/engine additive isnt really good for a motor, fresh, cleane, good quility oil, and keeping all the filters fresh is the best thing you can do for a car, and unless your tuned for it, a higher octan prob will not do anything but cost you money

and for the plug being orange... could be a vacume leak, lean fuel, hmmmm you got a pic of the plug?

[Doc8224]

Yep, its like running premium in your minivan. It doesn't do anything unless you up the timming to burn it all. I gurantee you its just not burning it. Get some hotter plugs or get a tuner, this will give you alot more ability to run higher octane if you want. Only thing I would use to clean the fuel system and upper cylinders is seafoam or synpower.

[ford6693]

i know my engine runs lean. a dyno showed me that. normally what is it... 14.7 air to fuel. mine runs about 18 to 1. why? not a clue. but i dont have pictures of the plugs. but they are evenly bright orange. not spotty

[ford6693]

wait, could my car running lean go back to the timing issue?

[mpboy]

MAF, injsectors, fuel pump.... i would check every thing that affects fuel

[sgrcltpunk]

i dont know i rin every couple weeks a octane booster called nitro power by problend and it works great i can feel it add something to my car the car may not be properly burning the fuel maybe not enough spark one of my plugs was doing it a changed the coil and it quit

[mpboy]

if i were you i would do a complete tune up, plugs, all filters, check your COP's, clean your MAF, ..... thats all i could think of and o2 sensors... but you CEL would come on for those

[Doc8224]

How long since you changed the fuel filter? Definatly do that if you haven't. Who told you its was 18:1? thats like not going to run at all. if you where that lean you would have grenaded your motor already. Do you have a tuner? if so make a pull and read your datalog and see what the 02 voltage says and post it up. 14.7 is not what these cars run normaly, that is just stoich. they like it at about 12.7 to 13.2 for N/A

[workinprogress]

what are one step hotter plugs for our cars, in autolite copper

[Doc8224]

Why do you wanna run copper plugs in a N/A car? Run laser iridium plugs. NGK TR55ix is what I would run in yours.

[workinprogress]

there are autolite platinums in there now...

[Doc8224]

But if you are dead set on running autolite, get the autolite iridium xp's

[workinprogress]

i was on the phone when i wrote that post lol, i didnt even catch that it said copper, he was asking about plugs and what not and i typed what i was saying...lol i meant platinum

[Doc8224]

Iridiums are the way to go with a N/A motor. Best and hottest spark you can get and has a very long life.

[workinprogress]

what the price per plug from ngk?

[Doc8224]

$7-$9 a piece. LOL its kinda high, but thats what I ran in my mach til I started spraying, Now I use an ngk tr6 plug.

[workinprogress]

ok so my car is tuned for 93, if i run these ngk plugs that must incorporate diamonds somewhere...only thing i can think of to permit price...will it help out even more?

[workinprogress]

or so they said it was anyway, it does run better on 93, i have been forced to run 87 and it seemed like she didnt like it much...rough idle and what not

[Doc8224]

It will make it better. It will give you a hotter spark. Tuning for 93 involves raising the timing, that is why it runs like shit on 87 because the ecu will pull the timing back when it starts knocking. Go with the iridium you will like em with that 93 tune. Its up to u but ngk is all I run. They have a laser platinum plug as well, its like 2-3 dollars a piece, thats always another option as well.