Miracle for fuel economy?

[Rainman]

My results:
However, we both use injector cleaner relatively frequently. Perhaps we see no gains because the gains are realized with acetone since they clean the injectors. If our injectors aren't as gunked up as your average guy to begin with, we have less room for improvement.

This is an important piece of information. This may very well be the case. However, I wonder if you continue to use the acetone for another few tanks, will you appreciate a similar result (that is, no change since the injectors are maximally cleaned), or will it perhaps begin to increase (as the injectors are cleaned even further, or as the ignition properties of the acetone begin to take effect -- although, I suppose that you wouldn't expect a lag time effect if the latter were true).

On the other hand, do you use injector cleaner (which contains acetone) enough that perhaps in the past you were already realizing a performance enhancement. In this latter case you mightn't realize a tangible difference when you went to pure acetone because you were already running in an enhance performance state. This is over and above the benefits you might get from injector cleaner as a result of its cleaning properties.

R

 

[flat_black]

I used injector cleaner every oil change prior to starting acetone, and still saw a gain. For that matter, I just took them out, and swapped in a set of freshly balanced injectors and still saw the same mileage. I'm running 91 octane Chevron, 12 gallons added each fill up, and 3.5oz acetone per 12 gallons, yielding constant low 40's in the MPG race.

This is with a full exhaust, intake, intake manifold work, lots of head work, unshrouded valves, and so on, and so forth.

The injectors I removed were functioning perfectly, and were extremely clean, as was my intake manifold. Honestly, that may be where a lot of this comes from is my rediculous amount of fidgeting with the engine, so everything is constantly very, very clean.

Save for my oil right about now, which is due to be replaced shortly. =) It's extremely sooty, so maybe the acetone has been cleaning a few of the little carbon deposits here and there? Here's hoping!

 

[Rainman]

IIRC the extremely small amount of acetone that we add improves the octane rating of 91 octane fuel to somewhere around 94-95, so it may be that for people using higher octane fuel (that is > 91 octane) the differences may be negligible. I cannot comment on the injector cleaner in my own car as I had never used any, but I have noticed (and verified with mileage calculations) that I am realizing a true improvement of 10-20%.

R

 

[FlyinMSP]

Same here

 

[CHICO2003]

I'm truly baffled how some of you are claiming such an improvement. I'm not calling BS but it definitely makes me scratch my head. I mean, are our cars THAT much different?

I've filled my car up a total of 5 times thus far. I'll throw the first one out since I probably only added about 1.5 ounces. The rest of the time I added the full 4 ounces and didn't experience ANY improvement whatsoever. Around the 4th fillup my damn CEL went on! Car's currently in the shop so I'm not sure if I'll go back to the acetone or not... as of now, survey says no.

I think it's important to note that for as long as I can remember, I've been in the habit of calculating exactly what my MPG was after I fillup my car. Since I always use the same station and always fill it up till the nozzel clicks, it's about as 'scientific' as it can get. The lowest mpg I've ever received with my car was 24... lots of stop and go city driving. I once averaged 29 mpg driving up to vermont and back. Those are two extremes... overall, 27.xxxx is far and away the most common thing I see on my calculator as I divide up the key numbers. It's dissapointing.... I was really hoping this would make a difference.

 

[Jeph]

So initial impressions from my second tank with acetone aren't nearly as good as the first. I think the more freeway driving i did with the first tank is what gave me the slight increase in gas mileage. I may try one more tank with it. And then my fuel maps need to be leaned out some under boost, so we'll see how good of gas mileage i can really get.

 

[eyeguy]

I'm on my second tank and so far I've seen nothing change. It must have something to do with you guys running premium. I'm not disappointed by any means as I'm getting exactly what the sticker says I'll get. I think with a new header, intake, and exhaust I'll see something though. Oh well, I know my injectors are cleaner now.

 

[Rainman]

Could there be any difference attributable to mods, such that a more highly modded car, which uses more fuel on average than a less highly modded car, might show more benefits since the volume of fuel that is being used is being used more efficiently (as a result of better atomization)?

I don't know, but I am seeing a real benefit. Perhaps my injectors were just dirty as s***, but I can't say for certain. Next tank I will NOT add acetone so that I can see if my mileage stays the same or if it decreases to the pre-acetone level.

R

 

[flat_black]

Actually, before the acetone, I got 38 mpg easily, with all my mods. =) After all those mods, I got better milage. Heh.

 

[jrodhotrod]

Started my experiment tonight.

1995 Dodge Intrepid with a 3.3L V6 (OBD I), 143,000 miles

On the tank prior to filling up I got 24.1 mpg. That is pretty typical to what I get when I have measured in the past. Mostly freeway miles. No A/C because the AC does not work.

Always fill up at the same station with the cheapest 87 octane fuel in town. In this case it's a Safeway grocery stores gas station.

I'll report back what I get with 5oz of Acetone in an 18 gallon tank.

After a full tank, 18 gallons and 5oz of Acetone I saw zero change in my MPG, again with mostly highway miles it's 24mpg still. I'll give it a go with another tank to see what happens, but so far no change.

I should note that the fuel injectors in this car have been replaced once and since they have been replaced have been cleaned with every oil change using an additive because of clogs on the original injectors.

 

[InFlames]

so the equation Acetone + Gasoline = better gas mileage is basically

 

[flat_black]

It's a broad generalization. It'll work differently with different additives within the gas. Ethanol will reduce the effect, various environmental differences and whatnot, elevation, driving styles, modifications, and otherwise.

 

[FlyinMSP]

Some people are getting improvements other don't. Looks like it's around 50/50... Now I'm getting about the same mileage as Chico but before it was never like that!
I'll soon try the non-acetone mix for a few tanks and we'll see...
One thing is for sure: it takes 2 tanks to filth my exhaust tip with soot, before it was black after just 1/2 tank. And the car runs like never before (super-smooth!)

 

[crispixoo7]

95 protege 1.5L, 5-spd....i was on average getting 30-33 mpg without! acetone. Now, it's 30-33 mpg....

oh well....now i've got a pint of acetone sitting in my garage... (poke)

 

[wannabe]

so whats the end result here? the people that were experiencing better mileage are now back down to where they were? and the people who never experienced better mileage stayed about the same right? my conclusions are that the acetone cleans the system out pretty good, but thats about all it does. or the ecu learns around it.

 

[flat_black]

Nope. I'm still getting better milage. Heh. I'm running the MP3 ECU, too, BTW.

For those of you who have tried and not had any luck, keep the acetone! It's really useful, especially for cleaning organic adhesives off of stuff. Loosens carbon a tiny bit, too, if it's let to soak.

 

[JOS3]

so whats the end result here? the people that were experiencing better mileage are now back down to where they were? and the people who never experienced better mileage stayed about the same right? my conclusions are that the acetone cleans the system out pretty good, but thats about all it does. or the ecu learns around it.

'tis be what im thinkin' matey

 

[Rainman]

The ECU learning around it is another possibility that I hadn't really considered that would explain results that haven't shown real improvement, especially for people who had used injector cleaner in the past. How about experimenting with acetone by filling up a tank, and then resetting the ECU before leaving the gas station. I don't suspect that this would be necessary every tank...just the first one.

I had thought about doing this before, but didn't think it would make a difference, but in light of this current conversation I will try this with the next tank.

R

 

[FlyinMSP]

That could be true about the ECU... I reset mine regularly (with the fuse)

 

[Pheonix]

i didn't even consider that, hmm, resetting might be a good idea.
it takes ~500 miles for it to learn the new conditions.

i'm going to try and put a very small amount of Acetone in and see if my mileage or powerband changes.