I have done extensive research on the subject on the internet and have come to a "personal" conclusion that the subject has not been "scientifically" tested enough for me to risk possible damage to the lines and sensors in my $16,000 dollar investment. Not to mention the possibility of ruining the paint due to an accidental spill.

There are plenty of people out there reporting huge gains, but just as many if not more reporting no gains. How is that possible? The answer? Because no one here can test this scientifically, it's all just seat of the pants with WAY too many variables coming into play.

If someone can find a reputable article with "scientific" results showing "consistent" gains in fuel economy and no possible damage to the cars components, I would be willing to give it a try. I have yet to find such an article.

Until then, I'll stay away from acetone or "any" miracle additive.

I'm 47 years old and I've lived long enough to know there is no "miracle drug" for increased fuel mileage. The best way to achieve maximum economy is through efficient driving techniques and auto maintenance.

Now, I do have a friend who tried acetone in his vehicle. He used it for 3 tankfuls. His results? His normal average was 23-25 mpg with only gasoline and an astonishing 23-25 mpg with acetone added at rates similar to those being described here on the forum. Obviously his test weren't scientific but then again, no one elses are either.

That's my .02

 

That's easy - just run an air line from your seat to the air intake - any added combustibles will add to the fuel and just burn along with the gas and help keep the air cleaner.

 

100% agree!

 

FYI Acetone is one of the mildest solvents and will not do anything to the paint other than maybe take the wax off. Gasoline can be worse and is known to foul injectors . . . yah think about it . . . you run gasoline all the time and the injectors get dirty? We are not forcing you to try it - just telling you that it does work for those of us that have used it and if you never tried it then how can you say that is doesn't work.

 

That "guy" went "a little" quote "happy" didn't "he"?

I somewhat agree tho... The gains I have seen n using fuel additives are nil.
Acetone won't hurt your vehicle tho. I've put a little laquer thinner in my gas a couple of times in my '96 E150. Done know what good it did. But it didn't do any harm. The additives you get from the store smelled very much like thinner, so I gave it a shot. And that was many miles ago. No harm done.

 

Like I said, I've done a lot of research and I have some issues. This is a quote from the Pure Energy website which is a staunch proponent of the use of acetone in gasoline:

Acetone and Your Engine
"Acetone is known to deteriorate cheap plastics and other substances. While the components in a car's fuel system should be of high quality, and thus immune to any deleterious effects from exposure to acetone, be aware that "ideal" is not always the case in practice. Be advised that not all systems have been tested against acetone. Until such thorough testing has been accomplished and certified by a accredited authority, you assume your own liability for experimentally testing acetone in your particular system."

Also from the Pure Energy website:

"Keep acetone away from painted surfaces, such as the paint on your car under the gas tank opening. Acetone is the key ingredient in paint remover."

I am not claiming anyone is forcing me to try it, I'm simply explaining the reasons I have chose NOT to run acetone as patently as you have explained your reasons FOR running it.

I think everyone should do what they feel is best for themselves. I was just stating my reasons for not using it, that's it.

Take care.[/u][/i]

 

Acetone is mild? You're either being funny or you have no clue. Try rubbing some on your car's paint for a minute.... Do you realize that acetone is used as fingernail polish remover? What do you think fingernail polish is? Yes, it is a lacquer.

Gasoline is a much milder solvent than acetone. Gumming up is due to impurities in the gasoline. Acetone actually dissolves them. That is the main reason that owners of older cars who start the "acetone regiment" see improvement in milage, but only after few tankfuls. It is because the acetone actually cleaned out their fuel delivery system.

There is no point in me discussig this "acetone thing" any further. You won't change my mind and I won't change yours. Lets agree to disagree.

 

Actually I think fingernail polish is an enamel and the car finish is baked on and yes I have spilled a bit on my car finish and NOTHING happened. And it is a mild solvent (note I said solvent) otherwise it would not be used as a nail polish remover but that's a whole other issue. Actually if you ever smelled nail polish that is being applied it doen not smell like acetone - much worse. Look at xylene or MEK and then tell me which is mild. There are people that have used it in aircraft engines for 30-40 years wihout any problems. I don't think our Scions are using any cheep plastics in the fuel system however it is not recommended for use in the Prius due to a reaction with the bladder in the fuel tank. I have been using it for almost 2 years and find that it runs better and idles smoother with it than without it - it used to start hard and have some hesitation. Sure there is risk involved but so is getting gas at an unknown gas station - I got gas at station in PA where the gas came out hot from the pump. Some of you are using various oils of unknown quality. I am running Synlube and you should hear how quiet my engine runs and everyone tells me that I am crazy for using it without changing it every 5k miles yet here I am almost 15k miles on the same lubricant and it still runs great and gets superior gas mileage.

 

wow. I think you just opened up a whole new can of worms. :D

 

But note how I didn't flame anyone - No wild claims - just my results.

 

That's how it should be. Good job.

 

i got me a big metal can of acetone and a tiny measurin cup and im about to try it out. i dont know what mpg i get now and i really dont care. ill be able to tell by how long i can go before i refill but mpg doesnt matter to me as much as increased performance does. smoother idle and no tail pipe drip means acetone must be doin somethin good.

 

Ditto . . . I get about 20-23mpg around town. I i'm not heavy on the throttle either. My city loves redlights and they're all synch'd to stop you about every 12 feet.

 

In a way, you should care what MPG you are currently getting on the gas(87oct?? ... and be consistant about going to the same gas station for the same octane gas). , since then after doing acetone- and guaging what your getting mpg wise w/acetone you can compare/contrast against just straight gasoline.

I just got my scangauge2 , and I'm constantly monotoring my mpg ... for at least 1-2 full tankfuls , then I'm going to try probably 2oz of acetone to a full tank- then check the results. Then I'll probably go to 3oz , and check the results. Same driving week-to-week , so not much will change. I can say however the WEATHER does play a major roll in affecting your mpg(check it when you have a tail-wind , vs. going against the wind..... BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!!). Also, potentially as it gets colder + colder outside I may be sucking in slightly colder air = more dense air = which may effect my gas mpg slightly.

IF after the 2-3 full tankfuls of gas, I'm not noticing an improved mpg increase(meaning 2+ more mpg per gallon of gas) , then I may very well ditch the acetone idea. It is worth the try for 2-3 full tanks of gas... to see if there are any changes. If there is a noticable change(in a positive .. more mpg result) then stick with the acetone.

 

I read a post that some tCs are having some surging at full throttle - be interesting if you get that also and it goes away when you run acetone. As far as the tailpipe dripping that is condensation in the exhaust system because the pipes are not hot enough to keep the moisture in the exhaust gasses from condensing and is normal. Note what the trip odometer typically reads when you fill up and see if you can go further on the acetone.

 

ive never heard of the surging problem at full throttle. ive had my car up to 115 but i dont think ive ever had it completely floored.

 

Scion Customer Experience emailed that the engine is set up to run on 87 and makes no more power on higher octane.

I have kept a spreadsheet with data for each tank for the past 15K miles, using both 87 and 93 octane for weeks at a time. The date entry includes miles, gallons, mpg, octane used, and type of driving. The spreadsheet shows:
1. No difference in mpg attributable to octane used.
2. Short hop driving in cold winter temperatures on winter blend gas reduces mpg by about 4 mpg compared to summer.
3. Driving gently, shifting early and using fewest rpms increases mpg by about 3 mpg compared to normal driving.

 

Read this thread:

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...401&highlight=