Does acetone boost fuel mileage?

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Anecdotal evidence suggests that adding acetone to gasoline can increase mileage, but these claims have not been independently verified under scientific conditions. Also, acetone is a solvent. It can strip paint from a car or truck if it spills while adding to the gas tank; More importantly, it can remove rubber gaskets and plastic tubes from a vehicle’s engine.

Many compounds are claimed to increase mileage in cars and trucks. It is claimed that they operate in different ways; Acetone is said to improve the combustibility of gasoline. Under normal circumstances, untreated gasoline is injected into the combustion chamber as a fine mist. Adding acetone to gasoline is said to make the droplets in the fog finer, thus increasing combustion efficiency and gasoline mileage. It is said that only a small amount is needed, around 6 to 8 oz. (177 to 250 ml) for a 20 gallon (75.71 l) tank.

Claims of acetone’s usefulness as a mileage enhancer are usually found on Internet bulletin boards, especially those that appeal to car and truck owners and similar sites. They are often very credible because those making the claims are not selling anything and clearly will not benefit from someone following their advice. In fact, acetone is commonly available in the US as a solvent used for a variety of purposes, including paint thinners and nail polish removers. It is readily available and relatively inexpensive: a single gallon of acetone could treat more than 16 tanks of gasoline at 20 gallons (75.71 l) each.

There are various claims about the extent to which adding acetone will increase mileage. Some claims are relatively modest, 10% to 15%, but most claim that mileage improvements of 20% to 30% have been realized. However, even on an anecdotal level, there are those who report not seeing any visible difference in their mileage after adding acetone to their gas. It’s also important to note that efforts by independent testing labs to replicate the claims have so far been unsuccessful.

Gas mileage is a measure of a car’s efficiency that is more accurate the longer it is measured. There are many variables that affect fuel economy, including outside temperature, winds, type of road, average speed driven, etc. Thus, a car could get two significantly different mileage measurements on two separate tanks of gas. Some of those who have claimed increased mileage by adding acetone to their gas admit that they have experimented with a single tank of gas up until now. There is also the possibility that they unconsciously adopt better driving habits while testing the acetone because they are more focused on their fuel consumption.

There are three main reasons why it is doubtful that adding acetone to gasoline will increase mileage. First, the oil companies have not added it to the gasoline they sell. Acetone is extraordinarily cheap to produce and could easily be added to gasoline at the pump, if the gas companies could demonstrate a mileage-improving benefit. Second, automobile manufacturers, who have an interest in helping their customers improve their fuel economy, do not recommend the practice. Third, given the wide range of products marketed as gasoline additives that are of questionable value, if there was any substance to the claims that acetone can increase mileage, some company would have been trying to make money off of it.

It is often helpful advice that if a substance is not known to be harmful, it is worth trying. Acetone, however, is a solvent. It will corrode rubber seals and washers in a vehicle’s fuel supply system, and if the system includes rubber or plastic tubing, it will attack its components as well. Mixed with gasoline in the suggested amounts, acetone’s destructive effect on engine components will be slow acting, but the potential for serious engine damage is very real.

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