Acetone will increase gas mileage?!?!?

[casm]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

your "simple math" is an interesting method for calculating MPG. Have you tried dividing miles traveled by gallons used?

Nope - I'm actually using that 20-gallon tank figure as a constant for a couple of reasons:

- It makes the figures more conservative
- I usually fill between 18 and 19.5 gallons anyway

You may be getting better mileage than you think

Entirely possible... But then, it would also help if I had been recording the fill amounts

 

[xj-grin]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Well, I may be the wet blanket. here's my update

99 XJ with '03 built 4.6 stroker & 5 speed -- commute 120 miles/day, 90% highway,@2500 rpm. I normally get 17-19 mpg.

First tank (87 octane) with 4 oz. acetone = no improvement (17 mpg).

Second tank (87 octane) with 2 oz. acetone = slight improvement (21 mpg).

Thrid tank (87 octane) with 3 oz. acetone = no improvement (19 mpg)

Same gas, same station, same pump as always. I have 5 oz. in thist tank and we'll see where it ends up. If no change, I'll try a couple in a row with 2 oz, and see if the slight improvement holds...

 

[90txXJ]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

were do i get acetone?

 

[89xj]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

were do i get acetone?

hardware or paint store

 

[basalt51]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Nope - I'm actually using that 20-gallon tank figure as a constant for a couple of reasons:

- It makes the figures more conservative
- I usually fill between 18 and 19.5 gallons anyway



Entirely possible... But then, it would also help if I had been recording the fill amounts

Not a big deal if you want to be conservative, but none of your calculations are accurate. By your method, the mpg you get is directly related to how far you drive, not how much fuel you are actually consuming, unless you run the tank dry.

 

[BSD]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Well, I have been lurking and reading since page 3. I have been testing it in my vehicles. I am doing it over a number of tanks of gas to see if there is a difference. I am not yet through with my Jeep. However, On my 89 Volvo 240 (Truly a engineering masterpiece if there ever was one. 350,000 miles runs great and absolutley no repairs) I saw 0.6 mpg increase. By the way, I have tracked my mileage since I got the car so I know exactly what is going on. My results are clearly not in keeping with what others have seen. I will post when I have the results for my 89 XJ.

 

[jjvande]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

for measuring:


I took an empty Isopropyl alcohol container(the small ones like at wallgreens), added 1oz at a time with a pyrex measuring cup(dont tell mom), and marked the graduations on the side for every oz added.

It wont melt, break, and it is easy to pour out of into the tank.

 

[basalt51]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Well, I have been lurking and reading since page 3. I have been testing it in my vehicles. I am doing it over a number of tanks of gas to see if there is a difference. I am not yet through with my Jeep. However, On my 89 Volvo 240 (Truly a engineering masterpiece if there ever was one. 350,000 miles runs great and absolutley no repairs) I saw 0.6 mpg increase. By the way, I have tracked my mileage since I got the car so I know exactly what is going on. My results are clearly not in keeping with what others have seen. I will post when I have the results for my 89 XJ.

I believe people were finding that smaller engines benefitted less, so I tink you are in line with others

 

[red91]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

I use a 4 oz baby food jar. fill it to almost full. I'd like to thank my little girl for providing the container.

Cheap, easy, and plentiful around MY house.

 

[ryurabbit]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Update: The 96 dodge ram is getting 15.85 mpg from 12-13 mpg avg. on 2 tanks of gas. The jeep however is guzzling gas just the same as ever. I think I might get 1 mpg out of the jeep but 35" with 4.56 dont help. The 00 neon is getting about 3 mpg better so there goes the small engine theory. Also the neon and the jeep allways like 89 octane fuel or they would ping and stall under load. I have been running 87 octane across the board mostly because of price (most expensive in the nation gas inland empire $2.99 for super was seen here first).and it runs just like it had 89-91 in them. I'm sold so far.

 

[fire325]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Well, i had to try it also. I put 2 oz of acetone in 17 gallons of gas. I'll see what happens.

I had to do something, i am only driving about 90-95 miles, and that has been taking a half a tank of gas. I'm averaging about 180 miles out of a tank of gas. 4.5" lift, 32x11.50 tires, 4.0 HO,Splitfire plugs, K&N, 3.55 open diffs. I know i would get better mileage if i went to at least 4.11 gears. Could i have something else wrong? or is that about right? Gonna have to buy a Geo Tracker and wheel it.

 

[rumblebelly]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

I just checked the mileage on my second tank of acetone (3.25 oz) in my stock 2000 XJ with 73K miles. My usual average without acetone has been 17-18 mpg. The mileage dropped from the first tank of acetone of 19.6 mpg to 16.9 mpg. The winds have been pretty high around here lately which probably had some impact on mileage. I also recently noticed a slightly rough idle after warm up. Not sure if it's a separate issue or not.

