Gasoline/Engine Ionizers

The makers and/or promoters of fuel/engine ionizers claim that an assortment of wires molded to some hard rubber 'capacitor blocks,' when clipped on a engine’s spark plug wires, will transmit or transfer a so-called 'corona charge' from one spark plug wire to the other spark plug wires and hence to the hot electrodes of each spark plug.  They claim that this 'corona charge' will 'cause a partial breakdown in the larger hydrocarbon molecules in all the non-firing cylinders, resulting in increased combustion efficiency' or similar nonsense.

TRUTH:  Spark plug wires are intentionally kept separated for a very good reason ; to prevent crossfire.  Crossfire can cause the pre-detonation of the air-fuel mixture during the compression stroke, which causes expensive damage to the engine.  Any attempt to cross-connect or cross-couple spark plugs wires is insane.  Even if these type of devices do not cause crossfire, there is nonetheless no capacitor in the hard rubber block nor any other means to control or regulate any electrical type current or pulse being transmitted or transferred from one spark plug wire to the other spark plug wires and hence to the hot electrodes of each spark plug.  Dynamometer testing shows that using these devices results in a loss of horsepower and a drop in fuel economy.

Gasoline Fuel-line Magnets

The automotive after-market parts field is flooded with several dozen versions of the fuel-line magnet device.  The makers and/or promoters of these 'miracle' devices make similar claims which are: (1) a substantial or huge improvement in fuel economy (mpg); (2) an increase in a vehicle’s horsepower; and (3) the reduction of emissions.  They claim that when these magnets are placed on a vehicle’s fuel lines, the resulting magnetic field will 'break-up the clusters of gasoline molecules so that it will burn more evenly' or similar nonsense.

TRUTH:  Gasoline molecules are not magnetic so gasoline cannot be altered or influenced by a magnetic field.  Moreover, since almost all fuel lines are made of steel tubing, any magnetic field will begin to travel the length of the fuel line tubing and quickly dissipate rather than penetrating inside the tube and somehow pass through the gasoline flowing by.  Dynamometer testing shows that these devices do not have any meaningful effect on horsepower or fuel economy.

Vortexing the Air-Fuel Mixture

The makers and/or promoters of vortex generators claim that these devices more thoroughly mix the air-fuel mixture, which will then more thoroughly burn in the combustion chamber, resulting in more horsepower and an increase in fuel economy.  Usually installed on the upstream side of the mass airflow sensor (MAF), these devices consist of either fixed vanes or spinning blades to cause the in-coming air, between the air cleaner and intake manifold, to whirl around like a mini-tornado (a vortex).

TRUTH:  By placing these so-called vortex generators directly in the path of the manufacturer’s R&D designed air-flow system, not only is the required air-flow necessary for a proper air-fuel mixture somewhat restricted, but the amount of the air-fuel mixture sucked into intake manifold will be also be reduced.  Less air or less air-fuel mixture means less horsepower.  In any event, the remaining portion of the air intake system downstream from these devices has been designed to maximize a smooth airflow; defeating the very turbulence caused by such vortex generating devices.  Dynamometer testing shows that using standardized vortex generating devices that are sold in a kit results in a loss of horsepower and a decrease in fuel economy.  Only expensive high tech customized vortex generators installed in entirely re-engineered/replaced air-flow systems - primarily for racing type vehicles - will increase horsepower while not appreciably increasing fuel economy.

Vapor Injection

The makers and/or promoters of vapor injectors claim that gasoline injected directed into the air intake system through a fuel injector is allegedly less prepared for mixing with air (and thus less prepared for combustion) because some of the gasoline droplets are still liquid and gasoline in liquid form does not burn.  Vapor injectors convert gasoline to fuel vapor outside the engine by usually metering the vaporized gasoline back into the engine via the PCV vacuum line.  Thus, it is claimed that this complete atomization of gasoline into vapor form increases horsepower and increases fuel economy.

