Cataclean Review - Does it work?
Many onlookers dismiss all oil and fuel Additives assnake oil.Some of them offer only a placebo affect, but certain Additives perform very beneficially.I try to keep an open mind.
I spent a lot of time researching diesel particulate filters and one of the companies that claimed to reduce emissions and repair bills was Cataclean.The fuel Additive is mainly promoted as a product that cleans catalytic converters, claims that have fallen foul of several advertising regulators both here and abroad.When used quarterly, Cataclean can cut diesel soot emissions by up to 60%, helping prevent the Diesel Particulate Filter from breaking.
The claim is amazing and the DPFs do not break.I had to investigate the assertion.The company representatives I spoke with were certain that I would notice a difference by simply allowing the car to start for 15 minutes, even though the instructions recommend going for a drive of between 10 and 15 miles.
This was never intended to be a laboratory test, but a real-world alternative, so the stage was set to test the claims of a truly remarkable product.The diesel vehicle in question was of average age and mileage for a UK vehicle, in good mechanical health, and run on Shell V-Power premium diesel for several thousand miles.The main dealer diagnostic software was used to monitor the various parameters as the engine was running.
The car was driven first to allow the oil and coolant to reach their normal operating temperatures and the fuel level to drop before a full bottle of Cataclean was added.The aim was to keep the exhaust temperatures below 300 degrees so that any reduction in particulates could be attributed to Cataclean alone.
The first test saw the car idling at between 750 and 1200rpm for 20 minutes, with both DPF soot levels and exhaust gas temperatures being monitored in real-time.The second test involved driving the car for twelve miles on an open road, non-stop, at speeds between 10 and 45mph, with the diagnostic equipment still assessing the parameters.The lower road speeds were chosen so that the car wouldn't try to "regenerate", which would cause the exhaust system to heat up and the experiment to be ruined.On a warm autumn afternoon, all tests were performed.
There was no reduction in soot loading after almost fifteen minutes of idling.The soot loading increased after the end of the test.The soot load increased while the vehicle was being driven.Below are the full results.
We were disappointed that Cataclean did not show a reduction in soot emissions.It is possible that our results could be explained by Cataclean cleaning soot from the oxidising catalytic converter, which then passed down the exhaust and into the DPF.When the results of our tests are considered, the statement about Cataclean reducing soot levels and enhancing DPF reliability is questionable.
The full statement from which we presented our findings is at the bottom of this post.I need concrete evidence that Cataclean reduces soot in a DPF, beyond anecdotal claims and analysis that is funded by the maker, before I invest my own money into a bottle.The chosen methodology ran the tests for longer, at a low fuel level, than the consumer instructions the bottle indicated when both time and mileage are considered.
You tested Cataclean and its ability to reduce the soot load in a Diesel Particulate Filter.The results showed that the methodology you used did not reduce the soot load.This is disappointing as we have so many instances from motorists and auto technicians that show Cataclean does reduce the soot load.We would be happy to put together a large collection of these instances for you.
Cataclean is testing the product at a recognised UK testing facility in order to establish its performance beyond anecdotal evidence.The aim of the testing is to find out what the cleaning capabilities are in the internal combustion engine and exhaust system.It is hoped that the results will be published before the end of the year.
Although we respect and consider your findings correct, we should have a closer look at your methodology.A repeat of test 1 after test 2 would have been useful.It was not possible as the car went on a longer run and regenerated the DPF after test 2.”