Now I'm probably only running about 1 oz acetone to see if the idle thing goes away. I feel an ever so slight rough idle through the steering wheel and seat...I'm wondering if that's normal for even late model XJ's or I'm hypersenstive lately with this experiment. My 88 used to have the same idle but I figured that was normal cause it had lot's of miles on it.

 

[yuppiexj]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

My results thus far:

93 k2500 'Suburban on 35s last 4 tanks were 12.4-12.6 mpg.
12.6 was the last tank immediately following oil change 3 weeks ago (negligible difference but worth noting)

Gas light comes on at 390 miles +- 5 miles like clockwork (1/8 by the gauge)

I have 440 miles on the trip odometer and still read over 1/4 tank.
I'm dying to refill to check the actual mileage.
BTW it has a 42 gallon tank.

I'm still in anecdotal evidence mode. I will post the actual numbers when I fill up on Monday.

My XJ got the acetone treatment and has been in the body shop for the last 2 weeks (rear ended by a dodge minivan not pretty FOR THEM)
I will also post XJ specific numbers next week sometime.

 

[jrsxj98]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

98 XJ with 35's 4.88's first test so far. this is all around town driving. stop and go minimal Highway. I need to get a long highway trip to see if the results are as good as reported.........
before acetone 12.2-12.6
3 oz of acetone 13.9

 

[sweetjeep]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

I finished my first tank this morning.

My last tank I got 21.3 mpg. No acetone.

I filled it and added about 2 fl oz (I say about because I spilled some, maybe 1/4 oz. I don't know.) and I got a reading of 22.7mpg on this tank.

I am still skeptical as this is little more than a statistical dead heat. It comes to a what, 7% increase. Not exactly impressive. If I slowed down on the highway a little I might see this increase.

My plan is to run another tank full and see what I get, then go back to normal and see what happens.

I am also due for an oil and tranny oil change and air filter change so I will wait for this tank to expire and do those and see what happens.

For the time being I am keeping a detailed log of my experience and if this topic is still around in a couple weeks, I'll update everyone.

Morgan

 

[rock rash]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

98 XJ with 35's 4.88's first test so far. this is all around town driving. stop and go minimal Highway. I need to get a long highway trip to see if the results are as good as reported.........
before acetone 12.2-12.6
3 oz of acetone 13.9

thats not too bad. I guess any increase is a good thing.

 

[grand94jeepxj]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Just make sure you use a nail polish remover bottle and not any random plastic container if you go this route... Acetone will dissolve most plastics *very* rapidly.

I've now tried this for the past week and a half in a

93 Escort 4cyl Stock
90 XJ 6cyl 4.5" w/33's
94 ZJ 318 v-8 4.5" w/33's
91 Grand Waggie 360 v-8 stock
Soon to be tried in my roomates and G/F's cars

and all vehicles have seen an idle and performance improvement. My ZJ runs like a scaulded dog on 33's now and it feels a lot stronger than it did on 31's, which is weird....but what the hay.

As for the plastic bottle and measuring, I bought a 4oz bottle of "Stabil" fuel additive to use in another car in storage. The bottle has 1oz. markings on it. I cleaned it out with brake cleaner, let it dry, and added the amount of acetone needed with gas mixed in. The first time I poured straight Acetone in I noticed alot of it evaporated away in the filler neck. This is why I add gas to the mix. It was also about 75* outside.

Great find guys...lets hope it keeps working.

 

[RichP]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Any downsides to acetone ? can it damage anything long term ? I would think that if it really increased milage it would already be in there.

 

[Tarakian]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

Any downsides to acetone ? can it damage anything long term ? I would think that if it really increased milage it would already be in there.

I hate to be cynical, but why would any company do something that reduces demand for their product, unless they are unable to keep up with that demand? Its just not good business. Usually the free market works out, but not all the time.

 

[dakotus]

Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!

I hate to be cynical, but why would any company do something that reduces demand for their product, unless they are unable to keep up with that demand? Its just not good business. Usually the free market works out, but not all the time.

I completely agree. Its the same reason that there are so many fuel additives on the market, its the same idea.

If we got more out of those 20 gallons than we normally do, our demand decreases. Why would any company want that? They would want just the opposite effect. They would want demand to increase, so they can sell more product.

However, OPEC is limiting its production of oil. They know that demand is relatively constant for gas. We have gas-hogging American cars, they know that. What incentive do they have to increase their production of oil thus losing their profits?

Supply & Demand says (keeping demand constant):

They increase production, the cost of gas decreases.

They decrease production, the price skyrockets (past few months).

OPEC has zero incentive to increase its production of oil when they are making plenty of money right now, they only way they would make more money is if they cut production even more.

phew!


Now, back to our regularly scheduled program....