Acetone in gas, anyone tried this???

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Tue May 10, 2005 1:50 am

It looks like pitting some acetone in the gas tank can increase you MPG.....Anyone tried this??Here the linkhttp://pesn.com/2005/03/17/6900069_Acetone/I'm just wondering if it can make some damage to the engine, as acetone is very corrosive. But you put very low acetone quantity, so I might not be so bad.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Tue May 10, 2005 2:55 am

I hadn't heard about that, seems like it doesn't take much, and the author claims it has been tested with various engine parts without finding any bad effect. I used to be an engineer, so I get a kick out of the one statement:Quote Â»That makes engineers the best source of information of what goes on out there.

CyBeRjUnKiE · Post by **CyBeRjUnKiE** » Tue May 10, 2005 3:34 am

wow that's pretty interesting...I wonder if the gas stations already add those in petro canada's cleaner gas etc....

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Tue May 10, 2005 4:36 am

I would be worried about what it does to seals and hoses. If you happen to spill any on the side of the car when adding it to your gas tank, say bye bye to your paint. Acetone is the same thing as nail polish remover.

CyBeRjUnKiE · Post by **CyBeRjUnKiE** » Tue May 10, 2005 4:54 am

Yes I know...I'm just wondering if gas stations are using this on their gas since they claim their gas cleans your engines etc. Gas on paint is initially pretty bad from what I was told, I'm assuming adding acetone into the gas isn't going to make it any better on your paint either.

bud_one · Post by **bud_one** » Tue May 10, 2005 5:34 am

Question is....Has anyone tried it and does it really work???I for one am a non-believer... jm $.02....

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:54 pm

I'll try it and report back in a week or so. I've been keeping loose records on my mileage since I've bought the Vibe so I know I get 27 mpg +/- 1mpg per fill up. If the gains are significant, they should materialize after one tank.

bud_one · Post by **bud_one** » Wed May 11, 2005 12:49 am

My fingers are crossed for ya buddy...

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Wed May 11, 2005 1:40 am

Quote, originally posted by silver_vibe Â» If the gains are significant, they should materialize after one tank.perhaps, but it may actually take longer to see the full effect. The computers that run these engines supposedly learn and adapt, I don't know what the learning curve is, and when the computer will have reached a steady state in adapting to new fuel characteristics, but it might take more than just one tank. Also, it is really hard to get accurate MPG numbers off just one tank, but I guess if you put some acetone in your gas and you get 600 mles out of that tank, then there wouldn't be much debate about the effectiveness

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Wed May 11, 2005 6:48 am

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 Â»I thought this stuff would really mess up sensors and a lot of stuff on a vehicle. From what I've read, most people are concerned that acetone will corrode the seals.I plan on putting 1.5 ounces in a tank full - I find it very hard to believe that ratio will a) significantly improve mileage and b) cause any lasting damage to seals. After all, gasoline is pretty corrosive too.The only reason I'm trying it is because I searched many forums and many people are claiming it improved their mpg. Many others claim it reduced their mileage too. The one commonality I see in the people that claim a mileage loss is that they used a ratio of 3-6 ounces per 10 gal of gas. From what I've read, that may be too high of a ratio. One of the people that claimed a loss in mpg said their mileage went way up after they stopped using acetone (perhaps the ratio he was using was too high and the acetone left in his fuel system mixed with the fresh gas resulted in a better ratio).If I break the 30 mpg barrier, I'll believe it does something since 31 mpg is 10% greater than my usual best of 28 mpg.

NUBlackshirts · Post by **NUBlackshirts** » Wed May 11, 2005 6:59 am

It did say in the article that too much would hurt your MPG. So it sounds like that part is true. As crazy as it sounds, I found myself looking at acetone in the store today while shopping for spray paint.One question, what would be the best way to get it into your tank. Most funnels are made from plastic. And acetone eats plastic.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Wed May 11, 2005 7:58 am

Quote, originally posted by NUBlackshirts Â»One question, what would be the best way to get it into your tank. Most funnels are made from plastic. And acetone eats plastic.I read one person mixed it with 1 gal in a gas can and then poured it in the tank with the rest of the fuel.It seems like more trouble than it's worth in the longrun, but I am curious now. I'll still try it once.

