Author Topic: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)  (Read 28064 times)

loco

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Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« on: August 02, 2010, 05:39:40 AM »
Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency

"Gas-Saving" Products: Fact or Fuelishness?

Gas prices are up, and so is the volume of advertising for "gas-saving" products. When gasoline prices rise, consumers often look for ways to improve fuel efficiency. Although there are practical steps you can take to increase gas mileage, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns you to be wary of any gas-saving claims for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the savings have been small.

"Gas-Saving" Advertising Claims

Be skeptical of the following kinds of advertising claims.

"This gas-saving product improves fuel economy by 20 percent."
Claims usually tout savings ranging from 12 to 25 percent. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some "gas-saving" products may damage a car's engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions.
The gas-saving products on the market fall into clearly defined categories. Although the EPA has not tested or evaluated every product, it has tried to examine at least one product in each category. See "Devices Tested by EPA" at the end of this brochure for category descriptions and product names.

"After installing your product on my car, I got an extra 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] per gallon [3.8 liters]."
Many ads feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. Yet, few consumers have the ability or the equipment to test for precise changes in gas mileage after installing a gas-saving product. Many variables affect fuel consumption, including traffic, road and weather conditions, and the car's condition.
For example, one consumer sent a letter to a company praising its "gas-saving" product. At the time the product was installed, however, the consumer also had received a complete engine tune-up - a fact not mentioned in the letter. The entire increase in gas mileage attributed to the "gas-saving" product may well have been the result of the tune-up alone. But from the ad, other consumers could not have known that.
"This gas-saving device is approved by the Federal government."

No government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars. The most that can be claimed in advertising is that the EPA has reached certain conclusions about possible gas savings by testing the product or by evaluating the manufacturer's own test data. If the seller claims that its product has been evaluated by the EPA, ask for a copy of the EPA report, or check www.epa.gov for information. In some instances, false claims of EPA testing or approval have been made.

Product Complaints and Refunds

If you're dissatisfied with a gas-saving product, contact the manufacturer and ask for a refund. Most companies offer money-back guarantees. Contact the company, even if the guarantee period has expired.

If you're not satisfied with the company's response, contact your local or state consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau.

Devices Tested by EPA

The following list categorizes various types of "gas-saving" products, explains how they're used and gives product names. Those with asterisks may save measurable, but small, amounts of gas. All others have been found not to increase fuel economy.

Fuels and Fuel Additives. These materials are added to the gas tank.

The EPA has evaluated: Bycosin; EI-5 Fuel Additive; Fuelon Power; Johnson Fuel Additive; NRG #1 Fuel Additive; QEI 400 Fuel Additive; Rolfite Upgrade Fuel Additive; Sta-Power Fuel Additive; Stargas Fuel Additive; SYNeRGy-1; Technol G Fuel Additive; ULX-15/ULX-15D; Vareb 10 Fuel Additive; XRG #1 Fuel Additive.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/autos/aut10.shtm

24KT

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2010, 11:17:09 PM »
With the various types of "gas savers" on the market, from bolt-on applications to fuel additives etc., one cannot possibly made a blanket statement lumping them all together, and still retain any degree of credibility or integrity. All devises and/or additives are different, and as such, must be tested individually. Not doing so, but issuing a blanket statement is tantamount to saying, I ate at McDonald's and didn't enjoy the experience, therefore, ALL restaurants from Wendy's, Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, to Spago & NOBU are no good.

Consumers should use common sense not only when making any consumer purchase, but also in their evaluation process. Liars figure, ...but figures don't lie. A vehicle's fuel consumption records will either prove or disprove any additive.
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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2010, 11:28:51 PM »
What if there was an additive that could unleash the power contained within the atoms of gasoline?  ???
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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2010, 12:36:01 PM »
What if there was an additive that could unleash the power contained within the atoms of gasoline?  ???

There is.

In 1973 Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, the organometallic chemist won a Nobel Prize in chemistry for his invention of RhCl(PPh3)3, also known as Wilkinson's catalyst. The result was a substance that when added to fuel, essentially breaks off the free hydrogen in fuel, allowing it to act as a hydrogen fuse that speeds up the burn rate of the entire fuel mixture.

The end result is a quicker, cleaner, more complete burn of fuel within the combustion chamber, resulting in more power to the engine, increased mileage, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced emissions.

