We do like to support our Green Apple Award winners where we can, and when this means our 7-seater gets a free engine treatment we were only too pleased to help – we are good people.
The award-winning EDT treatment is genius in its simplicity.
- Old oil is drained from the engine
- The EDT machine is plumbed in to the engine
- Soya based oil is pulsed through the engine for around 10 minutes – flushing out sludge and heavy deposits that a regular oil change does not touch
- New oil and filter are added, the machine is removed, and the car is good to go.
- Car is tested and owner is goggle-eyed at the improvements in responsiveness and economy
The treatment is not meant to replace routine servicing, but complements it, and has been shown time and again to have a significant effect on drive-ability and fuel economy.
So here is what happened with ours;
The guinea-pig for this test is a 130,000 mile 2006 Ssangyong Rodius using a Mercedes-derived 2.7l 5 cylinder turbo diesel engine giving a quoted 163Hp, which felt more like half that power.
Before the treatment we would typically get 470-490 miles per tank (refilling16.5 gallons / 75 litres), embarrassingly smoky cold starting and truly lack-lustre performance. We would experience hugely variable engine response in line with ambient temperature, weather, or just the mood of the motor.
Our car typically gave 29.7mpg prior to the treatment.
Although there are dozens of garages across the UK that offer this service, we took the car to Full Circle Garage in High Wycombe. This family run garage has a local reputation for excellence which, from what I saw, is well deserved. The workshop was immaculate and well equipped with some lovely toys. The staff and management were also good company and kept the coffee flowing. 
Between themselves and Stuart from EDT they had the car prepped and raised in very short order and started the program. Within a few minutes the machines crisp white filter turned brown/black and not long after that the whole process was finished. Off with the EDT pipework, on with the sump plug and new oil filter. Engine oil was replaced and and the car was returned for my first impressions.
Immediately after the treatment it was clear that the engine ran more smoothly – a vibration that we had learnt to live with had disappeared entirely – and the engine span up much more freely.
Pulling away became much more predictable too with none of the bogging down or occasional stalling that we also had put up with for over a year. Cold starting gave very little visible smoke from the exhaust, and what little there was cleared much more quickly.
Acceleration was noticeably smoother, more predictable whatever the weather, and significantly stronger too. I became concerned that as the car was almost a joy to drive it would have a detrimental effect on the fuel economy, but I need not have worried…
The tank has been refilled 3 times since the treatment and the lowest mileage from a tank was 554 miles – around a 15% improvement despite the fact we have without question been using the right pedal with aplomb. This more accurately equates to 33.6mpg; an improvement of over 13%, or to put it another way – better than one free tank of fuel per ten.
This means if we had paid the very reasonable £150 for the treatment it would pay us back in 7 months – a handsome ROI by any measure.
So obviously our judges got it right and we are very happy to endorse this treatment, but it is not just the Green Organisation judges that have been impressed by the system however, it has also caught the attention of ITN news. Please see the below video for their coverage.