I've just bought one of those Ecotek things off the net.
Hopefully it will live up to its expectations - better performance, smoother drive, better fuel economy? sounds too good to be true. I've bought one for my 1.8 Astra CDi (1989) and my bros bought one for his 2.0 Ecotec (ironic) Cavalier. Just waiting for delivery.
Well if its rubbish its got a 30 day warranty so i can send it back.
I know this sounds like a bit of a pointless post, but i'll report my findings!
Laters,
Mark
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Very interested to hear your opinion on this, your piles should clear up as well you know.
David
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30 days probably won't tell you much. But if your fuel economy seems to improve markedly at the same time as the climate cools down considerably then you truly have a miracle product on your hands, or rather clipped to the fuel pipe of your car.
HJ
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As it has been said many times before if any of thes aftermarket gismos did what they claimed to do car manufactures would be scrambling to fit them:-
I rest my case!.
Regards Malcolm.
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yes but what if car manufacturers have a deal with petrol companies to make cars which are JUST average in MPG, so the petrol companies make more money, so if this ecotek did work then the petrol companies would make less money, so that is why car manufacturers dont fit them. its just a thought???
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Porcine aviation, anyone?
Andy
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Interesting point, Lada.
From the general reaction of the 'back room' correspondents, any device which promises increased MPG is slated because 'if it worked all cars would be fitted with it'. Now let's get real..does anyone think that if some genius invented an internal combustion power source(say, a hydrogen generator that worked off 2 AA cells) he would be in circulation for long after announcing and demonstrating it? O.K., it's a paranoid scenario, but as the saying goes, 'just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you!'
Surely there are still some breakthroughs to be made in car engine/accessory design? I try and keep an open mind without being too gullible..living in hope!.
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Ecotek is a device which allows a callibrated air leak (ie. loss of vacuum) to the inlet manifold - on an engine management system where fuel mixture is governed to a large extent by inlet vacuum (the higher the vacuum the leaner the mixture, so low vacuum means rich mixture) I cannot see this working. Also, where it is fitted to a brake servo hose that propably enters the manifold an one end rather than centrally, it must unbalance the mixture to cylinders at that end of the manifold.
As I said in an earlier thread, this is just the latest incarnation of a device that has been marketed by various companies and various means (did I say pyramid - no, surely not !) for many years. We tested an almost identical product ages ago and it did absolutely nothing of benefit.
All in my personal opinion, of course. Allegedly. (Is that OK Martyn ?!)
Regards and good luck, Adam
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And the very next thread is about the Advertising Standards Authority - how's that for a coincidence !!
Adam
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Adam Going (Tune-Up Ltd) wrote:
>
> Ecotek is a device which allows a callibrated air leak (ie.
> loss of vacuum) to the inlet manifold
> All in my personal opinion, of course. Allegedly. (Is that OK
> Martyn ?!)
I think I can live with that, Adam!
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I tried the ecotek on a 1989 Golf GTI 8V. I have access to a friends rolling road. Power before fitting the device was about 110bhp. Power after was slightly less (about 2 or 3 bhp). What was worrying though was that the car began running alarmingly lean a high rpm, probably due to the air leak produced by the device. I disconnected it, I value a properly tuned engine!
Andrew
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Mark,
We're laughing at this device but there is a serious element to your trial you should be aware of.
It is a known fact in such testing that were someone to sell you the device and fit it for you...apparently fitted but in fact leaving it disabled....then you would experience most of the improvements anyway.
There were some large scale studies in USA many years ago on factory facilities/methods and the reaction of workers when they understood improvements had been made which in fact hadn't.
Well known trials but I can't remember the exact details.
David
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> Well known trials but I can't remember the exact details.
Birmingham Mining Co. & shovel sizes ??
M.
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Mark,
It was a production factory and the workers were told there were to be improvements to the factory working conditions (lighting/ventilation??). The nub of the experiment was the increase in production came both when the improvements were implemented, when they were removed again and then when the situation was made worse.
They deduced the workers good feeling from being involved in the trial was having a greater effect than any practicalities.
I have always believed this is where the improvements come from with such "snake oil" devices. You pay your £60, enjoy fitting the thing, drive with more care and take greater pleasure/interest in driving.
Hence the results are greater economy, free reving, extra smoothness and so on.
Cynical, what me?
David
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Similar thing in the mining company; they increased the size of the shovel and production increased. As a check they decreased the size of the shovel and production still went up.