The technology is not new, it's been around for a while, however, market conditions have not previously made it feasible for use in the way it is applied today. Previously it was simply used as a means of countering valve recession after the removal of lead from fuels, as well as a means to get a more even burn. Things like fuel consumption, increased MPG or reduced emissions weren't even on the radar in the early 70's. However... a few decades later, with the increased price of fuel, a growing environmental awareness of vehicular emissions, and a consumer market looking to save money, this decades old technology has been given a new set of applications... which it accomplishes exceedingly well.

There are plenty of older technologies that have sat around for years until market conditions prevailed in such a way as to give them a new set of applications. Just look at Corning's Gorilla glass? Who would have thought in 1962 that it would have sat on the shelf in obscurity for close to 50 yrs before booming to become one of the next billion dollar products?
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loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2010, 12:42:21 PM »
The EPA evaluated Bycosin; EI-5 Fuel Additive; Fuelon Power; Johnson Fuel Additive; NRG #1 Fuel Additive; QEI 400 Fuel Additive; Rolfite Upgrade Fuel Additive; Sta-Power Fuel Additive; Stargas Fuel Additive; SYNeRGy-1; Technol G Fuel Additive; ULX-15/ULX-15D; Vareb 10 Fuel Additive; XRG #1 Fuel Additive.

None of them worked.

If a fuel additive that worked did exist, why haven't one of the makers/distributors of a such fuel additive presented it to the EPA for evaluation?


24KT

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2010, 12:49:04 PM »
The EPA evaluated Bycosin; EI-5 Fuel Additive; Fuelon Power; Johnson Fuel Additive; NRG #1 Fuel Additive; QEI 400 Fuel Additive; Rolfite Upgrade Fuel Additive; Sta-Power Fuel Additive; Stargas Fuel Additive; SYNeRGy-1; Technol G Fuel Additive; ULX-15/ULX-15D; Vareb 10 Fuel Additive; XRG #1 Fuel Additive.

None of them worked.

If a fuel additive that worked did exist, why haven't one of the makers/distributors of a such fuel additive presented it to the EPA for evaluation?


The mandate of the EPA is not to evaluate fuel saving devices, although the list of products they have evaluated is far longer than what you list. The EPA's mandate is to protect the environment. The evaluation done by the EPA is not one undertaken to determine product efficacy, but rather to determine if the product will harm either the environment, or the vehicle. That is what the EPA evaluates.

An EPA registration is not an endorsement or "approval" of a product per se. But it is an assurance that the EPA has evaluated the product to determine that nothing in it will neither harm your engine, nor the environment.
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loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2010, 12:51:18 PM »
Auto Club Warns Consumers to Beware of Fuel Additives Claiming to Increase Gas Mileage

With gas prices at record high levels statewide, drivers may be tempted to buy gasoline additives that claim to improve vehicle mileage. The Automobile Club of Southern California is advising consumers that available gas additives are unlikely to save them money on gas.

"The Auto Club has tested dozens of these formulas over the years, and we have yet to find one that actually improves vehicle mileage," said Steve Mazor, the Auto Club's principal automotive engineer and the director of the Auto Club's Automotive Research Center. "Don't waste your money - especially now that we are spending so much more for gas."

Fuel additives are sold in automotive supply stores, on the Internet and through multi-level marketing organizations. "They are not supposed to harm vehicle engines because they must be tested before they legally can be sold," Mazor said.
112 News0605xx 01S Auto Club Fuel Additives
 Click to view Gallery

But the tests mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency only require proof that the additives do not harm the car or increase the pollution it emits. "The tests do not have to show that the product actually improves mileage. Motorists who want to save money on gas should instead look to their driving habits and choices as the most effective way to improve vehicle mileage," said Mazor.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/auto_news/112_news060510_auto_club_fuel_additives/index.html#ixzz0vZex3QMg

loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2010, 12:54:15 PM »
AAA: Steer Clear of “Fuel-Saving” Additives

The AAA, North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, is advising motorists to be wary of trying to improve the fuel economy in their vehicles by experimenting with gasoline additives that promise big fuel economy gains.

