Opinions wanted: acetone mix in gasoline

[duk2n]

Hi guys,

There is some discussion in an offroad spanish forum about the beneficts or mixturing acetone (about 2 ml per liter, that's it a 0.2%) in the gasoline. They said the acetone makes the fuel more fluid and this facilitates combustion. The main benefict would be lower fuel consumption.

Anyone knows something about this? Is it a myth or real?

Opinions, please

 

[Beemerphile]

Hi guys,

There is some discussion in an offroad spanish forum about the beneficts or mixturing acetone (about 2 ml per liter, that's it a 0.2%) in the gasoline. They said the acetone makes the fuel more fluid and this facilitates combustion. The main benefict would be lower fuel consumption.

Anyone knows something about this? Is it a myth or real?

Opinions, please

busted...

Nobrainer’s Think Tank » Acetone in Gasoline – BUSTED!

 

[gpd211]

If it was true it would be all over the news. With the mileage of this bike why would you chance damaging something for a few more miles per tank?

 

[duk2n]

I have been skeptical about this since I read it but, to be honest, they said as well that americans were using it since time ago. So I wanted to ask here to know from the first hand

 

[Cyclerosis]

I used it for a couple of years in my TDI about two years back. Also in my R1200C BMW. It works. Having said that I suspected it was responsible for the premature failure of my fuel filter and I stopped using it. I used 1oz per 10 gallons of fuel. So 1 1/2 oz was all that was necessary in the TDI. You will immediately notice the change in the exhaust note, smoother performance, cleaner combustion (as was evidenced upon a visual inspection of the combustion chamber of my BMW) and higher efficiency numbers. Watch the paint!

 

[Cyclerosis]

Acetone reduces the surface tension of all fluids and does promote better combustion.

 

[Bamo]

Very interesting, never heard of this one.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

Since you asked for our opinions, I'll put my opinion as lower mpg with acetone. I couldn't find the btu content of acetone, but unverified talk says its lower than gas.
Lower btu's = lower energy.
I have a friend that swears buy it, but my money says its conscious driving.
For me its about the energy content in the fuel, and there is less energy in the acetone from what I have read.

 

[Cyclerosis]

Since you asked for our opinions, I'll put my opinion as lower mpg with acetone. I couldn't find the btu content of acetone, but unverified talk says its lower than gas.
Lower btu's = lower energy.
I have a friend that swears buy it, but my money says its conscious driving.
For me its about the energy content in the fuel, and there is less energy in the acetone from what I have read.

It's not an octane enhancer or a btu increasing additive, it just makes the fuel you use burn better by eliminating it's surface tension. Like peeling off the skin, so to speak. I'm not a chemist, but a chance meeting with a chemist prompted me to ask and that's how he explained it.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

I understand surface tension but the injectors are atomizing the fuel pretty good as is, then the fuel gets hit with a fair amount of heat and pressure resulting in immediate vapor.
I don't believe acetone to be much benefit. Now give it an 100% oxygen kick too burn all the unburned fuel, that I would buy.
Higher octane doesn't mean more btu's, it just burns slower.
I would have to see the acetone attain higher burn efficiency in a controlled environment before I would buy in to it.
If you have confirmed this yourself, I may look into it a little father. The friend I said earlier is one of the smartest people I have ever met.
I just haven't had the time or energy to validate his findings.

 

[Cyclerosis]

Turbo, in an earlier post I mentioned extensive use of it over a period of 2 years when I used it in every tank of diesel fuel in my VW TDI. First use was planned for a drive from Holland, PA to Pompano Beach, FL. The car achieved 56 + mpg, which is about 8 mpg better than any other highway trip I had made. After about 6 months, I noticed a surging at highway speeds. That was an indication the fuel filter needed replaced or drained. After changing the fuel filter the symptom disappeared but reoccurred after another year. Next fuel filter change was nearly 6 months later and I discontinued using acetone because I guessed it may have been responsible for premature failure of the fuel filter. During the time of use, however, other than long trips, I tried to use the same fueling station and used the same measured amount of acetone in every tank. mpg was at it's best on the highway naturally, but in everyday commuting, it was also measurably better.

I know this is anecdotal and the records I was keeping are long gone now, but it did work. Although fuel efficiency was the goal, the engine ran much smoother too.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

I don't doubt your findings Cyclerosis, I think it would be fun test in a controlled environment though.
56+ mpg beats my high mpg for a TDI. The best fuel mileage I achieved with my 06 Jetta TDI was 53.75 mpg, which put a smile on my face.

 

[Portilla]

I think there was some fact to adding acetone to fuel for older carbuerated and more primitive fuel injected engines running 100% gas. But today's FI systems have such high fuel pressures and tiny injector nozzles that the gain from increased atomization would be nil. In addition US gasoline/petrol has 10% ethanol that has an "oxygenating" effect. I wouldn't risk the sensitive internals of a modern fuel system for a possible <1% gain.