Listen Up Plug in Fuel Saving / Performance devices

[Channel Hopper]

The 5th Gear test

A £10 module called the Nitro OBD2

and Big Clive's verdict

 

[jeallen01]

Sometimes they "work" and sometimes they don't and possibly with unfortunate and unforeseen side-effects.

They can often improve engine power and thus performance, and save fuel, but often at the expense of emissions and smoke - especially on diesel vehicles - which may then fail MoT emission testsbecause those devices are "generic" and not specific to particular engine configurations and stages of through-life wear.

Personally, and from actual experience (4 or 5 times over the years), a rolling-road dynamometer remap by an experienced technician has better results.

My 2007 Skoda 2l 16v TDI was relatively sluggish and the fuel consumption wasn't brilliant, but after a longish such session in around 2014 (at a company called "Perfect Touch" in Hoddesdon), the engine bhp went from just over 140 to around 185 and the torque curve was much higher and flatterer than before (and it went, and still does, like the proverbial "bomb" ). That also improved the fuel consumption and it has since passed 5 MoT emission tests on the "fast pass" criteria, and I only get a "lot of smoke" (it doesn't have a DPF) if I really "boot it" at low speed - quite a few other drivers of quick'ish newer cars have been "somewhat surprised" when an old Skoda estate almost "left them for dead"

OTOH,
- I have reservations about remaps where someone comes around to your house, plugs his laptop into the EOBD port and loads up a generic set of parameters in a few minutes - might work and might not!
- another side effect on older vehicles is that the clutch, which was "OK" beforehand", then complains and starts slipping not long after (about 6-7k miles on 2 occasions in my case)

BTW: either way, those sorts of tuning aids and remaps can invalidate your insurance if you don't tell the insurance company, and they might then refuse cover! FWIW, I have declared the remap, and it does make getting cover more difficult and expensive, although I've had cover with Admiral for the last 6 yrs or so, and the price hike has been relatively small.

 

[ozumo]

My favourite snake oil product is the catalyst pellets that go in fuel tank that magically de-carbon engines and improve MPG. The advert, which is seen in car magazines & newspapers, proudly states something along the lines of 'if they were that good the car manufacturers would use them'

Those VAG PD engines do remap well while maintaining reliability, just change the oil every 9K and timing belt every 40k and they'll last forever.

With regards to remaps and insurance, for every claim I've made I've just taken the car to my usual garage who then give the insurance company a quote. The insurance company then decides whether it gets fixed or is written off. If the garage wishes to keep your custom they aren't going to grass you up... caveat emptor and all that.

 

[jeallen01]

Apart from the (then soon needed!) new clutch (and a new turbo after a "brainstorm moment" with a big "impatient" Merc on a dark wet Sunday evening - span the front wheels in 1st, 2nd & 3rd gears from the lights, but then "absolutely nothing" but a big cloud of black oily smoke at the next set of lights, followed by being trucked home - well, it had done 110k before that happened, )

OTOH, I agree about the service intervals - it now (at 132k) needs oil & filter every 12 months/9k after the remap, but doesn't use any oil between changes

PS: ALWAYS use the correct (i.e. for VAG that means "Quantum" = "Duckhams" after VAG bought the company!) oil that you buy yourself.

Don't trust a garage to change the oil for you - many, and I know of at least one, buy generic 5-30W /5-40W/ 10-40W oils in bulk and use that for any car that needs "roughly the same thing", even though those actually need car brand/model/engine-specific versions! Recipe for "future disaster" as far as customers, or the next buyers, are concerned

 

[Lazarus]

Best fuel-saving measure?

Hide the keys from SWMBO.

 

[ozumo]

Turbos can fall victim to excessively long manufacturer service intervals (designed to impress fleet managers). The original clutch & turbo were perfectly fine on my remapped 180k 1.9 TDi Polo before the car was written off, though they were mostly motorway miles.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I was hoping the opening post was more for those looking for true economy as opposed to power delivery.

Almost everything on sale comes from the Far East and priced to entice the foolish in bulk.

On the other hand a true performance enhancer will shorten the life of everything in the drivetrain, from the engine down to the tyres.

 

[jeallen01]

Best fuel-saving measure?

Hide the keys from SWMBO.

My SWMBO won't drive the Skoda because she can't see properly over the bonnet (she's a "bit on the short side"!) - so I don't have any worries on that count!