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The key is not the size of the shovels but that workers responded well to people taking an interest in what they were doing. For some reason the phrase the Hutchingson effect springs to mind. This may be the name of this phenomenom or a figment of my deranged imagination.
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> The key is not the size of the shovels but that workers
> responded well to people taking an interest in what they were
> doing.
Precisely. Obvious, isn't it. Everybody realises its obvious and understands it.
However, somehow I get paid a fortune for stating the obvious. Youwouldn't believe the complex, complicated and unworkable things that I get offered, where simply taking an interest makes the difference.
It is part of my ambition to one day spend my time writing a book on this subject.
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well, i'll give it a whirl. If its a piece of junk its not the end of the world. I've read a lot of reviews on the net and most seem to be good (and not all of them were off the Ecotek website!)
re Ladas comment - I agree, its exactly the same in computers - Intel have the Pentium 5, 6 7 etc all sat on a shelf cos theyre still making money from the pentium 3,4. Its good business.
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well i was gonna go get my car tuned this month anyway (know any good tuners in the nottingham area?), but this Ecotek thing seemed interesting.
The cars been a bit slow recently and hopefully a tune will get it back up to scratch.
I'd like to see if it makes any difference to the BHP, but i dont know where/how much it costs to get it rolling road tested.
Call it in the name of science!
I'm gonna attempt to fit the thing myself - it doesnt look too difficult.
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Marky,
tried the good old-fashioned 'Italian' tune-up?
a hundred miles or so of motorway driving at a constant 70 mph does wonders for the car, I find.
Of course, that is if you can find a time/motorway to allow you to do this (3am Sunday grab you?)
(Unfortunately, the old 'white exhaust' test no longer works - as the unleaded juice doesn't leave a white deposit!)
Any other posters find a significant increase in 'oomph' after a decent long run?
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well my astra saw the sights of York with me a couple of weekends ago, and it might be coming with me to Newcastle at the weekend, but ive tried long trips before and it doesnt seem to make much difference.
how much should I expect to pay for a tune-up?
The only thing thats holding me back is i dont want to go and pay for a tuneup somewhere where some grease monkey will stand hitting my engine with a hammer for 2 hours while picking fleas out of his hair. I need some advice of where to take my beloved astra!
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Mark,
Try the following . . .
www.uktuneup.co.uk
S.
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cheers stu, but it only seems to work for the south east and I live in Nottingham, but it has got some useful info of what they do on it.
btw. Ecotek doodad has arrived! I only ordered it yesterday!
Will be fitting it tonight, watch this space!
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Hi marky,
Our website does inded only cover the SE, as unfortuantely our operators in other parts of the country declined to participate financially. However, check in Yellow Pages under "Car Engine Tuning" for Tune-Up operators elsewhere. Having siad that I don't think we have anyone near Nottingham - suggest you contact a firm called "Peacock & Purvey" - Dave Peacock used to be a colleague when we all traded under another name, and is very very good. I don't have a contcat number immediately to hand, but Dave writes a piece now and again in Car Mechanics magazine and you will find his number there. Can almost guarantee that the first thing he will do before touching your car will be to isolate the "device" - up to you if you want to re-instate it !!
Good Luck, Adam
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thats interesting Adam,
I pass peacock and purvy every day to/from work and to/from uni. I've even popped in and asked for a card. Is dave a guy who speaks really quietly and is hard to understand (no offence to the guy, just wonderin if its the bloke i spoke to in the shop)?
I've heard some bad and good news stories from them though - my ex boss took his lotus to them and it came out much worse than when it went in. But then my ex boss didnt know how to drive a lotus properly. I have heard some good stories though.
but saying that, if its under recommendation from the backroom, how can i go wrong?
I've also been recommended to go to M.P.Burnes (not sure if spelling right). Heard of them Adam?
<< >> (dada-da-da,dada-da-da news bullitin music)
Fitted in 5 minutes as soon as i was sure i'd got the right pipe. No obvious performance increase as of yet, but mainly want to see what its done to the economy.
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Marky,
It's some years since I last saw Dave Peacock, and can't say I remember him as being that quietly spoken - could be his partner.
No, I have not heard of M P Burnes, so cannot comment.
Regards, Adam
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I'm thinking about one for the 1.6 sxi i've just bought, (brand new). will you let me know if 'it's woth the dosh.
cheers.
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