Fuel Fix PRO Exposed

Above, advertisement for the Fuel Fix PRO.

A few minutes ago, I checked the Flying J website to see what the current price for unleaded regular at the local Flying J in Jamestown, New Mexico.

Well, a little good news. The price went down a penny to $4.149/gallon.

While we're on the subject of gasoline, have you seen ads for a fuel-saving gadget called Fuel Fix PRO? It supposedly saves fuel just by plugging it in to your vehicle. 

Well, RV Travel checked it out and here's how they start their article:

With motor fuel prices higher than an upset cat’s back, who wouldn’t want to increase their fuel economy? Recently a slew of articles have appeared in legitimate media for little devices that plug into your vehicle’s OBD2 port. They make comforting promises: “Lower your car’s fuel consumption up to 45% with this amazing device.” [fuelfixpro] “EcoOBD2 adjusts itself to the vehicle, according to the driver’s habits and always maintains the remapping ECU to save fuel and reduce discharge.” “EcoOBD2 Saves 15% fuel for Benzine cars.” Drop your consumption by 45%? Are these fuel savings for real?

“One size fits all”?

How do these “fuel-saving devices” work? The typical advertisement says something like this one, from EcoMaxFuel: “Every modern car made after the year of 1996 has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). This is the car’s brain, and it monitors the performance and optimization of the engine. Once installed and you’ve driven around 150 miles with the EcoBox Fuel Saver connected, it will have enough data to begin tuning your car’s computer for lower fuel consumption.”

RV diesel rig owners have been using electronic chip technology to help them develop more engine power for years. But no matter what engine you have, you can’t just buy a “generic” chip and plug it into your rig. Each chip is specifically designed for the rig, year, and model. Engineers analyze how each vehicle’s computer operates, and “map” a variety of parameters to make it all work. With all this work, it’s no surprise you’ll spend a few hundred bucks for an aftermarket chip. It’s not some sort of “one size fits all” affair. 

Video reveals the truth

With that in mind, it’s reasonable to ask: How can somebody reprogram an ECU with a fuel-saving device that sells for anywhere from less than $10 to up to $70? And how can these fancy fuel-saving devices do “one size fits all” for literally hundreds of different vehicles? The simple answer is—they can’t.

So, just what are you getting if you buy one of these little plug-ins? Put simply—a little plastic box with a blinking light. We found an exposé YouTube video that shows just what you get. David Jones, an Australian engineer with a Type A personality, has been cranking out weekly YouTube casts under his EEVblog. Jones says he has a 25-year history in electronics design.

To read more, go here.