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DO YOU HAVE A 100 MILES PER GALLON CARBURETOR?

Actually, you do.

It is not that Detroit or the oil giants have been hiding a miracle carburetor from us all these years because they are afraid of losing money. The problem is that even with steady advances in engine efficiency over the years, we (the public, the ones with the buying power, you and me!) have squandered those advances with bigger and heavier vehicles filled with all kinds of frills and luxuries. All that stuff weighs a lot, and that big frame has to push a lot of air out of the way to hurtle down the highway at 75 miles per hour.

With present-day technology and a sane vehicle design, a conventional car could easily get 40 or more miles per gallon and a sub-compact could get well over that.

(article continues below, after all of our editors' comments -- just can't get away from those guys . . .)
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NOTE FROM THE EDITORS:

Be wary of any advertising claiming to have devices or fuel additives that can magically increase your gas mileage. The best way to increase your fuel efficiency is absolutely free! -- accelerate slowly, anticipate traffic events far down the road so you can take your foot off the accelerator and coast when it is obvious you can't go anywhere fast (like a traffic signal changing to red a quarter mile ahead) and drive at slower highway speeds. We found an excellent website that discusses many different gadgets and fuel additives that claim to increase your mileage (and debunks most of them): fuelsaving.info.
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ANOTHER NOTE FROM THE EDITORS:

Sign up for our Better Fuels Newsletter. We are always on the lookout for real breakthroughs in fuel technology and are eager to share what we find with you, especially things that can be quickly applied in our everyday lives. We promise not to fill your inbox with a lot of junk and will only send you information that we consider valuable.
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YET ANOTHER NOTE FROM THE CRANKIEST OF OUR EDITORS:

In my decidedly not expert opinion, it seems to me that these "water for gas" devices cannot possibly increase fuel economy (not possibly, as in it would violate the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics if they did). The hydrogen is generated by electrolysis (powered by the car's battery) with electrodes immersed in a mason jar filled with distilled water. The energy available by recombining the hydrogen with oxygen in the fuel system would be exactly the same as the energy drained from the battery in liberating the hydrogen from the water, less efficiency losses due to entropy (enter the 2nd Law).

Here is a link to a site that explains the energy balance in electrolysis and fuel cells, if you are technically inclined and want to delve into the subject further: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/thermo/electrol.html.

The only way that I can see that this device would improve fuel economy would be if the tiny amount of hydrogen added to the fuel did something that I don't understand to improve the combustion of the gasoline to give more power to the engine instead of having some of it leave as HC to be dealt with by the catalytic converter. There may be a tiny window here for someone to convince me I'm wrong.

Here are links to a couple of the most popular of these products: DOUBLE YOUR MILEAGE USING WATER and RUN YOUR CAR ON WATER. If you decide to buy one of these guides for converting your car to "run on water" we would love to hear from you about your experience, whether positive or negative. Sign up for our newsletter in the box above and we will relay comments from other tinkerers as well.

The best explanation I can give for why a lot of people claim to get improved fuel economy from these things is the placebo effect: for the first time in forever, they are paying attention to their fuel economy and thus subconsciously improve their driving habits to eliminate waste. I've done this consciously while driving around town and have gotten a 10% increase in gas mileage with absolutely no VooDoo devices under the hood.

In any case, I am suspicious enough that "water for gas" devices are a crock of hooey that I talked us all out of promoting them on this site, even though we get a lot of relevant traffic here. We want to make money, but there is an ethical divide we will not cross.

I am certainly open to anyone proving my understanding wrong and convincing me that these things do work. The planet would be grateful, too. In the meantime, plug-in hybrids, anyone?

If you think you can convince me I am wrong, please sign up for our newsletter in the box above, and send me an email with your discussion to me at:

finalauthority (at) greenrealist (dot) com .

I will gladly share credible information from you with our newsletter readers! ____________________________________________________________________________
Renewable Energy Solutions.

Your Guide To Solar Panels, Wind Generators And More! 14 Years Experience Living Off Grid.
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Until we demand that the auto makers change their short-sighted habits and produce more efficient vehicles (plug-in hybrids, anyone?), we are stuck with what we have already invested thousands of dollars in that is sitting out there in the driveway. But, there are some simple things we can do to improve our fuel economy:

1. Get a tune-up. New plugs and a clean fuel injection system will improve your mileage immediately.

2. Be sure your tires are properly inflated. The guys at the shop usually put 32 psig in your tires, because that is what they've always done (the ride is a little more comfortable with squishy tires), but you can inflate your tires several psi higher than that and improve your gas mileage by reducing rubber-to-road friction. It will also make your tires last longer.

3. Unload all that unnecessary cargo. If you use your car's trunk as a mini-storage warehouse, you are paying a lot in fuel efficiency to haul all that stuff around. Other than passengers and basic safety equipment, leave the rest behind.

4. When driving around town at low speeds, avoid running your air conditioner. A little wind in your hair is refreshing, anyway.

5. Experiment with your car's performance and find the lowest octane gasoline that you can run effectively with. Most cars do not require high octane gasoline. Burning a lower octane fuel may increase your gas mileage a little or not at all, but it will definitely save you a bundle of money.

6. Don't drive any faster than you really have to. Wind resistance is a huge factor in fuel consumption.

Implement these things today and feel good about yourself for decreasing your personal carbon footprint. And start saving your pocket change in a big jar so you can buy a hybrid the next time around.