 

[jeallen01]

Turbos can fall victim to excessively long manufacturer service intervals (designed to impress fleet managers). The original clutch & turbo were perfectly fine on my remapped 180k 1.9 TDi Polo before the car was written off, though they were mostly motorway miles.

A very small/light vehicle compared with the Skoda estate, so no wonder that the clutch didn't suffer!

OTOH, is you Polo TDI one of those where you need to remove almost all of the front end of the car to change a sidelight bulb (Not joking, some of the TDI versions really do need that!)?

Edited: to clarify, my Skoda is a Mk 2 Octavia estate, and slightly longer than the date-equivalent Audi A4 estate!

 

[jeallen01]

I was hoping the opening post was more for those looking for true economy as opposed to power delivery.

Almost everything on sale comes from the Far East and priced to entice the foolish in bulk.

On the other hand a true performance enhancer will shorten the life of everything in the drivetrain, from the engine down to the tyres.

FWIW, my brief to Perfect Touch was for an "economy remap", as opposed to a "max performance" one - and so, when driving "sensibly" (at the time, I was doing about 60 miles a day to Farnborough and back, 5 days a week) and was getting over 50 (sometimes nearer 60) mpg, and now, on reasonably clear motorways etc., I still get around 42-45 mpg whilst averaging "70+" mph (but around 32-35 around town on short journeys when the engine doesn't reach the proper working temp)

 

[ozumo]

I was hoping the opening post was more for those looking for true economy as opposed to power delivery.

Almost everything on sale comes from the Far East and priced to entice the foolish in bulk.

On the other hand a true performance enhancer will shorten the life of everything in the drivetrain, from the engine down to the tyres.

Route planning and driving technique have much more effect on MPG than a remap or useless gadget. Pumping up the tyres can increase MPG but the increased wear negates any fuel savings made. Sensible 'hypermiling' does improve MPG and becomes second nature once you get used to it.

 

[4wd]

Tried a plug-in "little black box" when I had the Toyota Landcruiser, did definitely get some nice power increase ...at the price of engine randomly going into safety mode (or whatever it was called) with a dozen warning lights in the dash, creeping along with 20 hp until a stop and restart. 1st time it happened I visualized a nice 7500£ engine repair on the horizon :O)

Was a microswitch with different curves for power vs economy etc, but none stopped the safety mode from happening. Returned the box and got money back, no problems. Cured my interests for tuning. Surely some of the kits\reprogramming may be very good and hit the mark, suppose one would have to test and try to find the right one.

 

[ozumo]

OTOH, is you Polo TDI one of those where you need to remove almost all of the front end of the car to change a sidelight bulb (Not joking, some of the TDI versions really do need that!)?

I don't think so though it has been several years since it was written off (for my wellbeing I will not mention who by) though the bumper, floor trays and inner arch had to come off to re-connect the screen washer hose to the pump after it popped off when the pipe was frozen.

 

[jeallen01]

I don't think so though it has been several years since it was written off (for my wellbeing I will not mention who by) though the bumper, floor trays and inner arch had to come off to re-connect the screen washer hose to the pump after it popped off when the pipe was frozen.

Small is not always "beautiful" when it comes to repairs - I would dread to have something like a modern FIAT 500 with SFA room under the bonnet!

 

[ozumo]

Small is not always "beautiful" when it comes to repairs - I would dread to have something like a modern FIAT 500 with SFA room under the bonnet!

I'd never wish to to own a modern Fiat 500 so that'd never be a problem!

 

[jeallen01]

I'd never wish to to own a modern Fiat 500 so that'd never be a problem!

 

[Lazarus]

Small is not always "beautiful" when it comes to repairs - I would dread to have something like a modern FIAT 500 with SFA room under the bonnet!

We have one - great car and not an especial problem to do basic maintenance (I have never, ever, had Servicing" done at a dealership/garage).

 

[jeallen01]

We have one - great car and not an especial problem to do basic maintenance (I have never, ever, had Servicing" done at a dealership/garage).

Possibly, but probably not if you have arms & hands as large as mine and can't get into spaces where yours can!

BTW: the April issue of "Car Mechanics" mag has an article on owning/repairing FIAT 500's

 

[Channel Hopper]

The Arbarth version has had engine issues according to a works colleague with one.

I remember driving a 126 years ago, a deafening experience

 

[pgh13]

I'd never wish to to own a modern Fiat 500 so that'd never be a problem!

Ended up behind a 1972 Fiat 500 the other day. You forget how small they were and how skinny the tyres were.