“Fuel-saving” gasoline additives are sold at auto supply stores, on the Internet and through multi-level marketing organizations. Some are liquids, while others come in tablet, capsule or pellet form—all are added to the gas tank during a fill up. Additive marketers often state the fuel saving effects will not become apparent until the product has been used for several tanks of fuel, and all of the companies require ongoing use of their product.

    Some gasoline additives improve engine driveability by removing deposits from fuel injectors and other engine components, and others effectively deal with moisture in the fuel system. However, products whose primary claim is a major boost in fuel economy are another matter. Over the years, AAA has evaluated many such formulas, and has yet to discover one that can be proven to provide significant fuel-savings for motorists.
    —John Nielsen, Director of AAA’s Approved Auto Repair Network

Manufacturers of additives promising fuel savings also often claim their product has been tested and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

    This is true, but the procedures they cite are mandated by the EPA before any fuel additive can legally be sold in the United States. The tests only prove the additive will not harm a vehicle’s fuel system or increase the amount of pollution its engine emits; they do not address a product’s effect on gas mileage.
    —John Nielsen

Any maker of a “fuel-saving” product can, however, hire an approved independent testing laboratory to perform back-to-back EPA mileage and emissions tests of the same vehicle, with and without the “fuel-saving” additive, to generate scientifically valid figures that will support their claims. To date, AAA has not found one manufacturer of a “fuel-saving” additive that has done so.

Realistically, says AAA, the most practical and effective way to reduce fuel consumption is for a driver to modify his or her driving behavior.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/05/aaa_steer_clear.html

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2010, 01:29:54 PM »
AAA: Steer Clear of “Fuel-Saving” Additives

The AAA, North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, is advising motorists to be wary of trying to improve the fuel economy in their vehicles by experimenting with gasoline additives that promise big fuel economy gains.

.....

To date, AAA has not found one manufacturer of a “fuel-saving” additive that has done so.

What's the date on that highlighted AAA statement?
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loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2010, 01:41:27 PM »
What's the date on that highlighted AAA statement?

What's your point?

sync pulse

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2010, 03:54:35 PM »
What if there was an additive that could unleash the power contained within the atoms of gasoline?  ???

The process of releasing the energy of Gasoline in a car engine takes place at the molecular level, not atomic...

Eyeball Chambers

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2010, 04:53:20 PM »
There is.

In 1973 Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, the organometallic chemist won a Nobel Prize in chemistry for his invention of RhCl(PPh3)3, also known as Wilkinson's catalyst. The result was a substance that when added to fuel, essentially breaks off the free hydrogen in fuel, allowing it to act as a hydrogen fuse that speeds up the burn rate of the entire fuel mixture.

The end result is a quicker, cleaner, more complete burn of fuel within the combustion chamber, resulting in more power to the engine, increased mileage, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced emissions.

The technology is not new, it's been around for a while, however, market conditions have not previously made it feasible for use in the way it is applied today. Previously it was simply used as a means of countering valve recession after the removal of lead from fuels, as well as a means to get a more even burn. Things like fuel consumption, increased MPG or reduced emissions weren't even on the radar in the early 70's. However... a few decades later, with the increased price of fuel, a growing environmental awareness of vehicular emissions, and a consumer market looking to save money, this decades old technology has been given a new set of applications... which it accomplishes exceedingly well.

There are plenty of older technologies that have sat around for years until market conditions prevailed in such a way as to give them a new set of applications. Just look at Corning's Gorilla glass? Who would have thought in 1962 that it would have sat on the shelf in obscurity for close to 50 yrs before booming to become one of the next billion dollar products?

You can pay me later jag!
 

:)
S

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2010, 04:56:45 PM »
The process of releasing the energy of Gasoline in a car engine takes place at the molecular level, not atomic...

I know that, I was thinking something along these lines...



That sure would move those pistons...
S

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2010, 03:01:02 AM »
I know that, I was thinking something along these lines...



That sure would move those pistons...

Looks like you found the guy who had the hydrogen generator in the back of his pick up truck.  :D
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24KT

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2010, 03:04:26 AM »
What's your point?

My point being that I happen to know for a fact that 5 yrs ago, AAA did do tests on a specific additive,
...and despite using the product incorrectly, they did infact see a mileage increase.

So my question to you is... are you trying to make a point with a quote that is 6 yrs or more out of date?
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loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2010, 03:46:07 AM »
My point being that I happen to know for a fact that 5 yrs ago, AAA did do tests on a specific additive,
...and despite using the product incorrectly, they did infact see a mileage increase.

