Maximum protection for boat engines: launching a new marine fuel additive

Every boat serves a purpose. Some are for recreation, others for sport, some are mainly a means of transportation and others are for work or business.

The common denominator: boat owners would rather be free to pursue their boat’s purpose than spend time in the repair shop due to fuel-related engine damage.

Yet according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, fuel-related issues are on the rise. In a 2016 Boating Industry magazine survey of repair shops, 92% of respondents reported seeing such damage in their facilities, up sharply from the previous year. Many respondents expressed concern that chronic engine problems raised the risk of driving consumers out of the boating market.

Chevron recognized a clear and compelling need for a more complete fuel additive to address these issues specific to the marine industry. We set out to develop a product that would mitigate the three key sources of fuel-related engine issues:

• The type of fuel used: Most gasolines today contain some percentage of Ethanol. If such fuel comes in contact with moisture, it can cause corrosion and possible phase separation along with drivability and fuel system component failures, particularly in harsh salt water environments.
• The way the engine is used: Recreational boats experience wide variations in engine demand cycles, from wide-open-throttle (WOT) to idle. Constant variation and repetition of these cycles can lead to carbon deposits that affect engine performance, fuel economy and emissions.
• Boat storage: It’s a fact of life in owning a boat. Most boats will spend much of the year in storage. Long stretches of non-operation can cause fuel sitting in tanks to deteriorate and become unstable.

To help protect boat owners against the impact of these issues, Chevron has launched Techron® Protection Plus Marine Fuel System Treatment – just in time for boating season.

Chevron has a long history in the fuel additive market and the marine industry. Many boat owners have relied on our original Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner to help keep their engines clean. However, new Techron Marine raises the standard and sets a new benchmark. It is the first Chevron fuel additive specifically engineered to be a complete solution for the specific needs of the boating industry.

Techron Marine is specifically formulated to deliver protection against the primary sources of fuel-related engine issues, combined with the engine cleaning power for which the Techron brand is known. Unlike some other marine fuel additives, Techron Marine is alcohol-free. It also provides maximum corrosion control of the entire fuel system in both fresh and salt water environments. And it stabilizes fuel for up to two years, so boat owners can store their boats with confidence that they will start up smoothly when they go back in the water.

Of course, a cleaner engine simply delivers better performance. Techron Marine cleans carbon deposits, dissolves gum and varnish buildup, and helps prevent new deposit formation, so boaters can enjoy optimized engine performance.

Using Techron Marine and adhering to a few good practices can make all the difference between maximum enjoyment and a miserable boat-owning experience. In a future entry, we will explore some of the common fuel-related problems boat owners may encounter and detail some ways to avoid them.