I was advised against one for my V6 Omega by one of their suppliers. I shared this wisdom with a forum on the web and was promptly emailed threatning legal action by the manufacturers who believed me to be lying.
I was most annoyed, however many months down the line the widget was finally tested on an Omega V6 by the manufacturer and found to be ineffective and as such not recommended.
I was most annoyed by the whole affair given I originally travelled 100 miles to buy the thing.
In saying that though I have heard of worthwhile improvements in VW Golfs.
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Kith,
As I said in an earlier posting, the engine design and manufacturing company that I worked for analysed and tested umpteen widgets that were offered to us with 'proof' that they gave improvements in power, mpg and/or emissions. This 'proof' never materialised in scientific analysis or back-to-back testing and we didn't adopt any of them.
It would cost an engine maker but a few pence to make/buy most of these widgets. Do you not think that if a 20% improvement in economy was possible they would have been fitted on every engine made?
I'm sorry to be dismissive but I don't want backroomers wasting their money on these things based on flawed evidence.
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Changing the line of this post slightly - what about these magnets that are put on fuel lines and correctly 'align' the fuel molecules for ideal combustion? Any user comments on these?
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I agree with Dizzy;I worked for a major car manufacturer and over the years we have tested every device offered.The only way to test them scientifically is back-to-back testing on both an engine dyno and emission/fuel economy rolling road.Nothing showed any improvement-most showed a deterioration.
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Superchips-yes you can boost the fuel going in-change the characteristics of turbo boost control and a number of other parameters-you won't get something for nothing.If it doesn't screw up economy or emissions ,what will suffer is long term durability-if you have the slightest suspicion that a vehicle has been chipped and it's been removed before you buy it,AVOID!!!
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Dizzy,
I understand your disbelief, having tested so many widgets, but I am just stating the TRUE facts about my own experience of the Ecotek valve and had it not worked so well on the Astra I would be the first to complain and air my views in the backroom. On the other hand, had I bought it initially for Mondeo I would be in total agreement with you that it is of little benefit (and not worth the cost).
Here are the mpg figures for the Astra;
Before the Ecotek; Short journeys; 31 mpg, Long run 43 mpg
After the Ecotek; Short journeys; 37 mpg, Long run 52 mpg
That is a 19.4% improvement on short journeys and a 20.9% improvement on a long run.
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Engines (particularly the older type with carbs) tended to run richer that was required, and not have as much ignition advance as was possible. As they grow old they tend to run richer, as the carb wears. The widget would introduce extra air, particularly at idle and just off idle, where the mixture is usually richest.
I would not buy one, but if someone wants to loan me one for my 180k petrol 405, I am prepared to be convinced.
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Kith,
I would expect I get that same sort of mpg variation according to the traffic on the road, steepness of hills, wind direction and strength, amount of passengers and luggage carried, tyre pressures, style of driving, climate (temperature, humidity, etc) and probably much more.
I don't disbelieve your figures for one moment, but to draw firm conclusions from on-the-road testing would require two cars of exactly the same specification and set-up to be driven in precisely the same manner alongside each other, with one being the modified car and the other being an unmodified 'control' car.
Assuming for the moment that there was a genuine improvement in the Astra's mpg, this could be the result of the widget masking a fault, in the same way that wearing ear defenders might mask the noise from an engine with big-end knock. If this is the case, I would rather correct the fault at source.
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Kith,
Having glanced through this thread again (which started in May!) I tend to agree with Crinkly Dave and others who have suggested that this widget introduces more air to balance the excess of fuel caused by wear in the carburettor (thus it masks a fault as several have said).
So assuming the Astra had a worn carburettor, you probably did get better fuel consumption and I apologise for doubting your observations. However I think you'd agree that, had the cost of the widget had been put towards a replacement carburettor, the mpg and response is likely to have been even better because the fuel/air mixture would be properly controlled.
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We are the Cheeky Girls.........doh! Too much Xmas MTV methinks!
MG-Rover Problems? Click on forums.mg-rover.org
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Worn carb on a 2001 1.6i Astra?! I knew there was a reason why I only buy Ford :)
Blue
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Worn carb on a 2001 1.6i Astra?!
The 2001 Astra won't have a carb. It will have single point injection. In fact any cars fitted with Cats won't have carbs.
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Probably true in the UK,but in the earlier days of catalysts,USA,Japan(60/70's) and Germany (80's) there were many cars with carbs and cats.
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Early Metros/Volvo 340's had carbs with cats - I could never see the point as it was an open loop system!
MG-Rover Problems? Click on forums.mg-rover.org
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I seem to remember reading a HJ column ages ago regarding the Maestro kits that were destined for abroad being brought back to the UK, knocked up and the resulting style icon of the 80's being sold at a very low price. IIRC, HJ said then that it had an unregulated cat taked onto the old A series Austin engine with a carb, and that the cat would probably need frequent changing to pass the MOT.
Ben
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Oops, I made a silly mistake. In glancing back through the thread I failed to take in that Kith's Astra was almost new!
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They were 2-way cats-oxidising- like diesels used to be;only affected Co & Hc not Nox.In many countries,Germany and Scandinavia cats were fitted whether or not they were needed to comply with the regulations;people felt "green" if they had one.
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I'm suprised that a 2001 Astra is still running single point injection-must be one of the last vehicles ever to use it.
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Citroen made Saxos with 1.1 SPI engines in 2001. Also, when was the Astra actually made, it may have been in a field for ages.
Ben
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jc
You'd be right to be surprised - it isn't singlepoint - it's multipoint.
Regards
John S
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Dizzy,
A 2001 1.6 16v Astra has multipoint fuel injection not a "worn" carb as you suggested and the figures I quoted are not for single journeys. I have always kept a record of mpg at each fill up for every car I have had (sad I know) and the figures are an average over a period of months. However I agree that the widget may have masked an inherrent design fault on the fuel system, as the reason I bought it was to smooth out the hesitation of the engine (brought about by the emission control of the ECU I have been led to believe. Note: I test drove other 1.6 16v Astras, of a similar age, after purchasing mine and they were the same). The mpg figures without the widget are similar to the manufacturers mpg figures quoted in the vehicle handbook, so I didn't suspect a fault and all I can say is that it did improve on these and reduce (but not remove) the hesitation on my car.
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Kith,
If you look back, you'll see that I did apologise for failing to spot that your Astra was nearly new with a fuel-injected engine, rather than a banger with a worn out carburettor.
An uncle of mine is a retired Vauxhall main dealer bodyshop manager. He was with them for 40 years (it was his brother's firm) and he always has a Vauxhall as his personal car. His current one is a 1.6 Astra and he is very disappointed with the performance and economy. Perhaps this is not a particularly well designed engine and perhaps you happened to strike lucky with what I would call 'dabbling'.
I'm not in a position to judge either way regarding your own personal experience but, as I pointed out in a much earlier posting, the makers of this widget don't even understand the technology and there is no way I would fit the thing to any engine of mine.
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