So my question to you is... are you trying to make a point with a quote that is 6 yrs or more out of date?

If that's a fact, as you claim, then post it.  How hard is that?

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #16 on: August 04, 2010, 03:46:17 PM »
don't insult on this board, I will edit/remove it.

loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #17 on: August 30, 2010, 05:30:01 AM »
4. Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
We actually tested dropping pills in our gas tank in the hopes of increasing fuel economy by adding more oxygen to the fuel. After diligently adding the pills to each tank during a two-thousand-mile road trip, we recorded a one-mile per gallon decrease in average efficiency. Okay, you say, that was your limited experience. Evidently, the Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency agree with our assessment: they have tested many of the additives and other purported fuel-saving products on the market and warn against investing in them.


Eight Fuel Economy Myths Debunked
Wednesday, June 23, 2010

http://comcast.vehix.com/articles/green/eight-fuel-economy-myths-debunked/1?cid=800

24KT

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #18 on: August 30, 2010, 07:54:39 AM »
4. Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
We actually tested dropping pills in our gas tank in the hopes of increasing fuel economy by adding more oxygen to the fuel. After diligently adding the pills to each tank during a two-thousand-mile road trip, we recorded a one-mile per gallon decrease in average efficiency. Okay, you say, that was your limited experience. Evidently, the Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency agree with our assessment: they have tested many of the additives and other purported fuel-saving products on the market and warn against investing in them.


Eight Fuel Economy Myths Debunked
Wednesday, June 23, 2010

http://comcast.vehix.com/articles/green/eight-fuel-economy-myths-debunked/1?cid=800

So they dropped "pills" in the fuel tank. Big whoop. That's ridiculous!

Whose "pills"? All "pills" are not created equal.There were a few companies out there marketing gas pills.
Where are they today? A lot of companies went out of business because they were either shut down by the Attorney Generals, or because their product didn't work. FFi is still around, still marketing their fuel catalyst, and is infact growing. That kind of longevity, and growth doesn't occur with a product that doesn't work, ...not 5 years after launching, ...and certainly not when fuel prices have dropped so precipitously.

And if you think all "pills" are created equal, ...you won't have a problem substituting your vitamins for cyanide.  ::)
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loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #19 on: August 30, 2010, 08:23:33 AM »
My point being that I happen to know for a fact that 5 yrs ago, AAA did do tests on a specific additive,
...and despite using the product incorrectly, they did infact see a mileage increase.

So my question to you is... are you trying to make a point with a quote that is 6 yrs or more out of date?

If that's a fact, as you claim, then post it.  How hard is that?

24KT

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #20 on: August 30, 2010, 01:35:04 PM »
If that's a fact, as you claim, then post it.  How hard is that?

It's been posted many times before. if I come across it again, I will post it.
I have no intention of wasting precious time to search for it.
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loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #21 on: August 30, 2010, 05:08:41 PM »
It's been posted many times before. if I come across it again, I will post it.
I have no intention of wasting precious time to search for it.

That would make it even easier, wouldn't it?  If it were true, you would post it in this thread.

loco

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Re: Gas Additives Boost Fuel Economy (myth)
« Reply #22 on: January 31, 2011, 05:14:36 AM »
5 Worst Car Scams and How to Avoid Them

#4: Putting Faith in Vehicle Devices that Don’t Fulfill Their Promise
Bear spray might blind a grizzly for a few moments but there’s still a bigger issue on hand: Being face-to-face with an even angrier wild animal and just a small can of pepper spray as your defense. The same dilemma applies to small vehicle devices that claim to save you big money by solving major car issues.

For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tested a variety of gas-saving “genies” that typically install to the vehicle’s intake manifold or the air-intake hose (which helps supply a fuel and air mixture to the engine cylinders). Time and time again these products resulted in zero improvements with fuel consumption – in some car models, it even worsened.

Campbell’s overall take is that if a vehicle device sounds gimmicky, it probably isn’t any good. Just as a gun serves as much better protection against a bear attack, beefing up your defensive or “hypermiling” driving skills is a much more effective and proven approach to maximize fuel economy compared to a hyped fuel additive.

http://comcast.vehix.com/articles/tips--advice/5-worst-car-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them/4?cid=806