Water-for-Fuel: Real or Hype?

Can you really operate your car on water? If you have to think about this, then you're really not thinking it through at all. If this was the case then we wouldn't be dependent on far off countries for over two-thirds of our motor fuel needs and sending billions of petrodollars off-shore... we would simply turn on the tap.

Every time gasoline prices spike marketers dust off products that claim to increase fuel economy significantly and entrepreneurs 'invent' a few new ones. Their claims often tout a 20 to 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, some even more. With the Internet, there is an even greater proliferation in fuel saving devices, or at least in advertising for them.

The simplest to use techniques are fuel additives. These should not be confused with fuel system and valve cleaners that usually do a good job in removing and preventing deposits and contaminants, but don't increase fuel economy by any measurable amount. Octane enhancers can increase power output of some engines, but again not mpg.

Some supposed mpg enhancers are magnetic devices attached to fuel lines that are supposed to alter the molecular structure of gasoline or align its molecules for more efficient combustion. Other devices installed in fuel lines contain metals that are claimed to ionize the fuel.

Compared to engines with carburetors, it is much harder modify modern engines with electronic fuel injection and computerized engine management systems. Thus, some devices are designed for vehicles with carburetors, though a rapidly decreasing number of vehicles with carburetors are on the road. Devices of this sort bleed air into the carburetor or heat the fuel before it enters the carburetor. A popular technique induces air that is bubbled through a container with a mixture of water and anti-freeze before being injected into the carburetor.

For more modern engines there are devices that add a 'mystery' liquid into the fuel/air intake system or into the combustion chamber. Others make some type of modification to the vehicle intake system or to the ignition system, either as addition to the current one or as a replacement. More elaborate devices include a fan or turbine installed in the air-intake system to swirl the incoming air to improve combustion. Some inject air, water or other vapors or liquids into the fuel mixture before it enters the engine. Some add tiny amounts of platinum.

Seldom do you ever see claims backed up by results from laboratory testing, let alone testing by an independent or certified laboratory. Most use testimonies from "satisfied" users or endorsements from well-known people. In contrast, many recognized and basically unbiased sources like the AAA, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Consumers Reports, and even the Mythbusters TV show have tested them, and found them marginally effective, at best. In some cases, when you order, you may not even get an actual device, just some instructions and drawings on how to build one yourself

Probably, the most comprehensive testing was done by the Environmental Protection Agency for the Federal Trade Commission. EPA evaluated over 100 'gas-saving' devices and did not find any product that significantly improved gasoline mileage (see www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/autos/aut10.shtm).

While virtually useless, some of these devices can also cause harm. They may increase emissions, meaning a vehicle may not be able to pass a smog test. Others may require modifications considered to be illegal tampering with the smog control system. Also, some may upset the functioning of today's complex engine management systems resulting in, for example, triggering the 'Check Engine' light. This could require a costly diagnosis of the OBD II system or smog test failure. In worst-case scenarios, some additives may contain acetone or other alcohol-based materials that can dissolve plastic and rubber fuel system components.

Adding a fuel saving device may result in voiding a manufacturer's warranty on a vehicle. Even if it doesn't, it could mean a hassle with a dealer should you have a problem and a device is found to be installed. In fact, it may give the dealer a reason to decline the warranty and you might have to prove it didn't cause or contribute to the problem.

The bottom line: don't waste your money on these unproven devices. If you are getting close to the EPA's mileage ratings for your model, they will not improve fuel economy. And if you are getting considerably less fuel economy than advertised, correcting the source of the problem is a better investment. This could be a tune-up or just making sure tire inflation is where it should be.

It should be noted there are some techniques from very reputable companies that are usually aimed at increasing power and torque output, which in turn can also improve engine efficiency. These include high-performance air-intake and exhaust systems. However, these modification are expensive, typically $1,000 or more, and not for installation by most do-it-yourselfers.

Finally, conspiracy theorists say that automobile manufacturers and oil companies have suppressed all the fuel saving devices that work. They say inventors have been bought off, threatened, or worse. Others say that automakers have devices hidden away that allow a car to get 100 mpg or run on water. Ask yourself: Why would auto companies spend millions of dollars to meet increasingly stringent federal fuel economy requirements by increasing fuel economy a few mpg at a time, when for a few dollars they could use one of these devices for a claimed 20 percent or greater increase? f they worked, don't you think automakers, or even dealers, would be installing them on gas guzzlers now languishing on their lots? The answer is obvious.