Car Talk
Saving Fuel & Boosting Power
on a Tight
Budget
One
of the main reasons I decided to have this Car Talk
column was because of my colleague's interest in fuel saving
car accessories for his new MPV. This was especially so with
the high fuel prices, which can only increase further in the
future.
I
found that one of the best ways to save fuel is to actually
enhance the performance of the car. The general tendency is to
ease off a little on the gas pedal
(accelerator)
when the car has additional power. As a result, not only do
you get a more responsive drive but you also reduce the fuel
consumption in the process. This
is a 2-fold
benefit that
is applicable to anyone, including those with little car-care
knowledge.
So
how do I go about making my car more powerful? There are
several ways to achieve
that,
although many
people tend to change the car exhaust system or air
filter.
But
what
I have done is less intrusive, fits into a tighter budget and
yet, still gives my car a subtle power boost that continues to
save me fuel today. Moreover, the accessories that I have had
installed were simple add-ons that could be easily removed
should I change my mind.
The
performance enhancing car accessory I was referring to is
called the Kompressor. It
allows more air intake to the engine which generates a small
boost of power. Even though subtle, this performance
enhancement has given me
an extra 30-40
km
per tank (40 liter capacity) of
fuel for my Perodua Myvi. And best of all, this device
retailed for only RM99. The
only catch was that I had to
tune it properly for maximum benefit.
During
installation (some shops may charge a small installation fee),
the mechanic would tune the Kompressor for me. But without a
proper test-drive, there was no way to determine how effective
that setting would be. In order to obtain the best possible
setting, there was nothing like fine-tuning it myself as I
went along. Fortunately, adjusting the Kompressor setting was
a very simple 3-step process:
1.
Loosen the nut.
2. Turn the valve screw out or in (to open
or close the air outlet valve).
3. Tighten the nut again
(to secure the valve against any further
movement).
 |
 |
|
Kompressor
in the Myvi: The filtered air from the Kompressor is
regulated by an air outlet valve and flows into the
engine via the blue tubing. |
Tuning
the Kompressor: There is only one adjustable setting –
the air outlet valve. Simply loosen the nut (red arrow)
and turn the valve screw (yellow arrow) anticlockwise to
open the valve bigger (or clockwise to reduce the valve
opening). Then tighten the nut
again. |
If you
are unsure which setting you should start with, try with the
Kompressor air outlet valve fully open (i.e. open to the max,
which is one of my favorite settings). Monitor if that setting
gives your car the power enhancement I mentioned earlier and
make additional adjustments as necessary.
An
optional add-on that I also have had installed was the Air
Power Plus. While the improvement to the fuel mileage of my
already “Kompressored” Myvi was minimal, this device
nevertheless gave me a much smoother drive. This was not quite
what I had expected, but I was still more than satisfied with
the result, considering that the Air Power Plus only retailed
for a modest RM58.
However,
the Air Power Plus has a much more significant effect when it
is installed onto a less efficient engine. For example, I
started using the Air Power Plus on my Proton Wira 1.5GL (A)
10 years ago – similar to the Kompressor, it gave me a small
power boost as well as an extra 50 km per tank (50 liter
capacity) of fuel. Even until today, I am still using that
very same Air Power Plus from a decade ago whereby it
continues to save me fuel on a daily basis! How about that for
long term savings from a very modest
investment?
 |
 |
|
Air
Power Plus Kompressor: The Air Power Plus (blue device
in between the blue tubes) complements the Kompressor in
enhancing the driving experience of the Perodua
Myvi. |
Old
and Strong: Originally green in color, the 10-year old
Air Power Plus (see arrow) in my Proton Wira is now
covered in black grease/dirt but is still functional and
continues to give me added power and fuel
mileage. |
But do all fuel saving car
accessories have the same practical benefits? While there is a
wide variety of devices at differing prices and effectiveness,
there are also some that have not worked for me - an example
is the Magnetic Fuel Saver. It only retailed for RM99 and is
comprised of 2 big pieces of magnet that are to be fastened
around the fuel hose. But after trying it out on both the Perodua Myvi and the
Kenari, I decided to return it to exchange for other
accessories instead, as there was no improvement in the fuel
consumption or the engine power.
Besides
installing performance enhancing/fuel saving car accessories,
is there any other way to maximize the fuel economy of the
car? Absolutely… with or without the accessories, there are
still other things that I do to stretch my fuel mileage even
more, and these methods are FREE too. I had previously read a
chain email about fueling up at different times of the day but
I never gave much thought to that until I tested it myself.
