# Opinion on marvel mystery oil? add or don't add to oil?



## smorey78 (Apr 8, 2012)

no don't. i have seen this stuff kill engines. mainly cause they used it at 100,000 miles and when it cleaned up all the gunk in the engine it filled the cheap ass oil filter they were using and the engine seized. they say if you use it from day 1 you won't have a problem. but i don't want to find out


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

I'm at 13k miles, so I should be fine as far as gunk overload..What are the benefits? I hope to get some people with 1st hand experience on this.


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## tonedaddy (Nov 29, 2012)

I would'nt put that stuff in a lawn mower!


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## mcg75 (Mar 5, 2012)

If you use a quality oil like dexos, there is simply no need for any other additives.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

MMO is well regarded over on Bobistheoilguy, as long as it's used responsibly. I've used it in the gas and had a noticeable difference in how the car idled. 

Using it in the oil in a Cruze, I wouldn't bother. The dexos1 oil should keep the engine clean as long as it's changed on schedule.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

*ANALOGY* -- Do you really want to put *A1™ Steak Sauce *on _*Filet Mignon*?_ Similarly, do you think adding "mystery" to *dexos1*™ makes it behave like *dexos100*? -- I don't think so (wink,wink)!


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

It also was a tried and true fix on the Saturn SL series cars to clear up the excessive oil burning issue caused by gummed up piston oil control rings. Plug out the plugs, pour in the MMO let soak overnight and let her rip. It sure worked on my daughters 98 SL2. If MMO it was snake oil I doubt it would have lasted for over 80 years now.


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## Notso4eign (Dec 22, 2012)

Definitely a NO in the oil. Really unnecessary especially with the Dexos1 rate oils, especially if you're using the full synthetic Dexos1 oils. In the gas I might consider it simply because we have less control over the quality of gas, outside of the octane rating, what we put in our cars.


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

Ok..Some great input on adding to the oil and I now know not too...A few of you mentioned adding to the gas...
1. What are the typical benefits to this? 
2. Does it keep the seals and all in the system lubed so you don't get sticky injectors? 
3. Does anyone know if it burns clean enough so that you don't end up with dirty valves? 
4. If you use it do you stick to the directions on the bottle or have you found that it's best to use more or less?


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Your cruze is brand new & has no issues, why add anything to the gas or oil? If it ain't broke don't fix it, you are just asking for trouble.


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

I can't agree with that wholly. Preventative maintenance keeps you from having more troubles than you should down the road.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

speedy862004 said:


> I can't agree with that wholly. Preventative maintenance keeps you from having more troubles than you should down the road.


LOL, adding "mystery" oil is not preventive maintenance. If you want to have a clean engine & fuel system run Top Tier Gas(GM recommended) & Dexos labeled oil(GM Required). 

Never had a oil or fuel system failure in any of my GM cars, with well over 100,000miles.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...hasn't anybody noticed the seemingly similarity of names _"...*SNAKE OIL*..."_ and *MYSTERY oil*?


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Back in the early 70 s yes , today no,the fuel distributed to us has many solvents to deter carbon building up in the combustion chambers. I would not recommend pouring a bottle of MM into the oil or the fuel tank.
If you like blue smoke go ahead then/


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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

Well ive been running 4 ounces of MMO to 10 gallons of gas from day one. I now am at 20k with no known issues. The gas I use does not mention any use of additives so I do my own. I do agree with no need to run MMO in oil do to the high detergent already in Dexos 1 oil. They only concern I have is maybe clogging the cat prematurely but not sure on that. I do beleive adding MMO to gas will not do any harm at all to any engine interior components. Im really using MMO as a upper intake, injector, cylinder cleaner and a fuel pump lubricant.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> The gas I use does not mention any use of additives so I do my own.