Thewhite · Post by **Thewhite** » Wed May 11, 2005 8:00 am

Quote, originally posted by NUBlackshirts Â»One question, what would be the best way to get it into your tank. Most funnels are made from plastic. And acetone eats plastic.this guy has a point!!!

Mr. Poopypants · Post by **Mr. Poopypants** » Wed May 11, 2005 10:21 am

I am really curious to see if this helps. If it does, I'll give it a shot, why not. But as far as melting a plastic funnel, gasoline melts plastic too.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Wed May 11, 2005 2:05 pm

OK. I just got back from the gas station. I added 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) to a full tank of gas (13 gal).My last full tank gave me 26.6 mpg (which is in line with my usual 27mpg +/- 1mpg).I plan to drive 160 miles over the next two days. So, that should give me enough time to notice any significant changes in power and engine noise (some people in other forums claim to feel more power and hear less engine noise).BTW - I used a $0.97 plastic funnel and it didn't melt away like they show in cartoons.

NUBlackshirts · Post by **NUBlackshirts** » Wed May 11, 2005 11:52 pm

Hadn't thought about pre-mixing it in a gas can. C'mon brain....wake up!

blake31 · Post by **blake31** » Thu May 12, 2005 2:20 am

Quote, originally posted by NUBlackshirts Â»One question, what would be the best way to get it into your tank. Most funnels are made from plastic. And acetone eats plastic.funny, it doesn't eat through the plastic bottle it comes in...http://www.walgreens.com/store...69193

DavidPIL · Post by **DavidPIL** » Thu May 12, 2005 2:28 am

That does kinda make ya wonder... But I wouldn't use THAT stuff in the gas. I think the stuff you want is found in the paint/thinner section at a home improvement place. That bottle says something about fragrance and Bitrex (though I don't know what that is) I think the plain stuff in the can from a paint place would be the only thing to use.Dave

blake31 · Post by **blake31** » Thu May 12, 2005 2:55 am

i know... i was just making the point that it's pure acetone, yet it's in a plastic bottle.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Thu May 12, 2005 3:03 am

30 miles into the tank...I think it is just due to the power of suggestion, but the engine does feel a bit smoother (totally subjective).I should know my gas mileage effect (if any) by Monday...and that will be objective.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Thu May 12, 2005 3:07 am

1 pint is $4.97 in the WalMart paint dept.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Thu May 12, 2005 3:36 am

Quote, originally posted by silver_vibe Â» 1 pint is $4.97 in the WalMart paint dept.rough math $5 per 16 ounces, that's 8 2oz units, or about 62.5 Â¢ worth of acetone for ten gallons gas. at $2.00 per gallon of gas, 62.5Â¢ buys roughly a third of a gallon of gas. If you get 30 mpg, then that's 300 miles on 10 gallons, so with the modified fuel if you can get 310 miles out of those 10 gallons, then you've broken even.my question is what do you call the new mixture. They refer to gasoline and ethanol as gasohol. Would this stuff be gasotone or aceline? aceline, pronounced like (removed)-o-lean sounds like something an internet filter would object to, or a piece of exercise equipment, so I vote for gasotone

Mr. Poopypants · Post by **Mr. Poopypants** » Thu May 12, 2005 3:55 am

Quote, originally posted by silver_vibe Â» 1 pint is $4.97 in the WalMart paint dept.That is a gallon!

DavidPIL · Post by **DavidPIL** » Thu May 12, 2005 4:21 am

Hey...I kinda like the (removed)-o-lean name. Almost sounds like a weight loss pill or somethin like that.And blake, yeah, I got the joke but when I was reading it I thought, ok, someone who's not thinking might actually just pour nail polish remover in their tank... os I responded.I bought the 1 pint stuff at Big R (kinda like a Farm and Fleet /Fleet Farm or TSC for about $3.89. Needed it for other things but hey, maybe I'll try it too.As for pouring it into the tank, A funnel, even though it's plastic, shouldn't melt that quickly with the stuff flowing through it. Maybe if it sat in it for a while but not to directly pour into the tank.I had an idea of using an old glass Salad Dressing jar to hold the 3 or so oz. as I went to the gas station. But I can't seem to find any. The neck would have been small enough to pour easily into the tank. My next thought was an old Avon cologne bottle which I believe is exactly 3 oz. I will check to be sure. Pre-measured and ready to fill. might just try it today.Dave

Mr. Poopypants · Post by **Mr. Poopypants** » Thu May 12, 2005 4:34 am

What about a little sample liquor bottle?

