Test - Acetone to increase MPG

I have most of my standard SVX issues under control (amazing what 3-16 hours a weekend for a few months over the winter will do). Some small new problems pop up about every month or so but most are manageable. I still have a small oil leak that I have finally found the source of and need to get the timing belt and front seals done soon.

So with gas hitting almost $3 a gallon here in Ohio and my SVX under control, I have decided to take the Acetone challenge.

For those who have not heard about this concept, it is mixing 1-4 oz. pure Acetone with every 10 gal. of gas. Supposedly, fuel economy increases due to the Acetone reducing the surface tension of the gas and therefore getting better vaporization and burn. Some also feel that the O2 sensors are fooled into running a leaner AFR and that less gas is burned.

I am not here to debate the physics or logic of this concept as there are other sites more than covering that. What I am doing is posting my results when available and looking for any concerns others would have about adding this small amount of Acetone to their SVX's gas.

My SVX is a '92 LS-L with about 138,000 miles. I have a very steady driving pattern (to work and back 5 days a week-10 miles each way-and about 50-100 miles on the weekend) and rarely go above 3,000 rpm. I currently get 20 mpg (+/- 0.5 mpg) in the summer and 18-19 mpg in the winter due to traffic and what I believe to be that torque converter doesn't lock up due to my short commute (trans fluid does not reach high enough temperature). Of course, if I do a lot of highway driving, I get better fuel economy. But a Newfoundland dog makes me not take the SVX on any long highway trips anymore. I use 87 Octane fuel (have for 10+ years), have no modifications, and change the fluids pretty regularly.

I added the correct amount of Acetone to my tank last night (I started with the 3 oz. per 10 gal. ratio) and will fill up in about a week or two and calculate my MPG. My initial take on the drive into work was that the idle seemed a bit quieter/smoother but I am going to dismiss that as being overly observant/optimistic.

I will post what I find out soon. In the mean time, let me know what you think.

[Suby Fan]

good to see that there is some solid SVX data coming...

[Budfreak]

I've already done this in my SVX and went from a regular 220-260 miles a tank to 300-350 a tank with my normal driving pattern(70%city30%highway). I use nothing but 93+ octane and had 128K miles when I started acetone. The best way I've found it to work is do the first 2 tanks in a row then drop it to every other tank.

[hophead]

I have not yet tried this in my SVX, but i did use it in my 1990 Legacy wagon with 220000 miles on it. My mileage was boosted by 20%. I also felt a little more power, a little but noticable. I went from about 20-22 mpg to about 24-25 mpg. It does not sound like much but is was about 50 gallons a year at 12000 mile a year. At todays prices, that will pay for 1/2 of my auto insurance bill, or about 21 six-packs of my favorite beer! I may go back to using it to see if it will do the same for the SVX. I will let this site know what I came up with.
Fred

[huck369]

Dumb question....
Where do you buy Acetone?

[gsodonis]

Originally Posted by huck369

Dumb question....
Where do you buy Acetone?

Lowes and Tru Value Hardware both sell acetone for around $11.00 a gallon.

[alltrac]

Originally Posted by huck369

Dumb question....
Where do you buy Acetone?

Walgreens or Rite aid look in the finger nail section. Do you guys have those stores on that side of the country?

http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ...id=prod2032120

[Suby Fan]

every one has walgreens

[Budfreak]

I get a big bottle of it from Wal mart for like 3 bucks. Only use bottles labeled 100% acetone though.