All gas has additives/detergents, Top Teir gas just has more. Now instead of guessing and adding a mystery to your brand new car why not add a fuel system treatment/additive that is actually a proven detergent? There are lots but for pour in additives I would probably go with Chevron Techron Concentrate, considering this is a Top Teir fuel & the same additive they use in there gas. Honestly though why not just buy a Top Teir gas & get the correct level of detergents to begin with & not waste your money & run the risk of damaging your car? 



AutumnCruzeRS said:


> They only concern I have is maybe clogging the cat prematurely but not sure on that. I do believe adding MMO to gas will not do any harm at all to any engine interior components.


This crap should not be added to the gas of any modern fuel injected car. There is not much mystery to what is in this stuff & yes it can harm your engine & cat. If one were to just google: "Marvel Mystery Oil Analysis" you would see this is not anything you want in your oil or fuel system. More than one person has submitted MMO to blackstone labs and others for analysis, it has shown to be very thin oil, food coloring, animal fat, solvents & some metals & has low flash point...... sounds like a great thing to add to your fuel!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

speedy862004 said:


> I can't agree with that wholly. Preventative maintenance keeps you from having more troubles than you should down the road.


There is not one single member on this board who I have butt heads with more than spacedout, but he's 100% on the money with what he said about these additives. 

There is no such thing as a "mechanic in a can" or a "super secret longevity sauce" that you can add to your crankcase. Preventative maintenance means replacing a gasket ahead of time that you are 100% sure will fail, or replacing your transmission fluid before its due date instead of waiting for problems, or checking the remaining thickness on your brake pads, or flushing your coolant even though it all looks perfectly fine. Preventative maintenance isn't adding something to your crankcase that isn't supposed to be there.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> Well ive been running 4 ounces of MMO to 10 gallons of gas from day one. I now am at 20k with no known issues. The gas I use does not mention any use of additives so I do my own. I do agree with no need to run MMO in oil do to the high detergent already in Dexos 1 oil. They only concern I have is maybe clogging the cat prematurely but not sure on that. I do beleive adding MMO to gas will not do any harm at all to any engine interior components. Im really using MMO as a upper intake, injector, cylinder cleaner and a fuel pump lubricant.


Then why not just add Gumout fuel injector cleaner once a month like I have been doing for over a year now much safer than MMO IMHO.

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## AutumnCruzeRS (Sep 10, 2012)

I just cant trust fuel/additives mixtures are done correctly at the tanker fill stations. Thats why I add my own and it just happens to be MMO. Maybe its just luck I havent had any issues but it sure is a mystery.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

AutumnCruzeRS said:


> I just cant trust fuel/additives mixtures are done correctly at the tanker fill stations.


Thats the whole point of the top teir program, to ensure you are getting the proper amount of additives. By using Top Teir only you should not have any issues, even if you did you were following the manufactures recommendations so there would be no question who would be footing the bill for repairs. 

Gas just like oil can be sent for analysis, I would not put it past GM to test the fuel in a car to make sure the costumer did not add something causing an issue.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

The only gasoline additives I will recommend without hesitation are ones containing polyether amines, or PEA. Those are shown to clean without leaving their own residues behind. Gumout Regane, Techron Concentrate (not ProGuard), Redline SI-1 and Amsoil PI all have PEA, and are shown to be effective. 

There's no reason to put MMO into the oil. Change the oil with a full synthetic 5w-30 dexos1 oil when the OLM hits 30-25% or 7500 miles, whichever comes first, and one is 99.99% guaranteed to not encounter a lubrication-related failure.


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

So lets throw another wrench in this line of dialogue... From what I'm reading..screw MMO.. What about Seafoam?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

speedy862004 said:


> So lets throw another wrench in this line of dialogue... From what I'm reading..screw MMO.. What about Seafoam?


I used it a while ago on my 95 Regal, which already had lots of miles at the time. 