DavidPIL · Post by **DavidPIL** » Thu May 12, 2005 5:05 am

Quote, originally posted by Mr. Poopypants Â»What about a little sample liquor bottle?mmm, ok, sure... I'm not driving today, I guess it'll be ok. Oh wait, you meant for the (removed)-o-lean? That will work better than my cologne bottle, found out the little spritzer hole was glass and a part of the bottle, would probably take about 3 hours for it all to dribble out.Going to use a 16 oz. Lipton Tea bottle. It's glass and the 3oz mark is right at the bottom of the label, It also fits into the outter fill hole (not the smaller hole where the nozzle goes in) so it should work.Dave

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Thu May 12, 2005 5:22 am

my unsolicited advice is to store the acetone in a container that nobody is going to accidentally interpret as something for human ingestion. A miniature liquor bottle, an iced tea bottle, some fool is going to drink it sooner or later. That would be bad. None of you would do it, but we all know fools, you know how they are (I hope I don't get called a foolist )but it's a hazardous chemical, be safe and treat it as one.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Thu May 12, 2005 5:34 am

Quote, originally posted by Mr. Poopypants Â»That is a gallon!I know the picture is the gallon size - I just found it on the web. That's why I specified it was a pint for $5...BTW, since I'm at work I'm not even sure if it was a pint or a quart...but that is the brand I found at WalMart for $5.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Thu May 12, 2005 6:17 am

Quote, originally posted by joatmon Â»rough math $5 per 16 ounces, that's 8 2oz units, or about 62.5 Â¢ worth of acetone for ten gallons gas. at $2.00 per gallon of gas, 62.5Â¢ buys roughly a third of a gallon of gas. If you get 30 mpg, then that's 300 miles on 10 gallons, so with the modified fuel if you can get 310 miles out of those 10 gallons, then you've broken even.my question is what do you call the new mixture. They refer to gasoline and ethanol as gasohol. Would this stuff be gasotone or aceline? aceline, pronounced like (removed)-o-lean sounds like something an internet filter would object to, or a piece of exercise equipment, so I vote for gasotoneI'll refer to that as joatmon logic Here is silver_vibe logic:Sans acetone: At 28 mpg, 10 gallons yields 280 miles. At $2.00/gallon (I want to know where can I get gas for that?!), that's $20 for 280 miles or 7.14Â¢ per mile. Since I drive 25000 miles per year, that's $1,785.00 annual fuel cost (depressing, isn't it).With acetone (assuming a 10% mpg gain): At 31 mpg, 10 gallons yields 310 miles. At $2.00/gallon (I still want to know where can I get gas for that?!), that's $20 for 310 miles or 6.45Â¢ per mile. Since I drive 25000 miles per year, that's $1,612.50 annual gasoline only cost. Now for the acetone...(assuming I got a pint for $5 and not a quart) $5 for roughly 10 1.5 ounce uses is 50Â¢ per 10 gallon use (again, 310 miles at 31 mpg). So, that's 0.161Â¢ per mile and we again multiply by the 25000 annual mileage and get $40.25. Finally, we get the total annual fuel cost of $1,652.75.So, if I really see a 10% gain (which I still won't believe it 'till I see it), I will save a whopping $132.25 annually if gas is $2 per gallon (savings increase as fuel costs rise). It is not really worth it considering no one knows what the long terms effects are of mixing in acetone...If it really improves mpg significantly, I'll run the numbers again with the actual mpg difference plus the actual fuel cost in So Cal (currently $2.50 per gallon).Ã¢Â€Â¦the moral of all this? I need to stop doing hypothetical math and get back to work so I can buy gasoline.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Thu May 12, 2005 8:52 am

