Fuel Flush

[csp]

Th local Honda dealer recommended a Fuel Flush after the 2 year service, which I declined. The cost would have been £14-95 for a bottle of fuel additive poured into the fuel tank.  I don't believe a 2 year old car with under 9000 miles on the clock should need the treatment and if it did then it should be a part of the standard service. If I wanted to treat the car myself I could buy a bottle of the same additive on line for about £4.

[culzean]

I don't believe a 2 year old car with under 9000 miles on the clock should need the treatment

Believe it or not, low annual mileage cars probably need the clean-out more than high mileage cars.  Engines do not like being driven short distances and lots of cold starts. Injectors are more likely to foul up and EGR valve more likely to stick.  Exhaust silencers often fail earlier as well due to the fact they never get properly hot and the acidic condensation stays in them and corrodes the metal.  CAT convertors can also block up, and they need a good high speed run every so often to burn the crud off the innards. 

'Motorway miles' are not a myth, cruising at a reasonable speed is far better for a car than constant stopping and starting. Most engine wear takes place in first couple of miles after starting from cold, once an engine is hot it is much happier.

[guest4078]

Very true.
In fact, the handbook defines 'severe' operating conditions as low mileage and advises 6 months oil changes and filter changes.
I don't think I would do that with modern synthetic oils but I would certainly add Molyslip in the oil. I would also use posh petrol and a drop of redex every so often just to make it burn well. Then a good speedy run or a day out every month or so.
I would be wary about buying an older/very low mileage car because there are some very expensive parts that don't like that sort of use.

[csp]

I agree that it is a good thing to get the engine hot regularly. My car may only have low mileage but that is because it only used once or twice a week but it gets a run on the motorway at least a couple of times a month, most of my trips are over 20mins.

Just before the service the car had 2 motorway trips of over 110 miles and the trip to the garage is along the motorway so the car was hot when I took it in. The oil shows no sign of discolouration between services and it is regularly checked. The engine starts / runs very smoothly and the garage agreed they did not find any problems.

I use regularly use Esso fuel with the odd tank of supermarket fuel. I might consider adding Redex occasionally which can cost as little as £2 to treat a tank full, but I thought £14.99 for one treatment far too much.