My opinion now is that if you have properly maintained your vehicle and used quality fuel, it won't be of any benefit in the gas tank or crank case, although I may consider using it to clean out the intake.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I used it a while ago on my 95 Regal, which already had lots of miles at the time.
> 
> My opinion now is that if you have properly maintained your vehicle and used quality fuel, it won't be of any benefit in the gas tank or crank case, although I may consider using it to clean out the intake.


Agreed; the only thing I would use Seafoam for is to clean all the crud out of the tops of the cylinders and intake manifold/valves.

Works fantastically for that.

Your oil passages should be kept sludge-free if you take good care of your new car from the beginning simply by using a good oil and changing on time. Hopefully by requiring synthetic or semi-synthetic from the start, the 1.4T engines won't turn into a sludge pump like Saab's old 2.3T Ecotec.


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## The_Madcat (Oct 6, 2012)

I have some experience with Seafoam and I do like it. However, it is not something I would use regularly or just to try it out, it has a purpose and should only be used if needed. For me, it cleaned out my DoD lifters in my LS4. I had a lifter that was getting noisy and I used seafoam in the oil for about 60 miles, then drained the oil and changed it. Within 300 miles the lifter noise is gone and I can feel it in my sotp dyno that it is working properly again. It is very good at cleaning out the intakes and upper motor parts. Just use it when needed, don't use it just because you can. It can and will ruin gaskets or worse if used improperly.


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

Can someone post a pic of where on the 1.4 you would administer the seafoam? I tried it once on my wife's old cougar and it trickled into the idle air control valve and so I had a heck of a time rectifying that situation.


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

O ...and what kind of an interval do you suggest the vacuum system seafoam cleaning? Every 20k,40k..?


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## speedy862004 (Dec 13, 2012)

I've been a little MIA on the forum for a bit. 
I found a new product from Seafoam: Seafoam Mist Spray. It comes with a tube and a tube bend piece so you can slide your intake hose over it and apply it straight into your intake system. 
I noticed my turbo spooling a little bit sooner than it did before, at least to me it did. 
Try a can of this stuff and let me know what you think! 
Go to seafoam . com for more info on it.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

speedy862004 said:


> O ...and what kind of an interval do you suggest the vacuum system seafoam cleaning? Every 20k,40k..?


50-60.

Over 100,000 miles - maybe every 30-40.


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## Beachernaut (Mar 27, 2012)

Some products do have their place. I'm a long time user of Seafoam. Anyone with a GM 4.3l V6 (also known as a 262V6) should know about Seafoam. It works great to break up and clear out all of the carbon build up that the 4.3 was known for. For the Cruze? Absolutely not.

Preventative maintenance= Fluids, wear items, known issues with specific parts.

Fluids- Oil, trans fluid, coolant, etc. There is a schedule for each fluid that should be adhered to.
Wear items- Tires, brake pads, brake rotors, clutches, etc. Some have schedules, others you need to pay attention to
Specific parts- Example: I changed out the intake manifold gaskets in my 2003 Blazer because they were known for leaking.


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## apcnc (Oct 7, 2013)

Id just like to make a comment on the MMO being damaging. First off the these are just assumptions. Before making statements of assumption please do some research back it up with some knowledge. Tell factually why. The fact that you find the ingredients is a step forward but know something about this chemical makeup. For instance animal fat. Dexos and GF-5 have organic oils. Does that rule them out as well? As for it being thin... All new vehicle oil requirements are thinner. New designs have closer tolerances and need thinner oils. Thicker doesn't mean better. Were are not filling the crank case with MMO either, it is mixed. (an additive) Two liquids mixed could become solid. This depends on their chemical makeup. Being thin is not relevant. Solvents guess what that's detergents. To make a determination learn how these chemical bond together and with oil. Salt for instance is a necessity in the human body. Not in excess though to be clear, but the fact is you will die without salt. Separate the elements and you have poisons which will kill you. MMO has been around for a very long time. I have always used MMO in gas and oil and getting more mileage and less wear out of the my engines than everyone else who make assumption like these. I have had engine failure in only one vehicle which did not have MMO added. It was a 1987 Honda I bought to try basically. It did not last long. Well it made it to 140k 15 of which were mine but I call that bad. All others had several hundred thousand miles that I drove myself. These were all GM makes with MMO. I added early on to keep the engines and fuel delivery clean and better lubricated. It definitely does not damage with conventional oils. With that being said the newer oils (GF-5... Dexos... other synthetics) are supposed to be better and may be just as efficient or even better than MMO. If you are in doubt the mfg recommendation is definitely what you should go by. I understand that GM does not want additives added so I will go by there recommendations through warranty period anyway. One other thing, I have not once had to replace a fuel pump or injector that I add MMO to fuel on a regular basis. I have had no issues with fuel delivery.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

