Is there any truth?

[rpettigrew]

On my regular ebay searches I often come across supposed 'Miracle' things to add to your car, so I want to know - Is there any truth in these things or is it as I suspect, just a pile of crap?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Up-To-20-Extra-BH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FUEL-SAVER-FOR-FO" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TORNADO-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... enameZWD2V

 

[DradusContact]

First one is downright dangerous for your engine.

Second one ive heard mixed results for.

Never heard of the third one.

 

[PumaKa]

All of them are crap... snakeoil if you prefer... which is why they're a) cheap and b) on ebay.

Item 1 is a 3p resistor that messes with the signal to the ECU

Item 2 is a magnet. Magnets work on metal, not liquids.

Item 3 is a swirl-inducer, which has no effect on the combustion process.

Non of them work, they're all placebo. A bit of googling will find evidence to confirm this. Keep your £££'s in your pocket.

 

[Pyklet]

As a rule of thumb,

Anything that costs less than half a tank of petrol (even these days) ain't gonna give you anything or save you anything either,

But then you may call me doubting Thomas if you wish

 

[Dal]

Sometimes it's as simple as making sure your fluid levels are correct and there is the right amount of air in your tyres that gives you the best from your car.
(And a regular service of course)

 

[rpettigrew]

I didnt really believe in the stuff actually. But there are so many for sale and even more people willing to buy them. More fool them! Its a shame you cant comment on the things people are selling.

 

[DradusContact]

Well they did a test on fifth gear, or it could of been rip off britain i cant remember, it had quentin on it anyway, with some sort of fuel saving device. It improved the mpg by a couple of miles, but i cant remember what device it was. Thats why i said ive heard mixed results for the second one.

 

[Jay]

The 2nd could in theory do what it says... In addition to "solid" metals, magnetic fields (esp. strong ones) can affect other things too.

They tested some of this stuff in Mythbusters as well...


Personally I don't think they help... If there was a magic trick for saving fuel, wouldn't most people already know about it?

 

[Dal]

.. If there was a magic trick for saving fuel, wouldn't most people already know about it?

More to the point, wouldn't manufacturers be incorporating them to make their cars look more fuel efficient?

 

[Peter]

The sort of magnetic field that can do anything to anything you'll find in petrol is usually found in an NMR spectrometer. This uses liquid helium to supercool metals to the point where they become superconductors, then uses those as an electromagnet.

Suffice to say these are not small items, and fitting one to your car would most likely significantly affect weight distribution and ruin any potential benefit (of which there is none) by costing so much to haul around.

Check out this site:

http://www.fuelsaving.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A huge amount of good, well written scientifically based deconstruction of pretty much all of the "fuel saving" devices available today.

BTW a 2mpg change in fuel economy is well within the variability of any testing done by a TV program.

 

[rpettigrew]

Nice site, as i suspected they are all a bunch of crap

 

[red]

I wouldn't even get them cheap to try it as it's be a waste of effort going through the payment process.