Driven Carb Defender
The introduction of ethanol into petrol was touted as a greener, renewable alternative to regular petrol, using as it does alcohol sourced from grain. Initially it was five per cent ethanol, but nowadays it can be up to 10 per cent, with many premium brand petrols now containing five per cent.
While emissions are reduced, the alcohol itself is hydroscopic, which means it pulls in moisture from the air and that can damage seals and the insides of carburetors. Older classic American cars tend to utilise carburetors rather than the fuel-injection systems seen on newer/modern cars. And for that reason, we chose to try Anglo American Oil’s Driven brand of ‘Carb Defender’ as it’s specifically formulated for that type of engine setup.
One bottle treats a whole fuel tank (up to 25 US gallons) and includes additives which fight the corrosive effects of ethanol on carburetors, conditions seals and helps restore lost power. Long term use of ethanol in fuel can result in hard starting, poor fuel economy, reduced performance and even fuel leaks. Using Driven’s Carb Defender should protect all the internal components and seals on a carb.
Not all classics are driven all the time, in fact many may spend protracted periods of time in storage, for instance over the winter. Carb Defender is also a fuel stabilizer, so a good tip is to fill the fuel tank before storing your car for the winter (so there’s less air in the tank for moisture to be drawn from), topped off with a bottle of Carb
Defender. At £12.25 (plus VAT) this seems like a wise investment at every fill up and certainly in light of the current situation of everincreasing ethanol content.
Of course, the irony of a product test like this is not the changes this product causes, but rather, that things stay the same – i.e. your carb continues to behave as if it was being run on petrol with no ethanol in it. Driven also offers this product with a booster fuel additive that raises the octane in unleaded fuels and also reduces valve seat wear. Ordering online is easy and once you’ve set up an account you can order this and other products from Anglo American Oil. Having used two tankfuls so far, it looks like this will be a regular feature of fill-ups going forward.