Quote, originally posted by silver_vibe Â»I want to know where can I get gas for that?!http://www.washingtonpost.com/....htmltough break for me, there was a price war between the Wawa and the Sheetz stations here, the government had to step in and force them to stop charging less than wholesale prices for gas. Even so, 87 at the sheetz was 1.999/gallon today probably cheaper (and full service) in jersey though.I drove 34200 miles in the previous one year period, spent ~$1800 on gas, a ten percent increase in mpgs combined with the cost of acetone would have saved me about $130. But, if the acetone could boost mpgs 20% like the web site claimed it could, then I'd be getting over 42 mpg in a vibe, which would be pretty cool.edit 5/13/2005 - now $1.959/gallon

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ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu May 12, 2005 4:25 pm

Quote, originally posted by joatmon Â»probably cheaper (and full service) in jersey though.I've yet to pay over $1.99 for a gallon of gas...ever. All the stations around here run from about $1.99 to $2.07. I've been running no-name fuels since they're the cheapest, and I've actually taken a hit in my economy. I was telling Jahntassa the other night that my last tank only carried me 120 miles before I had to fill.Yes, 120 miles. That's with mostly highway driving at 65 mph. Most likely a fluke, but I think I'll pay a few cents more for Shell next time -- it's a top tier fuel, might provide better value.We'll see.

Mr. Poopypants · Post by **Mr. Poopypants** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:37 pm

Quote, originally posted by silver_vibe Â»I know the picture is the gallon size - I just found it on the web. That's why I specified it was a pint for $5...BTW, since I'm at work I'm not even sure if it was a pint or a quart...but that is the brand I found at WalMart for $5.Oh, ok, I thought that was a picture of the container you bought.

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Fri May 13, 2005 2:43 am

Quote, originally posted by joatmon Â»...if the acetone could boost mpgs 20% like the web site claimed...I'm 100 miles into this tank with the acetone and it doesn't seem like it's making much of a difference in mpg. The gas needle is about where I'd normally expect it to be...I will objectively know for sure by Monday evening (maybe sooner).

goodvibe · Post by **goodvibe** » Fri May 13, 2005 3:16 am

http://theoildrop.server101.co...03213

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Fri May 13, 2005 3:36 am

This topic is already in heavy discussion on the bulletin board for the TV show "Mythbusters" as well. They call this "myth" (I use quotes since I can't say for sure it's only a myth) "the next ice bullet." Any fans of the show would understand the ice bullet reference. Would be interested to see them put it to the test...

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Mon May 16, 2005 1:04 pm

It made no difference. I just filled my car and my mileage with 1.5 ounces of acetone was 25.7 mpg. A bit lower than my usual 27mpg +/-1mpg, but Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was well into the 90's (my temp gauge showed 100 on Saturday at 2) so I had the air conditioner on constantly.

jeffgtx · Post by **jeffgtx** » Mon May 16, 2005 2:10 pm

great so not only did you not get better mileage but you apparently also sped up global warming with your assoline exhaust fumes!

silver_vibe · Post by **silver_vibe** » Mon May 16, 2005 11:35 pm

My next test would be this (it burns cleaner than gasoline):http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/j/k, but I really hate paying $2.50/gal of gas.

zionzr2 · Post by **zionzr2** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 1:46 am

Quote, originally posted by jeffgtx Â»great so not only did you not get better mileage but you apparently also sped up global warming with your assoline exhaust fumes!rofl!!!any updates on this trick???

DavidPIL · Post by **DavidPIL** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:40 am

Hi...My results weren't too conclusive.Last MPG pre Assoline - 29.41st Assoline MPG - 26.7 (All City and 10% AC)2nd Assoline MPG - 29.3 (Mostly City and 25% AC)3rd Assoline MPG - 28.7 (Mostly City and 25% AC)4th Assoline MPG - 27.8 (Mostly City and 45% AC)1st MPG post Assoline - 27.4 (All City and 33% AC)I don't know if it made a difference at all. Going back to the old Marathon Premium for a while to see if there's a difference.When I travel later this Summer, I will try this again. Might have better results on highway miles.Dave

scourge · Post by **scourge** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 1:01 pm

One thing to try is toluene. You can get it at your local LOWE'S or HOME DEPOT as its used as a paint thinner. When you go to WAL-MART, AUTO-ZONE, ADVANCED AUTO, etc to buy gas treatment or octane boosters, you will see this is a prime ingredient. I can speak from experience that it works without causing problems to the engine....so long as you don't try to run with 90% toluene and 10% gas!Go to GOOGLE and do a search for "toluene +race gas" and read up for yourselves. Some may want to try it but I'd wager most won't. But its a shot.

