MR2 Roadster Owners Club

The Workshop => Maintenance, Problems & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Johnny5 on November 1, 2018, 18:42

Title: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Johnny5 on November 1, 2018, 18:42
Hi Everone,
Loving this site.  Top people, top info.

Bought a bottle of redex for a quid in Tesco.  Being brand new to MR2age, I just thought I should ask whether that's a good idea.  Could redex damage the cat/precats and cause engine damage?  Car is a 2006 FL on 20k.  Thanks
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Call the midlife! on November 1, 2018, 18:49
I chuck a bottle in mine everytime it's on offer in Tesco too, can't do any harm as long as you follow dosage instructions.


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Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: s12vea on November 1, 2018, 19:15
Used many times on my 2 and confident it does some form of good.
Give it a try.
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: delhusband on November 1, 2018, 19:18
5th gear /Jason Plato did a feature on restoring horsepower in older car, and looked at fuel additives during review. Worth a watch:
https://youtu.be/03nL8Z0dRkI (https://youtu.be/03nL8Z0dRkI)
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: 1979scotte on November 1, 2018, 19:26
I don't think they do any harm and there is some evidence to suggest they do some good.
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Ozzy on November 1, 2018, 20:59
It gets a bad rep by some but I honestly don't see why. I've used it many times, especially when I buy a new car or if a cars been parked up a while and it's always helped. Never caused any problems. Noticed it makes the car drive smoother, runs quieter, feels like it gains lost power and has usually improved fuel consumption by quite abit.

Actually used a bottle on my MR2 just a few weeks ago. It started driving abit lumpy after nearly running out of fuel and felt like it was gonna cut out sometimes at red lights and when setting off for  week or so. Used a bottle when filling up and perfect now.
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: shnazzle on November 1, 2018, 21:30
It was a couple treatments of redex or similar and a few cans of EGR cleaner that got my pre-fl running rather nicely after a terrible service history

It started improving by a service and a new o2 sensor, but the above is what really got it purring again.

If you service the car regularly (incl sparks) and run it on something like vpower, I don't think Redex or anything like it does much good. I threw a bottle in a few weeks ago; did nothing.

If you just bought the car and its history is unclear, chucking a bottle in might clean out the injectors and bores enough to make a noticeable difference.
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Johnny5 on November 1, 2018, 22:26
Good to know.  Thanks all.  I'll give it a try
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Ardent on November 1, 2018, 23:02
Redex £1 tesco
I'm on my way
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Joesson on November 1, 2018, 23:12
Used to be 1d (an old penny) a shot, from a conical can on the Petrol station forecourt, typically administered by the attendant, male or female that dispensed your fuel, and sometimes washed your wind screen.
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: mrzwei on November 1, 2018, 23:15
Showing my age here but this was marketed originally as an upper cylinder lubricant and all garages would encourage you to put one shot costing 1p (old 1p  ;)) in the tank at every fill up.
Personally I think that you're better off filling up with premium petrol say one in four refills. No evidence offered though.

Great minds think alike  :D
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Joesson on November 1, 2018, 23:20
@mrzwei (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=12764) - I guess you remember then when @Ardent (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=20018) 's £1 would have bought 8 gallons of petrol!
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: mrzwei on November 1, 2018, 23:44
Spot on! Used to survive on 1/2 gallon in my youth  ;) the lamps swinging now so stop  :)
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: MisterK on November 2, 2018, 16:58
Quote from: Joesson on November  1, 2018, 23:20
@mrzwei (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=12764) - I guess you remember then when @Ardent (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=20018) 's £1 would have bought 8 gallons of petrol!

Not quite, but I do remember getting 5 gallons for a £1, and that was for 5 star as my Sunbeam Imp Sport didn't like running on 4 star.  Ah, those were the days  ;) :)

Oh and a pint of beer was 20 pence!!!
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Joesson on November 2, 2018, 18:48
Hence the expression "The good old days" !
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Ozzy on November 2, 2018, 21:57
Wait, are you guys serious about fuel being that cheap many years back?? ;0
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Joesson on November 2, 2018, 22:21
It really didn't seem "that cheap" back then.
All things are comparative.
In 1961 I was being paid 2s/1p about 10.5p an hour!
Learnt to drive over the winter of 1962/1963,( Google it)  no global warming then, and took over my Father's A35 van when he passed away. I part ex'd that for a Mini Clubman, got £80 against the £260 Mini on HP.
£20 a week was an aspirational wage, didn't get that until 1965.
First house in London, in 1969 was £4,700, sold for 11k end of 72.
In 1977 IIRC we were paying around 17.5% interest on the loan for our second house.
It's called Inflation.
I used to roll my eyes when old fella's talked about their good old days!
You will likely do the same.


Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: shnazzle on November 3, 2018, 05:15
Quote from: Joesson on November  2, 2018, 22:21
It really didn't seem "that cheap" back then.
All things are comparative.
In 1961 I was being paid 2s/1p about 10.5p an hour!
Learnt to drive over the winter of 1962/1963,( Google it)  no global warming then, and took over my Father's A35 van when he passed away. I part ex'd that for a Mini Clubman, got £80 against the £260 Mini on HP.
£20 a week was an aspirational wage, didn't get that until 1965.
First house in London, in 1969 was £4,700, sold for 11k end of 72.
In 1977 IIRC we were paying around 17.5% interest on the loan for our second house.
It's called Inflation.
I used to roll my eyes when old fella's talked about their good old days!
You will likely do the same.
That all seems madness to us young folk
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: furbern on November 4, 2018, 18:19
Yeah I remember on more than one occasion borrowing my Dad's Rover 3500 for the night and putting in 3 gallons of 5 star for 99p; about 1972-3 ish. It would only do about 50 miles on that though!
Title: Re: Redex: Yes or No?
Post by: Johnny5 on November 30, 2018, 17:22
Update: been running Redex in my car for about a week now.  Noticed a small difference, and my car has only done 21k.  Smoother and slightly keener.  Personally, I would recommend it