Pulstar plugs...really increase MPG

[MarkB]

I stumbled upon this and after reading around I think these might really be the trick. They are spark plugs with capacitors inside which discharge a much more powerful spark. Apparantly they were tested by the EPA and they got a 2.7% increase in fuel efficiency. Pulstar claims a 7% increase and 7% improvement in torque and a 10.5% improvement in horsepower output over regular spark plugs.

I'd really like to see what they could do in a Smart.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006...plug_demo.html

and the official website here http://www.pulstarplug.com/

[Westfield 11]

Hey, you could add a magnetic fuel conditioner, a fuel vortex device and an ultrasonic turbulator and get 300 mpg!!

Seriously though, how much improvement did you get in your SLK. I remember the same claims for the "Splitfire" plug a few years ago. I tried them, but saw no change. The bottom line is that, if your ignition system is functioning as per design specs, a small boost in spark energy makes no difference.

It's funny how people will balk at paying bit more for a factory oil filter, shop around to save a few bucks on an off brand, and then pi$$ away their money on this sort of pie-in-the-sky foolishness.

Most of the tiny improvements are due to placebo effect: you are trying to get the most mpg out of your car during the test and you unconciously drive it in a different manner than you normally do. All it takes is 3 or 4 hard "jack rabbit" starts and there goes your 2.7% improvement, drive softer than usual and you get a 2.7% improvement.
If a car gets 30mpg a 2.7% improvement is .81mpg. since a smart has an 8 gallon tank, you should "see" a 6.48 mile increase in range. And how much does that wonder device cost? If it works it should be amortised right about the time you trade it in on a new one.

[MarkB]

Originally Posted by Westfield 11

Hey, you could add a magnetic fuel conditioner, a fuel vortex device and an ultrasonic turbulator and get 300 mpg!!

Hey don't get me wrong, I'm always the skeptic and I'm usually the first person to tell someone to not believe the hype. The only reason I posted this is because supposedly it was tested by EPA and did show in increase in fuel effeciency. Now I cannot verify this for sure, but I would really like to see if it is possible in a Smart. It's no secret that a high energy spark can improve combustion so it's wishful thinking here on my part. Because the Smart only has 3 cylinders this seems like a relatively cheap experiment for someone to try and post their results. It couldn't hurt!

[SmartBob]

I've never heard of them making any difference. Some help can come from cold air intake and exhaust mods...all about improved aspiration but I won't try anything until it's been proven. Also, any mod that causes damage will prolly void our half-a$$ed warranty.

[Karl Roth]

Wait until the plugs in your car need to be changed. If you still think it is a good deal then, buy them.
karl

[Smartdavis]

There are only 3 plugs. Maybe on a V-12 it would make more difference.

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

Wait until the plugs in your car need to be changed. If you still think it is a good deal then, buy them.
karl

Yeah, you'll need the time anyway to give them (pulstarplug) the opportunity to extend the appplication to smart - currently they don't make 'em for the fortwo.

[Karl Roth]

Originally Posted by SmartCard

Yeah, you'll need the time anyway to give them (pulstarplug) the opportunity to extend the appplication to smart - currently they don't make 'em for the fortwo.

Your lucky day
karl

[Evilution]

Actually, the ignition is pretty poor on the 451.
A company over in the UK have taken a 71bhp 451, added an airfilter, exhaust and new spark plugs and got 115bhp.

We do not currently know what these replacement plugs are and they aren't going to tell us which is fair enough.

But you should be very careful with sparkplugs, just because they have the same thread doesn't mean they are suitable. We had many destroyed engines over here when people tried alternative plugs in the 450.

At the time of writing, Denso do not make a performance plug that will fit the 451 but it will only be time.

[SmartBob]

Evil, do you have any stats of what the cold air intake and exhaust might do? I put a lot of mods on my Neon but plugs or hotter wires had no support as to helping beef horsepower or mileage significantly.

I added:
cold air intake
header
larger bore throttle body
lightweight underdrive pulley
hi pass catalytic converter
cat back exhaust

I won't do any of this to my fortwo for awhile unless I get lots of good news about the bolt ons. My mileage improved slightly but only when I was light on the gas pedal. (Very hard to do with that extra horsepower.)

Also that kind of power boost with just cold air and exhaust on the 451 is a little hard to believe. IMHO I would think a jump to maybe 90-100 bhp more believable.

P.S. I luv te sound of my particular exhaust but that loud drone all the time does get old. It'd be nice to turn it off when desired.