Acetone to Increase Gas Milage?

**kirbycope** · 09-07-2005, 03:25 AM

Anyone know about this? We should rent a car and try it out.

http://pesn.com/2005/03/17/6900069_Acetone/

**will1384** · 09-07-2005, 03:33 AM

You might have some in your gass now - some gas stations
here got busted for watering down there gas with stuff like
Acetone

**meddler** · 09-07-2005, 09:44 AM

Here it's usually ethanol that is used to thin out the fuel. It's done here because there is no tax on the ethanol hence it makes it cheaper of the service station owner.

**Eric Lindsey** · 09-08-2005, 09:53 PM

Why rent a car?

2000 Chevy Express 1500 Cargo Van
Approximate mileage: 72,000
Fuel tank capacity: 32.0 gallons (according to OEM specifications)
Gas price in Florida: $2.79 per gallon
Cost to fill gas tank: ~$85 (obviously I fill it slightly before it's empty)
Experiment began: September 8, 2005

All that data aside, the relevant information currently is that without any additives in the gas, I currently range approximately 360-380 miles per tank of gas (but that's not running it until it's empty, obviously). From the time I added the first acetone to the tank (this afternoon) until the completion of this experiment, I will only be obtaining gas from the same Hess gas station, at the same pump, in an attempt to establish a control on the quality of the gasoline. For info on the current mixture ratio and my results from previous tanks, see the summary at the bottom of this post.

Technical information about the acetone:

CVS brand Professional Polish Remover, purchased from CVS/Pharmacy for $2.53 (plus tax) for a 16 oz. bottle, which at the current mixture rate is enough for two 30 gallon tanks of gas. The bottle is labeled 100% pure acetone, however upon closer examination I noticed a label stating that the bottle "Contains Bitrex Ingestion Deterrent." The ingredient label reveals that this Bitrex is apparently denatonium benzoate (I am making this assumption because this is the only other ingredient other than acetone listed). I have no idea whether this denatonium benzoate will have any relevance to the results of this test.

Miscellaneous information that may be relevant:

This vehicle is driven extensively, as it is the van I use for running my on-site computer business. I bought it in December of 2004 (about 10 months ago) at 48,000 miles, and have since put about 24,000 miles on it myself. It does not get very good gas mileage, and could probably use a tune-up. The oil was just changed (about a week or two ago), and about 6 months ago the fuel pump ceased pumping enough fuel so the fuel system was examined and put back into good working order. That means that this should be a rather ideal test vehicle for this experiment, in my opinion.

Any suggestions or ideas, let me know. In the meantime, I will continue to post information about my personal experience with this experiment as I progress through it. Unless any problems arise, I plan to run this experiment for at least 10 tanks of gas, varying the mixture rate between 1 and 3 oz. per 10 gallons of gas.

So, to summarize:

Miles per tank, without any additive: 360-380
Miles per tank, 2.667 oz./10 gallons: 379.0, 382.7
Miles per tank, without any additive: 381.3, 386.2
Miles per tank, 1.000 oz./10 gallons: 379.7, 381.5

Current mixture rate: N/A

Experiment completed, conclusion is acetone does not increase my fuel mileage.

**wizardPC** · 09-08-2005, 10:21 PM

HOLY CRAP!!!!

I just got the second best gas mileage I have EVER gotten out of my Saturn, and I've been keeping track since 1998. And I did it with NO ADDITIVES! The best mileage I ever got was on the way to an mp3car meetup in atlanta when I was living in starkville, MS. It was March I think (no air conditioning, dense air) and most of the way was interstate or state highway with an average speed of 65 mph. I got 36.4mpg on that trip.

For the entire month of August, I watched my average MPG per tank go from 28.4 and steadily drop to 21.2 at the end of the month. This was a mix of in-town and highway driving, and in mid-August I switched to synthetic oil and a k&n filter. Last week I started leaving for work an hour earlier and staying an hour later off the clock solely to avoid traffic, and I got 29.2 mpg.

This week I had the early shift (7am-4pm) so I did not have to spend the extra time in the office, but I was more aware of what my car was doing. I coasted A LOT, and let off the gas if the car downshifted while going up a hill. I got 34.7mpg, and over half of the miles I put on the car this week were in-town. Imagine what kind of mileage I was getting on the interstate!

Moral of the story: I changed my driving habits and bumped up my mileage by HALF!

I still go the same places, but I am more aware of what my car is doing. I don't slam on the gas to cut around someone, and I don't speed up just to catch up with the car in front of me. I changed the times of my commute, but with traffic it takes me 45 minutes to get home from work and only 15 minutes with no traffic. So the extra hour I stay at work only gets me home a half hour later.

Sorry, I'm ecstatic about the last fillup, even though it cost me $27 and I only have a 9 gallon tank.

**mushin** · 09-08-2005, 11:35 PM

Good job, wizard. I don't think many people realize just how much how you drive affects mileage. It never ceases to amaze me how many people I see accelerating past me towards a red light as I coast. I also preemptively brake so I don't have to come to a complete stop before it turns green, and oftentimes those same people who just sped past me have to use more gas to get back up to speed. Now I just wish I could get real time traffic light data, and get *really* efficient

**Chris31** · 09-09-2005, 10:28 AM

Yes, I have also changed my driving having. Last time I did an MPG challenge was when me and a mate went to wales, about 420miles travel. The car is carrying about 200kg of weight one way and empty the other way.

I was driving his car and managed to get 68 mpg, a vauxhall vectra 1.7 turbo diesel. The total travel took about an 1hr 15mins more and most of the time I was driving 65mph keeping the rev low on the efficient range, without being a nuisance on the road. Majority of the drivers here drive around 75-80mph, and at that speed more fuel is consumed.

Problem is whenever I drive like that keeping a good distance to avoid frequent braking and acelerations...theres always gonna be idiots cutting me up from another lanes.

But yeah getting 68mpg compared to the manufacturers figure of 60mpg is amazing.

**Chris31** · 09-09-2005, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by mushin

It never ceases to amaze me how many people I see accelerating past me towards a red light as I coast. I also preemptively brake so I don't have to come to a complete stop before it turns green, and oftentimes those same people who just sped past me have to use more gas to get back up to speed.

Haha, I like to wind them up sometimes. They like to race to the light just to get stop by the red light. I coast the car and time myself such that when the light turns green Im just by the side of him and ready to over take the ****** again.

Ah man too many poeple think they are racing drivers...why? but then they are the type of poeple who will never take themselves in a race track.

**shizzle** · 09-09-2005, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by Chris31

Ah man too many poeple think they are racing drivers...why? but then they are the type of poeple who will never take themselves in a race track.

So true.
I have been trying to drive more conservatively since gas has skyrocketed, and I fill up less frequently now. I am very interested to see the results of teh experiment, though. Is it going to be updated in this thread, or is there a thread or site dedicated to it? Let me know Eric, or I might have to PM you!

**shizzle** · 09-09-2005, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Eric Lindsey

The bottle is labeled 100% pure acetone, however upon closer examination I noticed a label stating that the bottle "Contains Bitrex Ingestion Deterrent." The ingredient label reveals that this Bitrex is apparently denatonium benzoate (I am making this assumption because this is the only other ingredient other than acetone listed). I have no idea whether this denatonium benzoate will have any relevance to the results of this test.

That can't be good. Why don't you do a little searching and fing some pure acetone. It may not be available "over the counter," so to speak, but I am sure you could find it.