Fuel Economy Part 1 – What Doesn’t Work, Our View

This article is part one of a 2-part article and will concentrate on what doesn’t work. We recommend you read this before reading part 2, which concentrates on what does work.

Ok, another Fuel Economy report. A feeling like this on your part is not unexpected but, hold on, we promise you something a little different – views and experience from industry professionals and equally important – some common sense! Fuel economy, fuel saving, improved MPG and the use of fuel savers and similar devices is a subject we are regularly asked for advice, hence the need for us to provide an overview of our experience on what we have tried and tested.

At this point, perhaps it would be worthwhile to provide a few words about us. We have been working in the motor industry (with myself also as an investigative journalist,) for most our working lives but over the past 7 years we have paid particular attention to oil & fuel additives and general engine tuning, with a special focus on researching the effectiveness of additives and devices that claim to improve fuel economy (mpg). The results are interesting but not all that surprising really. So, we’ll give you the facts concerning the use of fuel additives and fuel saving devices and how they relate to MPG improvements.

Firstly we will concentrate on fuel saving products that have failed to increase MPG. We have either tried them ourselves or will provide access to other independent test results. Our main test vehicles are an Audi A6 2.5 TDI (Diesel) and A Toyota MR2 Turbo (petrol). We also occasionally use a Mitsubishi Evolution VI and BMW Z4 2.5 for more “performance” related tests.

Although it can be argued that the most accurate tests are performed in laboratory controlled conditions, we are not scientists and neither are our readers. Instead, we prefer to test the various products using real life driving and not dynameters or similar measuring devices. Besides, an attempt to prove a product works on paper as tested by an “independent” lab means nothing if the results cannot be replicated on the road, and this is where it really matters. We do use regular commuting routes to provide an honest assessment when comparing MPG figures.

1 The Mystic World of Fuel Pills

A company called Fuel Freedom International, flooded the Internet with a “magical” gas pill promising ultra-high fuel economy. We tested this pill on both our Audi A6 and Toyota MR2 for a total of 5 full tanks of fuel on consistent regular commutes. It resulted in a random fuel deviation of approximately +/- 1.5 mpg over the original MPG (A6 – 38MPG and MR2 – 27 MPG), which is consistent with what we would normally expect, hence no gain.

The claims were also tested by some ABC affiliates but positive results were not forthcoming. “The pill will kick in after burning several tanks of fuel” was the explanation of the company. But, how many…? Nobody had an answer. We considered 5 tanks over a period of 2 months more than sufficient for our testing.

Another Texas Company launched a hyper campaign promoting a fuel pill that could bring about almost 40% fuel saving and reduce emissions significantly when added to a tank of fuel. We tried this too and it didn’t work. The product was also tested by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and in a Florida University. I know we weren’t going to concentrate on lab tests but it is merely to make the point that the results were negative in both types of test. Unfortunately, this pill turned out to be nothing more than a chemical equivalent of naphthalene, a toxic substance used in mothballs. It had nothing to do with improving MPG; rather, it had a negative effect on engine performance. As a result the company later had its assets frozen in a lawsuit.

We have refrained from providing detailed results on all the pills we have tried or by providing details on journey’s, times, MPG etc. This is simply because there is really nothing to report other than there was no discernable difference on either our diesel or petrol test vehicles or from tests conducted by other independent bodies. Bascially, we have not yet seen any scientific or emperical data that proves any of them work although we wish we had because it would be much more interesting to write about!

2 Fuel Magnets

Unlike fuel pills, fuel magnets have been around for years. Manufacturers claim a “change to the molecular structure of gasoline by aligning the hydrocarbons” that in turn improves fuel efficiency.
Again we will not delve into too much detail but needless to say we tried and tested the top 6 fuel magnets over almost a year and a minimum of 4 tanks for each device on both diesel and petrol test vehicles.

We can’t help but agree that the negatively surrounding these type of devices is founded. As an example, a particular fuel magnet hit the headlines in 2005 claiming to improve mileage by 27% when added to the fuel line. This multimillion dollar affair was investigated and it too discovered to be totally bogus. Later, the FTC sued the company, which then agreed to pull its ads.

EPA evaluated these products and rubbished their claims. Vested interests aside, if it had been possible to lower fuel consumption by placing a magnet in the fuel line, then everybody in this cunningly competitive world would have done so, whether subjected to vested interests or not.
Other explanations on how magnets work in fuel lines are many. Other than the alignment theory as mentioned above, many say that magnets help fuels to burn quickly and completely. But, studies show that faster burning does not, even in theory, improve fuel economy significantly on modern engines. Moreover, if the fuel really does burn faster, the ignition must be retarded to suit and this would reduce performance.

Claims such as these are a global phenomenon. An Australian company marketed a pill that promised slashing fuel costs by up to 42%. The company was successfully prosecuted by the Consumer Protection Department for false advertising.

It is true that The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) endorses neither fuel pills nor fuel magnets. The blatant dismissal of all these claims of fuel efficiency made by these so-called fuel pills is simply due to one fact – none of the claims are verified by unbiased research and/or controlled testing! All are based on individual testimonials, many being nothing more than words manufactured by the suppliers.

But what about the many legitimate testimonials from customers? We have what we believe to be a reasonable explanation to this and one which we have experienced firsthand. The most common explanation and one that is completely valid is that driving style, climate conditions, variations in fuel quality and other such factors contribute towards inconsistent MPG and fuel emissions.

Although these are vital factors we believe there is a more important underlying reason. Let us explain. One of the first tests we did many years ago with a fuel magnet netted an increase of 9% on a weekly 600 mile round trip commute for the first tank. The second tank netted approximately 5% and the third about 2%. Why?

After racking our brains we finally figured out what had happend. When you spend your hard earned money on a product of this nature you REALLY want it to work. This is a basic Psychological phenomenon. Furthermore, it is human nature that people do not want to be wrong or proven wrong. Again, this is a psychological defence mechanism.

What had actually occurred is that for the first tank we were unwittingly trying to obtain the best MPG improvement we could and as a result ended up driving much smoother than we would normally? We would seldom reach excessive speed and would brake much smoother. The MPG obviously improved as a result. I know this appears obvious if not simple, but you would be surprised how many people do this without fully realising it.

As we got back into our normal driving “routines” the MPG deteriorated. I guess this does, after all, support a need for lab-based testing but since that original test we made a careful note of ensuring that we maintained our normal driving style during any future testing.

It is unfortunate but it is the way of the world that “miracle” fuel savers are out to lure you with unbelievable claims. We strongly advise that you be realistic. We certainly are not naive to think that there isn’t a great deal of vested interest in this market, because there is. However, we are similarly not gullible enough to think that fuel magnets, fuel pills, copper tubing devices, air intake enturbulation gadgets and other wacky gimmicks all deliver as promised. If they did, our test vehicles would be giant magnets on wheels.

So, with all this negativity what, if anything, does improve MPG?

Read our blog entry “Fuel Economy – What Does Work – Our View” to find out…click here

The FuelTechExperts Team