Hydrocarbon compositions containing a polyetheramide additive

A method for improving the operation of an internal combustion engine equipped with fuel metering apparatus for and designed to operate with a hydrocarbon distillate fuel, said method comprising:

• operating said engine using an additized fuel prepared by introducing an effective amount of an additive into said hydrocarbon distillate fuel under conditions sufficient to clean performance-inhibiting deposits from said apparatus or combustion chamber elements, said additive comprising a polyetheramide of the formula:
• ##STR10## wherein each R is independently H or an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 16 carbon atoms, wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is independently selected from the group consisting of H and lower hydrocarbon groups containing from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, and wherein each R.sup.5 is independently a saturated or unsaturated alkyl group containing from about 7 to about 22 carbon atoms, and wherein a+b ranges from 0 to about 80.

A concentrate composition comprising:

• an inert stable oleophilic organic solvent and from about 10 to about 80 percent by weight of a polyetheramide based on the weight of the solvent, wherein the polyetheramide is of the formula:
• ##STR11## wherein each R is independently H or an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 16 carbon atoms, wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is independently selected from the group consisting of H and lower alkyl groups containing from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, and wherein each R.sup.5 is independently a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing from about 7 to about 22 carbon atoms, and wherein a+b ranges from 0 to about 80.