Fuel save pro 30 November 2022 at 2:24PM in Motoring 23 replies 892 views

Lynden0103

Has anyone tried this gadget which is advertising a 30% saving on petrol? Seems too good to be true.

Car_54

I haven't seen this particular gadget, but such things have been around for decades. If they worked, we'd have heard about it.

Nobbie1967

Lynden0103 said:

Has anyone tried this gadget which is advertising a 30% saving on petrol? Seems too good to be true.

Because it is.

Stubod

..yep works for me too. It has the added benefit I noticed that if you don't drive your car for a few days the amount of fuel in your tank actually seems to increase a little, (at least according to my fuel gauge reading?)

Ebe_Scrooge

Out of curiosity I Googled it.  Seems to be claiming to be an automatic ECU re-mapping gadget?

Now, ECU re-mapping is a "thing".  Basically, a car rolls off the production line with its computer-brain programmed to suit a wide range of "average" situations.  You can get it re-mapped (by a specialist) to either increase power or improve fuel consumption.  It's not a cheap exercise, and I'd certainly be highly-sceptical of some such device that claims to just plug-in and sort itself out.

If you're genuinely interested, look up some proper re-mapping specialists in your area.  But even then, re-mapping is usually done for performance rather than economy improvements - and you'll need to tell your insurance company.

cymruchris

Ebe_Scrooge said:

Out of curiosity I Googled it.  Seems to be claiming to be an automatic ECU re-mapping gadget?

Now, ECU re-mapping is a "thing".  Basically, a car rolls off the production line with its computer-brain programmed to suit a wide range of "average" situations.  You can get it re-mapped (by a specialist) to either increase power or improve fuel consumption.  It's not a cheap exercise, and I'd certainly be highly-sceptical of some such device that claims to just plug-in and sort itself out.

If you're genuinely interested, look up some proper re-mapping specialists in your area.  But even then, re-mapping is usually done for performance rather than economy improvements - and you'll need to tell your insurance company.

Agreed - the only way to save fuel is to not drive, get a proper re-map but the car won't perform so well (and the insurance company would need to know), or go lighter with your right foot and keep your tyre pressures accurate. Some gizmo plugged into your car isn't going to do it for you. (Not one that I'd trust anyway)

Grey_Critic

In years past there was a thriving market in gizmos and additives that if they had worked we would have never need to fill up from one year to the next.

Alanp

I’ve seen these things that plug into the cars obd port that save fuel. one was taken apart and it was basically just a few flashing led,s, , if you want to save fuel just drive gently and avoid harsh braking 

TadleyBaggie

I had a gadget that mucked around with the injector settings on a diesel Picasso many moons ago, it claimed to make it go faster and save fuel. The first claim was certainly true, the second one was harder to quantify. It was adjustable but if your set it too high the engine had a habit to going into limp mode when overtaking!

Grumpy_chap

Lynden0103 said:

Has anyone tried this gadget which is advertising a 30% saving on petrol? Seems too good to be true.

How much does the gadget cost?

People base their decision on which car to buy based on fuel efficiency.

If there was a low-cost gadget that improves fuel efficiency by 30%, why wouldn't car manufacturers include the gadget as standard?

Mutton_Geoff

Alanp said:

I’ve seen these things that plug into the cars obd port that save fuel. one was taken apart and it was basically just a few flashing led,s, , if you want to save fuel just drive gently and avoid harsh braking 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azuB9ZJuDlM