Techron concentrate, better MPG illusion or running lean causing better MPG?

[kschachn]

My commute is 47km each way, 90% highway, 30 minute drive. On Monday this week I averaged just below 30mpg, on Tuesday I average nearly 40mpg.

What couldve caused this? Was it some proprietary blend of additives? Extra PEA? More octanes? Did I change my driving style? Traffic? No. It was 2°C on Monday and 18°C on Tuesday. That's why I got a 10mpg increase in fuel economy. Because it was warm outside.

Point is there are a lot of variables to consider. And confirmation bias is powerful.

Plus all of this:

Best Brand of Gasoline

Get all my Premium at Sam's Club. Other places around here are 40-50 cents more expensive than Sam's Club premium, making it well worth driving a couple extra miles to fill it up. Get my 87 wherever it's convenient.

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[SHOZ]

Once a year I use to add a gallon of 50/50 toluene/xylene lacquer thinner to 10 gallons of gas. This always boosted the gas mileage and it had a two tank lingering affect.

 

[John105]

I've used it on cars with PFI, no benefit at all. Guess I'm the debbie downer

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

I also have never noticed any fuel economy improvement but I have always been using it so it's hard to say if it would have improved my fuel economy had I not been using it. One company used to offer a refund if it didn't improve fuel economy provided nothing had been used over the previous 25,000 miles IIRC.

 

[dumkid]

I drive gentle on 87, i get 14mpg. I drive hard on premium i get 12 mpg.

I don't know if it's the additives

 

[twX]

A few studies on PEA and some other cleaners have shown that when they're used at low to moderate doses (pretty typical doses), combustion chamber deposits (CCD) actually increase. This is sometimes called the hump effect. Injectors will clean up even at the lower doses.

CCD will thermally insulate the combustion chamber and also increase the compression ratio. This can improve fuel economy if it doesn't result in knock, but might have the opposite effect if the engine starts detecting a lot of knock and retards the ignition timing. The CCD should go back to normal once the cleaner has been out of the system for a while.

PEA will actually clean the combustion chambers at high enough doses, but the effect won't last that long, and there are dangers with using high doses of PEA on a regular basis.

 

[Plawan]

A few studies on PEA and some other cleaners have shown that when they're used at low to moderate doses (pretty typical doses), combustion chamber deposits (CCD) actually increase. This is sometimes called the hump effect. Injectors will clean up even at the lower doses.

CCD will thermally insulate the combustion chamber and also increase the compression ratio. This can improve fuel economy if it doesn't result in knock, but might have the opposite effect if the engine starts detecting a lot of knock and retards the ignition timing. The CCD should go back to normal once the cleaner has been out of the system for a while.

PEA will actually clean the combustion chambers at high enough doses, but the effect won't last that long, and there are dangers with using high doses of PEA on a regular basis.

This is interesting, do you have any links?

 

[twX]

This is interesting, do you have any links?

Paper showing increase in CCD with 820 ppm PEA. Also shows reduction of CCD with an Italian tuneup (WOT).
Effects of Gasoline and Gasoline Detergents on Combustion Chamber Deposit Formation 941893

Paper showing increase in CCD with 125 ppm PEA, which increases octane requirement by ~2 octane numbers:
Vehicles Fleet Test to Evaluate Thailand’s Commercial IVD Detergent Package’s Effects on PFI, IVD and CCD Performance 2000-01-2855

Chevron paper showing a lowering of octane requirement with PEA at high doses of 3,000-10,000 ppm.
A Gasoline Additive Concentrate Removes Combustion Chamber Deposits and Reduces Vehicle Octane Requirement 831709

 

[Plawan]

Paper showing increase in CCD with 820 ppm PEA. Also shows reduction of CCD with an Italian tuneup (WOT).
Effects of Gasoline and Gasoline Detergents on Combustion Chamber Deposit Formation 941893

Paper showing increase in CCD with 125 ppm PEA, which increases octane requirement by ~2 octane numbers:
Vehicles Fleet Test to Evaluate Thailand’s Commercial IVD Detergent Package’s Effects on PFI, IVD and CCD Performance 2000-01-2855

Chevron paper showing a lowering of octane requirement with PEA at high doses of 3,000-10,000 ppm.
A Gasoline Additive Concentrate Removes Combustion Chamber Deposits and Reduces Vehicle Octane Requirement 831709

I’m not able to open any of these on my iPhone.

 

[TacoTanium]

I put 1.5 bottles of Techron concentrate in my car according to the label and I’m getting better mileage out of my car. I’m 100% sure I’m getting more distance because I take the same trip from South MS to Mobile, AL everyday. I usually get two full trips then the needle being between the E and the quarter line. But with Techron in the tank, after two round trips the needle is at the quarter line. This has happened both times I’ve used Techron.

But once I fill up with regular fuel, the mileage goes back to normal. So we all know there’s nothing that can just give you an extra 30 miles out of a full tank, not permanently at least. Do you think due to the volatile and combustible nature of Techron, the O2 sensors read rich when it isn’t rich and dials it back, so you’re actually running lean, giving you a few more MPG? And the manufacturers know this and will claim better MPGs with their products. Sounds weird but it’s just an observation and assumption. What do you guys think?

I also had good and similar results with other fuel additives too. Once I stop using it the mpg goes back to normal. I used it full time for over 3 years and my average mpg slowly climbed from 30 average to 35 in summer driving. I also wonder the thing.

 

[carl2591]

In my gas cars,, 2005 elantra, 2010 sonata I would run one bottle of tectron in 1/4 tank gas and drove like I stole it.. hard acceleration, higher RPMs etc till I got to like 1/12 of a tank left. light was on.. then I would fill up and put bottle in that tank. did see and could feel some more power and a bit better MPG.. keeping the fuel system clean and injectors especially is important in gas cars/trucks. in my diesel i ran HotShots EDT every tank.. 2003 7,3L ford..