Came across an ad in the paper today for a device advertised to increase your MPG by up to 22% by somehow injecting platinum particles into your fuel to produce a complete burn each time. The ad claims the government has verified their claims. Platinum goes for like $1100 an ounce and is on the upswing with a supply shortage so how much would you actually end up saving? Their claims are that people use their product mainy because it prolongs the engines life with increased mileage a byproduct.

 

Sounds like a scam to me. Why would you want metal particals in your engine????? Specially in with your pistons and valves where they can clog the valves and scratch the cylinders. It makes no sence.....

 

If you've heard it, snopes has heard it. check there....or...

check these links:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...view/index.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/gasave.htm

Another article says:
Consumer Reports’ experts are accustomed to such consumer behavior. David Champion, director of automobile testing, urges people to be aware of how cars work so they can be wiser buyers. When the magazine recently tested the Fuel Genie, the TornadoFuelSaver and the Platinum Gas Saver, it found they had no effect.

“We read the instructions extremely well, followed them to the absolute letter, and did a fuel-economy run,� Mr. Champion said. The drives were done using fuel meters spliced into the gasoline lines to measure the volume of fuel consumed, and the same test runs used to evaluate new cars were performed. “They didn’t make any difference at all,� he said.


Unfortunately, as in many cases, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is. Dam!

 

The device is a scam, so don't waste your money.

There is a Society of Automotive Engineers paper from about 25 years ago that reports that
extremely, extremely tiny particles (so called 'nano' size) of platinum and palladium metal can slightly improve fuel economy of an engine. Even so, the cost of platinum and palladium is so high that it is not economic.

There is a British company right now trying to make a diesel fuel additives that uses nano sized particles of cerium and lanthunum oxides. These 'lanthanide' ceramics have been used for decades as a treatment for the "mantle" fabric used on Coleman lanterns.

http://www.cdti.com/downloads/2000-01-1934.pdf

But there may be health concerns:

http://www.dieselnet.com/news/2001/08hei.php

 

Thanks for the responses....I was a bit skeptical cause I'd never heard of this before but it didn't make sense considering the cost of platinum. The results seemed very similar to the article about acetone I read.

The acetone/platinum theories were base don ensuring 100% of the fuel is burned each time the pitson is fired so I'm curious just how much of a real problem this is? IF so, what is the best method for dealing with ensuring you are getting as close to a 100% burn as possible? I'd imagine having two spark plugs per cylinder in the Hemi should help??

 

just run a higher grade octane for a more complete burn. As for the two spark plugs firing in our hemi's (which i'm not sure if there are two or not, haven't had to deal with plugs recently) it might make it a slightly more efficient burn but at the same time think about it, one spark is gonna ignite the air fuel mixture fully not two so in all reality the second spark plug is more of a backup than anything. Its the same crap as those forked plugs that claim a more complete burn even though the spark only archs accross one of the forks.........

 

The best way to decrease unburned fuel in combustion chamber
is to decrease 'crevice volume'.

Crevice volume refers to the places where metal is close by on both sides
and the cooler metal 'quenches' the flame...snuffs it out.

The major crevice volume areas are the 'ring land' which is the little circular
area from the highest piston ring edge to the top of the piston.

Where the head gasket seals block and cylinder head can also a source of crevice volume.

Now you know why Chrysler made the 5.7 Hemi head gasket thinnest yet at 0.026 inches compressed
and why the ring land is so small on the 5.7 Hemi pistons...which is giving the aftermarket supercharger makers a hard time....thin ring lands on the piston will melt easily at boost pressures.

Crevice Volume is not always a bad thing.

All electrical boxes used in coal mines have long crevice volumes in the lids to snuff out explosions.
UL listed 'Explosion Proof' electrical devices use the same idea.

Crevice volume was invented about 200 years ago by Sir Humphrey Davy
who won a 20,000 pound sterling money prize for his 'Flame Safety Light'

 

There's a sucker born every minute......

 

But they didn't specify which government did they?

 

Look at it from a different perspective.

If you drive the vehicle long enough with all this "nano" platinum going through the cylinders, it will deposit enough metal on the tops of the pistons and combustion chambers to increase the compression. About the time you get right where you like it, the sucker will seize up because of all the deposits busting loose, destroying the ring lands and cylinder walls with it.

Sorry---I just think all this MAJICAL stuff should be outlawed until its proven that it works, and is cost effective to the consumer.

Snake Oil around every corner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!