Real devices/additives that will save on Fuel gas mileage?

according to pittsburgh power..and any reputible diesel tech...air in fuel is a bad thing, and can lead to catostrophic failure and probally terrible mileage

i use howe's.....normally gets me .25/mpg better...one in each tank if i have forgotton lately and then half a bottle per tank

never have had any luck with lucus besides it gummin up my filters

that and at night i chain my truck to brickmans so he can drag me around and not cost me any money...now i just need to get him to go on my route's instead of his

 

From what I have heard from reputable sources (radio personalities in the trucking biz) there are none that measure up to their claims. The only way to improve fuel economy in a big truck is to get the proper specs for your type of job from the start, get an aerodynamic truck, do not idle, and keep your speed low (around 60 mph).

Progressive shifting and coasting down hills and to stops also will save fuel (as well as brake linings).

 

My advice would be to stay away from the 'snake oil' altogether and just slow down. Bear with me... this one's long and contains lot's of math.

There's a reason they set the speed limit at 55 mph during the oil crisis in the 70's. That's because wind resistance above 55 mph increases exponentially. Those of you who ride motorcycles without windshields already know this--ride much above 55 mph and you'll tire your arms quickly hanging on to the bars. When the wind resistance goes up, your mpg goes down.

I used to have a 91 Escort GT with the Mazda 1.8 liter in it--it got 38 mpg on a regular basis keeping it to 55 or less. Mind you, this car had 250,000 miles on it! When I drove it with a lead foot (75 to 80), the mileage would drop to about 27 mpg. 11 more mpg just by keeping the speed down on the highway--pretty good deal I'd say.

Now then, I'm sure someone is gonna say it... "I can't drive that slow, I got places to go."

I had a 28 mile trip to get to work, one way. Using the formula:

Distance / Speed x 60 = Minutes

28 / 55 x 60 = 30.54

This works out to approximately 30 minutes and 30 seconds.

Using the same formula but changing the speed to 70 mph:

28 / 70 x 60 = 24

So, a difference of about 6 minutes and 30 seconds on a 28 mile trip. For those short trips, you'll never miss that 6 minutes.

Even over the long haul... lets do a 1000 mile trip... one at 65 (speed of most company trucks) and one at 55.

1000 / 65 = 15.38 hrs (multiply the .38 by 60 to get minutes)

15 hours, 23 minutes.

And at 55:

1000 / 55 = 18.18

18 hours, 11 minutes

A difference of 2 hours and 48 minutes on a 1000 mile trip.

Now lets say you got 7 mpg instead of 5 by dropping your speed. You'd burn 200 gallons at 5 mpg and 142.85 gallons at 7 mpg over that same 1000 mile trip--a savings of 57.15 gallons of fuel. Calculate that fuel at an average price of $3.39 a gallon.

57.15 x 3.39 = 193.7385

So, you just saved $193.74 for getting 7 versus 5 mpg. It may have taken you 2 hours and 48 minutes more, but if you own the truck, you got $193.74 more dollars in your pocket for that time.

 

Coasting down hill? I hope you're not suggesting putting the truck in neutral and going down the hill?

 

Nope I would never advocate "Ga overdrive."

Coasting to stops on a long off ramp and light pressure on the throttle rather than mashing it to the floor will help save fuel.

Using terrain to assist you is also helpful when stopping or starting. Letting gravity increase your speed on a downgrade to gain momentum for the next upgrade is also a technique I use although the truck I currently drive is terrible on fuel mileage regardless (Volvo engine).

 

What about having the lead removed from your foot...
Just kidden, its 0417 where I am and I have been up all night. Couldn't help myself.

 

Believe me, if there was a device out there that could save you even 3% of your fuel bill, still allowed you to drive 70mph and it only cost $500... people would be on it like a dirty sock.

With a heavy duty background in mechanics, I'm very skeptical of any mileage boosters. Even computer chips... if it were possible to extract more mpg out of an engine just by reprogramming the computer, the manufacturers would have done it already.

I also see a lot of drivers pouring various sorts of chemicals into the tanks, hoping for some benefit. Probably the most popular additive (cough... Howes... cough cough) is nothing more than heavy aromatic naptha, and hydrotreated (sulfur removed) mineral oil... sold for a hefty price. The MSDS doesn't say what the concentrations are, but I'd suspect it's heavy on the mineral oil being that the flash point is only 160F. Again, I don't see the need for this stuff if you buy good quality fuel to begin with.

One area that could be improved using hardware, is aerodynamics. Most trucks, being as aerodynamic as a brick, would reap considerable gains towards fuel mileage just by smoothing the flow of air. While that big flat shiny chrome bumper may look cool, it kills the drag coefficient. I'd like to see what a belly pan on a truck could do in a wind tunnel. Moon discs over the wheels... things like that.