°^^

Wow thar a long post for your very first one.

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My Original Droid.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

apcnc, my only question is why spend the extra money on an oil additive when the Dexos-1 oils (semi-synthetic and full synthetic) are sufficient as long as you change them routinely?


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Only additive I use is Techron. That is when I am in NJ and don't want to argue with the gas pump attendant on why I want 93 instead of 87.


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## 2013LT (Jul 3, 2013)

Don't even get me started on seafoam. Don't add anything to your engine that the manufacturer says isn't supposed to be there. Your car will last long enough without any prodcuts. Just remember there are a ton of rubber seals inside the engine that many products could possibly damage.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

2013LT said:


> Don't even get me started on seafoam. Don't add anything to your engine that the manufacturer says isn't supposed to be there. Your car will last long enough without any prodcuts. Just remember there are a ton of rubber seals inside the engine that many products could possibly damage.


MMO IMHO is meant for older cars. But with our technology and manufacturing technology this should not be added. Oil has come a long since you were recommended to add MMO wonder why you would add it to gas, LEAD was the reason why and I'm only 26 years old and I know that lol corrosion. (Please correct me if I'm wrong) I love history lessons.

But its your car not ours but AutoGuide and the staff at CruzeTalk recommend going by what G.M and your Owners manual say.

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My Original Droid.


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## apcnc (Oct 7, 2013)

obermd said:


> apcnc, my only question is why spend the extra money on an oil additive when the Dexos-1 oils (semi-synthetic and full synthetic) are sufficient as long as you change them routinely?


I don't in my 2011 which requires dexos. Like I said I am going by the GM maintenance specs and am not recommending anyone use it in dexos required vehicles. That's is as long as I am satisfied with dexos performance. My point is that MMO doesn't damage your engine or fuel delivery system as previously suggested. I like MMO and will continue to use it in my other vehicles.


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## apcnc (Oct 7, 2013)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> MMO IMHO is meant for older cars. But with our technology and manufacturing technology this should not be added. Oil has come a long since you were recommended to add MMO wonder why you would add it to gas, LEAD was the reason why and I'm only 26 years old and I know that lol corrosion. (Please correct me if I'm wrong) I love history lessons.
> 
> But its your car not ours but AutoGuide and the staff at CruzeTalk recommend going by what G.M and your Owners manual say.
> 
> ...


 It is added for lubrication and cleaning and does a good job of both. Fuel Pump, Injectors, Valves. Lead has been gone for a long time, you mean really older huh lol. As far as tech, its just the bottom line and what people are willing buy. This goes for any mfg. Your dealership and commercials may brag about the tech but its not that high tech. We could have had the engines we have now in the 80's. The auto industry is crazy though. Gov stuck it nose in to improve emissions and did the absolute worst thing it could do. Lower compression ratios compounding the problem. The key to clean burning, efficiency and power is compression. In my opinion they are just recently starting make some sense with their designs. The Doc doesn't always know best everyone just takes his word for it.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I've used MMO in my Cruze's gas before. 10-15 tanks, IIRC. It didn't do much of anything, so I stopped using it. The only additives I'll use in gas are Techron or Gumout Regane. Both of those are formulated with PEA, which is about the only cleaner that cleans carbon without leaving a residue itself. I will say, my old 3800-powered Buick LeSabre loved the stuff in the gas, and consistently idled smoother with it in there. 

