Social media has been a buzz about fuel tablets being used to save fuel. Energy giant Sasol and Masterdrive have discouraged their use. File Picture:: Dave Thompson/Bloomberg
Durban - Energy giant Sasol and MasterDrive have discouraged the use of “fuel pills” to save fuel amid the rising cost of petrol.
Last week, the petrol price increased to record levels with an increase of R2.57 for 95 unleaded petrol (ULP) in Gauteng, which pushed the cost to R26.74. The R2.37 increase for 93 ULP pushed the fuel price to R26.31. The record increase has left motorists scrambling, looking at potential ways to save fuel.
Social media has been abuzz about fuel tablets being used to save fuel. Some of the posts say that if motorists want to save fuel and make it last longer, the fuel pill is the solution. The product promises to save at least 15 to 25% on fuel. Adrian Velaers, senior mechanical engineer: technical marketing research service at the Sasol Fuels Research Centre in Cape Town, said fuel pills simply did not work.
“The petrol or diesel you purchase at the pump contains a certain energy content, and modern engines are effective in releasing all of this in the combustion process. Without adding more energy content, you cannot improve fuel consumption significantly.”
Velaers said small benefits could be obtained from additives that cleaned injectors/valves, and additives that reduced friction, which these pills did not claim to do. “Even with such additives, this would result in a fuel consumption benefit of no more than 3%. Most branded fuels already have such additives included, so adding further additives, even good ones, would make no further difference.
“They may block filters, damage the fuel gauge or release chemicals which could cause engine damage. These products are typically not approved by car manufactures and not covered by your warranty. In some cases their use could void your warranty.” Velaers said these products were not new. “They have been debunked and proven ineffective many times over a long time. They remain an easy way to make money from unsuspecting motorists, and indeed reselling agents.”
Eugene Herbert, chief executive of MasterDrive, said a pill that claimed to be able to save motorists fuel and reduce emissions was not new. Internationally, companies that developed this pill had all halted production or been forced to stop legally.
“This is because the pills contain a substance called naphthalene, which can marginally reduce consumption and emissions in certain circumstances, but which also causes a build-up of carbon deposits that later result in poor performance.”
Herbert said that in one instance internationally, a fuel pill also contained a metallic compound called ferrocene.
“According to the International Organisation for Standardisation, which sets the global standards for fuel, it is recommended that this not be added to fuel tanks as it causes deposits to build up on spark plugs after as little as 5 000km, resulting in misfiring engines and bad acceleration. In some tests, this ingredient actually increased consumption, along with a number of other negative effects.”
Professor Irrshad Kaseeram, of the University of Zululand’s Economics Department said that while it was not advisable to use fuel pills, short- and long-term strategies were needed to deal with fuel price. “With the fuel price reaching record highs, we need to look at things we did during the pandemic, such as working from home.
“We also should look at carpooling and lift clubs as ways of saving fuel. We also need rail to come to the party to assist with transport. The other thing is to look at public transport such as buses and larger taxis that can transport people and save money.”
Kaseeram said the government needed to look at other sources of energy to alleviate the rising fuel price. “The government needs to turn to renewable energy and also look at investing in electric energy ... There are challenges in South Africa due the electricity crisis that we are facing; however it is something that is doable.”
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