Test - Acetone to increase MPG

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by SVXer95

If you really try, your should be able to get around 25mpg around town

*BS meter at critical levels*

Whoop whoop!



I'm anticipating an absolute max of 21mpg for this tank. I have yet to rev above 2500rpm. I have been coasting like crazy. Temps are good, average 40s-50s. Aside from yesterday (stupid train), idling has been at a minimum. TC is locking up occasionally.

I don't think 25mpg city is possible.

[Electrophil]

Originally Posted by SVXer95

Just food for thought, but I drive my car like I stole it. I accelerate quickly, brake late, rarely take it on the highway. I rarely get below 19 mpg. I don't use acetone, or anything else, and my car is in good running order.

If you really try, your should be able to get around 25mpg around town and 30mpg on the highway. So why screw around with fuel additives?

On 2 separate SVX's, and a non-aggressive driving style, I've never gotten over 16 MPG. But... Figured it out to be the pathetic gas quality we have here.

[SubaSteevo]

My car just recently failed emissions, so I decided to try the acetone out (added about 4oz to about 11ga of 91 octane). My reading for HC was 198, the standard was 100. I also need to have an exhaust leak fixed, but I will post back with the results and we'll see if there's any improvement.

[Beav]

Unmetered air, such as air that enters the engine without going through the MAF, could very well be the cause of your poor efficiency. Check for leaks in the snorkel and under-the-manifold vacuum lines. etc. Remove the vacuum line from the fuel pressure regulator while the engine is running and look for evidence of fuel in it or the nipple.

[NikFu S.]

05/11/06
42.74
14.250 @ 2.999 -260.4m, ~18.27mpg,
average 30-50*, dry, average driving, S.OB.

05/25/06
46.00
14.939 @ 3.079 -301.2m, ~20.16mpg
average 50-70*, dry, 80 highway miles, 2500max rpm city, S.OB. + 5 ounces acetone

198.50 cost of year 2006 (charted, 6 month span)
102.918 gallons, 2050.8 miles driven @ 17.44mpg average, Chevron 90 grade.

No noticable change. Maybe a slight to moderate decrease especially at higher speeds (80+).

For comparison: 10/07/05
38.77
14.104 @ 2.749 -276.6m, ~19.6mpg,
mixed driving, ~80m highway, "Super" o.b., "STP with Jet Fuel" additive (injector cleaner)

Mixed driving means no rev limit was used and I made aggressive passes.
---
Also, for the sake of pointing it out, 2050.8 miles / ~5 months = 410.16 miles per month.

[KevinM]

To compliment the previous thread,

I went through my first tank of 91 octane Chevron recently (sans acetone). I filled up with the same gas from the same station.

My mileage on 2 tanks with acetone were almost 21 mpg.

My mileage on 1 tank without acetone was 18.9 mpg.

Driving style was the same (approx) and gas was from the same station...food for thought.

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by KevinM

To compliment the previous thread,

I went through my first tank of 91 octane Chevron recently (sans acetone). I filled up with the same gas from the same station.

My mileage on 2 tanks with acetone were almost 21 mpg.

My mileage on 1 tank without acetone was 18.9 mpg.

Driving style was the same (approx) and gas was from the same station...food for thought.

Agreed, there are many contingencies which make for inaccuracies and you are wise to not come to a conclusion. You are involved in an issue difficult to prove on a practical basis, one way or the other. Congratulations and thanks for making an attempt.

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by KevinM

To compliment the previous thread,

I went through my first tank of 91 octane Chevron recently (sans acetone). I filled up with the same gas from the same station.

My mileage on 2 tanks with acetone were almost 21 mpg.

My mileage on 1 tank without acetone was 18.9 mpg.

Driving style was the same (approx) and gas was from the same station...food for thought.

City/highway ratio is what?

[KevinM]

The driving ratio is probably 2/3 highway.

I am driving to LA tomorrow and will be using acetone, it will be interesting to see how the mileage turns out with almost all high speed highway (people drive FAST in LA).

Although acetone is highly caustic and volitle, I do not fear damage of internal parts due to the dilution. To add the acetone to my tank I keep a 1 gallon gas can in the trunk, fill it up with gas at the station, use my IKEA $1.99 mini graduated cylinder, and put the acetone into the gas can. This way the acetone does not enter the tank undiluted. I proptly fill the tank with the pump.

Adding acetone in this manner cannot be as harmful as putting a bottle of fuel injector cleaner down your rubber gas filler tube, undiluted, which I have done a countless number of times.

I'll post the results from the next tank full

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by KevinM

The driving ratio is probably 2/3 highway.

So you aren't really getting very good mileage in the first place?

2/3 highway should be netting you well over 360 miles a tank. :S

How aggressive are you on the throttle?

[KevinM]

Ok, the results are in.

Today I drove from San Diego to Los Angeles and back almost all highway, driving on average 80mph. I was able to maintain 90mph in some stretches and was certainly not driving in a fuel efficient manner. There were many times where I had to floor it to pass cars and change freeways.

The results: 10.7 gallon fillup tonight with 279.6 miles on the clock. 26 mpg

The EPA fuel efficiency rating of the SVX: 17 city / 24 highway.

My best observed previous highway mileage has been about 24 mpg.

So, I can truthfully say that FOR ME, adding acetone to my gastank does increase MY fuel economy. I don't know how or why. I can say that my driving style today was not any different than usual, and I was not "behaving" on the road to get better economy. Had I been going 70 mph and not accelerating often to pass cars, I bet my fuel economy would be closer to 30 mpg.

My final thought: I found the acetone to give my car a noticable amount of added fuel economy. However, I will not continue the use of acetone in my car. It is a pain in the a*s to mix up the gas/acetone and pour into the tank at the gas station. I wind up smelling like gas because the gas can leaks and it is not worth risking the paint for the relatively small increased economy. If there were a better way to do it, then yes, I would use it regularly.

....BUT, for me it did work.

[svxcess]

I found this to be the easiest way to add acetone: Collect some old nail polish remover bottles. They are 4.5 oz. bottles and will hold the proper ratio of acetone for a 15 gallon fill up (assuming you use 3 oz. for each 10 gallons of gas).

When I got gas I just poured one of these bottles into the tank, (which still had gas in it) and immediately filled the tank. I used it every other fill up.


I haven't been keeping mpg records. Recently my driving habits and routine has been fairly consistent. I just measure mileage between tankfuls. Before acetone, I would get about 320 miles per tank (21.3 mpg, mostly city). With acetone it went to about 340 (22.6mpg)

And on my recent trip from Baltimore to Beaufort, SC and back I used 44 gallons to go 1200miles. Mostly interstate, low traffic volume, cruise control set at about 75-80mph. Highway mileage for the trip was 27.2 mpg.

Not enough of an improvement to continue, but I'm sure it cleaned out the fuel system.

,

[KevinM]

That's not a bad idea, using the nail polish remover bottle. I am worried about the acetone eating the rubber fill hose on the way down. But aparently the acetone does not affect the plastic nail polish remover bottle.

[svxcess]

The full-strength acetone is not in contact with any of the hoses long enough to do any harm. The period of time that passes from putting acetone into the fuel system, until it if flushed into the tank and diluted by filling the tank, is minimal.

If you are still apprehensive, add some gasoline to your tank first (to coat the rubber hoses) then add the acetone and continue to fill your tank.

,

[dcarrb]

Originally Posted by KevinM

My best observed previous highway mileage has been about 24 mpg.

My highway mileage is consistently in the high twenties, and I don't put anyting in my car's fuel tank except cheap gasoline. Imagine that.

dcb