When filling up my almost empty fuel tank on hot afternoons, I
found that I had 20-30 km less mileage per tank (40 liter
capacity)! Since realizing that expanded fuel gave me so much
less mileage, I try to fuel up only during the cooler periods
of the day (whenever possible), which are at dawn/early
morning and late at night.
It
is also worthwhile to note that not all fuels are the same.
Some provide average performance while others can even perk up
a “lethargic car”. Since trying it out, I found that the
Mobil/Esso Synergy F-1 fuel gives my car slightly better power
(without paying extra for the more expensive Shell V-Power
Racing). And with free membership to ExxonMobil’s Smiles
Driver Rewards program and points that never expire, I have no
reason to complain at all.
Of
course, each person’s driving style makes a significant
difference to the car’s fuel economy too. Reducing/minimizing
hard acceleration (in favor of gradual acceleration) and
easing off on the gas pedal (with light braking) to slow the
car down before stopping (instead of fast driving followed by
hard braking) will greatly reduce fuel consumption. And
whenever my car struggles to climb up a slope or simply to
pick up speed after braking, I would obtain a power boost just
by manually downshifting the auto gearbox/disabling the
overdrive gear (instead of stepping harder on the gas pedal
while still engaged on a less powerful high gear).
I am
certain that many drivers have their own stories about other
different/similar methods which they have tried and found to
be effective for their cars. If you have any experiences which
you would like to share, I would love to hear from you. Happy
motoring and “save” driving.
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Update 1:
Anonymous said...
HI..sorry to post here (blog)
cos i cant send email 2 u via contact us.may i ask u izzit the
fuel consumption will be reduced if we fix the kompressor n
air power plus.i hav a myvi too n i found the fc very
high.after reading ur from ur web page i think of go for a
try.but i hav a fren who work in a car service shop he said it
will reduce our fc but at the same time it will make our car
undarpower because it blocked some of the fuel going too fast
to our engine.do u feel tat? please tell me so i can know
more.thanks a lot =)
Zenetlife replies...
Thanks for alerting us about the error on the Contact Us page
(fixed now).
From my own experience, I found that the
Kompressor made a difference - it reduced my fuel consumption
and gave me a little extra power too (details as in the Car
Talk article). Just don't expect a difference like day and
night, as the effects are subtle. But still, it's been a
worthwhile purchase for me - no regrets at all... the beauty
is, it's not expensive to try and even if it does not impress
you, it doesn't cost much...
I doubt that the
Kompressor will actually block the fuel intake to the engine -
that sounds more like the Magnetic Fuel Saver, which I do
not recommend at all. The Kompressor is attached to the
engine's air inlet (not the fuel hose) and has only one
adjustable setting – the air outlet valve. It merely allows
more air intake to the engine which generates a small boost of
power. But just remember that you need to tune it properly for
maximum benefit.
Meanwhile, the Air Power Plus on
the Myvi was more for a smoother drive (not so much for better
fuel mileage). You can install it at a later time (to see the
effect of each device) or even not at all, but since it was so
inexpensive, I have no complaints at all...
I've heard
different feedback about Myvi's fuel consumption, ranging from
very high to very good... perhaps this is due to the driving
style of each individual. For a change, I drove more aggressively
(explained in the Car Talk article) in the last couple of
months and my fuel mileage worsened sharply... However, most
people are not willing to change their driving habits, so the
Kompressor would then be a very inexpensive way to improve
your car's fuel consumption.
Btw, the Myvi also has very poor
drivability and I will be writing more about that in my next
article, hopefully during my December holidays. Just check
back again later for more updates.
Update 2:
KC Lim said...
"Magnetic Fuel Saver. It only retailed for RM99 and is
comprised of 2 big pieces of magnet that are to be fastened
around the fuel hose."
Can you tell me which is the fuel
hose for myvi?
Zenetlife replies...
It's been a while since I had that Magnetic Fuel Saver
installed. Anyway, I double-checked with my regular mechanic
and he confirmed the Myvi fuel hose, which is as indicated
in the picture below.
Hope the picture helps. The
Magnetic Fuel Saver had not worked for me but perhaps you
will have better luck. Let me know how this goes for you.
Update 3:
Eugene said...
I installed the Kompressor on Wednesday night. You
recommendation has been
excellent as the pickup on the Myvi has improved a lot. Very
responsive. In
fact i think the Kompressor is a better (and cheaper) upgrade
compared to an
open pod air filter like the K&N.
Many thanks to you again. Keep up the good work on your
wonderful website.
Take care & hope to hear from your again.