TRUTH:  Injecting vaporized gasoline directly into the engine through the crankcase and PCV vacuum line does not evenly meter the vaporized gasoline equally to all cylinders.  The cylinders that are closer to the connection get more of the vaporized gasoline (in the air-fuel mixture) than the cylinders that are further away – causing the closer cylinders to run rich.  In any event, even in a best-case equal distribution scenario, the vehicle’s on-board computer, which controls and manages the fuel-injection process, will sense the amount of oxygen in the exhaust and quickly lean the engine back to the proper air-fuel mixture ratios.  In other words, any vaporized gasoline metered back into the engine by a vapor injection device will then simply be subtracted from the amount of gasoline the computer would normally dispense – thoroughly defeating the device.     

Dynamometer testing shows that using standardized kit-form vapor injection devices results in very little change in horsepower and no increase in fuel economy.  Only expensive high tech customized vapor injection devices installed in entirely re-engineered/replaced air-flow systems of racing type vehicles will substantially increase horsepower and get a slight increase in the fuel economy of such vehicles.

Water Injection

Water injection technology was developed during WWII to provide short-term emergency sprint power to super-charger equipped fighter planes engaged in combat at high altitudes - where there was less air to cool the piston powered engines of that era.  The super-charger would cram air into a fighter plane’s air inlet at manifold pressures close to those at sea level - enabling the same performance at high altitudes as with the richer air at sea level.  Yet, this crammed air was being compressed by the super-charger, it became heated - making the engine even hotter.  To lower the combustion chamber temperature, a pump sprayed a mist of water, or an alcohol-water mix, directly into the engine’s air intake.  That would permit a substantial increase in power for very brief periods.  Although modern vehicle engines tend not to be operated at high altitudes (except when crossing a high mountain pass in the Himalayas or Kashmir), the makers and/or promoters of water injection type devices claim it will increase a vehicle’s horsepower and fuel economy.  It should be noted that some makers and/or promoters of water injection type devices even claim that it is “a fuel cell hydrogen processor” having an “ultra-sonic barometric pressure chamber giving off ultra-sonic frequencies” which “produces hydrogen-rich bubbles before being introduced into the engine draft.”

TRUTH:  Almost all the standardized kit-form water injection devices rely on manifold vacuum pressure to pull distilled water ($1.00 or more a gallon) from a plastic container and spray it into the manifold via a vacuum line connection.  That means that the cylinders which are closer to the connection will get more misted water in the air-fuel mixture than the cylinders which are further away – causing the closer cylinders to run cooler.  Largely depending on the type and quality, the on-board computer will try to adjust the overall air-fuel mixture - resulting in increasingly mixed readings from the sensors as each adjustment alters the temperature in the combustion chamber as well as the amount of oxygen in the exhaust.  In any event, water injection devices that rely on manifold vacuum pressure instead of a pump do not pull the water from the plastic container if  the engine is at wide-open throttle – when the combustion chamber is hottest and could actually use some cooling down.  Also, almost all vehicles have elaborately cooled engines and advanced integrated water-cooling systems that ensure a constant engine temperature.  Moreover, cooling the combustion chamber also cools the operating temperature of the hot electrode of a spark plug.  If the temperature of the hot electrode drops below 600° C, deposits will form on the plug, which will rather quickly cause a small drop in horsepower and fuel economy.

As to the water injection type devices touted to actually be a “fuel cell hydrogen processor,” only the most stupid or insane could possibly believe that nonsense.  Dynamometer testing shows that using the standardized kit-form water injection devices which rely on manifold vacuum pressure tend to result in about a 20% drop in horsepower and fuel economy.  However, in the higher and dryer altitude regions that heat up during the daytime, vehicles equipped with more expensive high tech pump fed water injection devices (which evenly inject water vapor mist at or near the air intake portion of the air-flow system), can achieve a small increase in horsepower and fuel economy during the hotter portion of the day when towing loads, climbing hills/mountains, or driving wide-open (fast).