MiamiVibe · Post by **MiamiVibe** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 2:02 pm

It might be better if you do try this on the highway due to the fact that it would be running constantly through your fuel system instead of just sitting there. It would be interesting to put that theory to the test. Good Luck and keep us posted

binary · Post by **binary** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 3:06 pm

*/start smart (removed) commentI hear strawberry quick is supposed to give you better milage and remove the sulfer smell from your exhuast.YMMV*/end smart (removed) comment

cknight725 · Post by **cknight725** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:34 am

Quote, originally posted by binary Â»*/start smart (removed) commentI hear strawberry quick is supposed to give you better milage and remove the sulfer smell from your exhuast.YMMV*/end smart (removed) comment Yep and those MSD, Injen, and Holley stickers on the window add 15hp each too!!Straight from a Chemist:Acetone will eat through rubber seals even in dilute amounts over prolonged periods of time. The key seals that come to mind are: rubber seals or diaphragms in the fuel pump, Injector seals & O rings. Other unknowns are what other byproducts the combustion of assoline creates. I would not be surprised to find out that the catalytic converter or the O2 sensors are damaged because of acetone in the tank. This is an old snake oil story just like the 100MPG Fish Carburetor -- google that one up, its intriguing, just total BS because the assumptions one has to make are just not feasible in real life ....

DavidPIL · Post by **DavidPIL** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:02 am

Please, no more dumb-(removed) comments. It's just research.Quote, originally posted by DavidPIL Â»Hi...My results weren't too conclusive.Last MPG pre Assoline - 29.41st Assoline MPG - 26.7 (All City and 10% AC)2nd Assoline MPG - 29.3 (Mostly City and 25% AC)3rd Assoline MPG - 28.7 (Mostly City and 25% AC)4th Assoline MPG - 27.8 (Mostly City and 45% AC)1st MPG post Assoline - 27.4 (All City and 33% AC)First Follow-up2nd MPG post Acetone - 28.9 (All City and 0% AC)3rd MPG post Acetone - 33.9 (All Highway and 90% AC)4th MPG post Acetone - 29.4 (50% City and 50% AC)5th MPG post Acetone - 32.9 (All Highway and 90% AC)6th MPG post Acetone - 29.9 (All Highway and 50% AC)Still, my findings are inconclusive mainly because of the city to highway differences. The All Highway mileages are from my trip to Knoxville. The trip took 1016 miles total at an average of 32.1 MPG. THis is the number that I will compare to my next trip to the same location next week which will give me a direct comparison on the numbers.In any case, I'm very happy with my GT's mileage. I'm easily getting 2 to 3 over the rated MPG. Dave

binary · Post by **binary** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:39 am

Quote, originally posted by DavidPIL Â»Please, no more dumb-(removed) comments. It's just research.My comments were the smart (removed) ones... I'm not the one pouring fingernail polish remover in my gas tank. Okay, all jiving aside. It's good to know that it doesn't really help, thanks for taking the time to post your results. That is really good MPG for a GT - I would have upgraded if I thought I could get that...

DavidPIL · Post by **DavidPIL** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:23 pm

Neither am I.

binary · Post by **binary** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:24 pm

Quote, originally posted by DavidPIL Â»Neither am I.Oh, I thought you were doing research on how acetone added to gasoline affects your fuel efficiency?Wikipedia says "Acetone is often the primary (or only) component in nail polish remover."

ToolGuy · Post by **ToolGuy** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:52 pm

This is the first I have heard of this as well. I would be willing to try it first in my lawnmower though.I will post it to some other sites I belong to.