Owners of used cars in New Jersey may be interested to know that engine oil additives, which are sold to millions of customers a year, may not be all that helpful and, in some cases, may actually hurt the engine’s performance.

Oil additives are synthetic or petroleum based products that are touted to improve the base oil while enhancing fuel economy.

Although there are customer testimonials that swear by the product, some experts remain skeptical.

“Oil additives are designed to fortify and bolster the engine,” said Tom Torbjornsen, car maintenance editor at AOL Autos. “But if you’re following normal maintenance procedures, you don’t need it.”

“In the testimonials you’ll find on websites selling this stuff, people say they can drive without oil because of some magic elixir,” he continued. “But a real-world tester always fails.”

NASA’s Lewis Research Center tested oil additives in the early 1990’s and found that “in the types of bearing surface contact we have looked at, we have seen no benefit,” according to Motorcycle Consumer News.

“In some cases we have seen detrimental effect,” researchers added. “The solids in the oil tend to accumulate at inlets and act as a dam, which simply blocks the oil from entering. Instead of helping, it is actually depriving parts of lubricant.”

Some oil additive and cleanser manufacturers have actually been successfully sued by the Federal Trade Commission for making false claims about the success of their product.

Is it worth the risk? Owners of used cars in New Jersey should check their car’s manual, but if normal vehicle maintenance procedures are followed, engine additives might not be needed.