For the oil, there are better cleaners like Kreen available. But, a properly-cared-for Cruze will never need an engine cleaner. Changing the oil regularly with full synthetic dexos1 oils will keep the engine spotless on the inside.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

apcnc said:


> It is added for lubrication and cleaning and does a good job of both. Fuel Pump, Injectors, Valves. Lead has been gone for a long time, you mean really older huh lol. As far as tech, its just the bottom line and what people are willing buy. This goes for any mfg. Your dealership and commercials may brag about the tech but its not that high tech. We could have had the engines we have now in the 80's. The auto industry is crazy though. Gov stuck it nose in to improve emissions and did the absolute worst thing it could do. Lower compression ratios compounding the problem. The key to clean burning, efficiency and power is compression. In my opinion they are just recently starting make some sense with their designs. The Doc doesn't always know best everyone just takes his word for it.


We didn't have the computing power we have now in the 80s. Never would have happened. We also wouldn't have had the computer simulation needed to design these engines, nor the robotic machinery to build such tight tolerances cost-effectively. 

As for additives, all oil manufacturers recommend against them for a reason. Synthetic these days are made specifically with all of the additives you can possibly need. Adding more additives is counterproductive when you don't know what's already there. Furthermore, the cost makes you wonder why you didn't buy a better oil in the first place. 

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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Furthermore, the cost makes you wonder why you didn't buy a *better oil in the first place*.


That's how I *view* & *resolve* the question myself--*motor oil *should be like *Papa John's *pizza--_better ingrediants _to begin with (wink,wink)!


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## apcnc (Oct 7, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> We didn't have the computing power we have now in the 80s. Never would have happened. We also wouldn't have had the computer simulation needed to design these engines, nor the robotic machinery to build such tight tolerances cost-effectively.
> 
> As for additives, all oil manufacturers recommend against them for a reason. Synthetic these days are made specifically with all of the additives you can possibly need. Adding more additives is counterproductive when you don't know what's already there. Furthermore, the cost makes you wonder why you didn't buy a better oil in the first place.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


You are absolutely right. We didn't have the computing power that we have now, back in the 80's. But... we had enough to build a better engine than we build now. I am very close this subject. lol I design repair and build robots and CNC machinery. Also I am very familiar with what was around back in the 80's. We could and should be doing so much more with what is available now! Ill put it like this I don't completely trust any one or any auto mfg that builds an internal combustion engine with less than 11:1 compression ratio. Yes compression is up now and hopefully will continue to rise. They are headed in the right direction now at least. It is business and there is more BS in the auto industry than any other. Like I said before its all about the bottom line.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

apcnc said:


> You are absolutely right. We didn't have the computing power that we have now, back in the 80's. But... we had enough to build a better engine than we build now. I am very close this subject. lol I design repair and build robots and CNC machinery. Also I am very familiar with what was around back in the 80's. We could and should be doing so much more with what is available now! Ill put it like this I don't completely trust any one or any auto mfg that builds an internal combustion engine with less than 11:1 compression ratio. Yes compression is up now and hopefully will continue to rise. They are headed in the right direction now at least. It is business and there is more BS in the auto industry than any other. Like I said before its all about the bottom line.


Amen to that! It is about the bottom line, and we should indeed be doing better. 

Fortunately, the dynamic compression of our engines allows us to produce some very impressive power numbers. 

I will not preach about Amsoil, but I do know that they make some top quality oils. If I had the choice between using a typical synthetic with an additive or Amsoil signature series oil, the choice to me would be clear. 

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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Avoid like the plague in anything designed to run on API SF oil or later. 

That's MY1979 or newer.


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