frequently asked questions
Q. What is Fuelstar and what does it do?
A. Fuelstar is a fuel combustion catalyst. It is not a liquid additive but is a bolt-on device. It comes in a canister which, for a medium work vehicle, is the size of a soft drink can. The fuel line is cut in the engine compartment and the canister is bolted to the engine. The fuel line is then reconnected so the fuel flows through the canister. The canister contains metal alloy pellets, the main ingredient of which is tin. With the aid of movement and vibration, minuscule particles of metallic tin are released into the fuelstream. These particles are invisible to the naked eye but can be seen in the laboratory using a microscope. The particles are reactive and when they reach the combustion chambers a reaction takes place giving a more complete fuel burn. This translates to (a) more power and/or less fuel, (b) lower emissions and (c) prolonged engine life. The increase in power output is normally 10% or more and, if the extra power is not used, the the reduction in fuel consumption will be by like amount; that is, 10% or more. It operates with both petrol and diesel engines.
Q. If Fuelstar is as good as is claimed, why is it that engine manufacturers don't install it from new?
A. We find that the engine manufacturers are all heavily preoccupied with their own development programs. However, our product is currently being observed by some of them.
Q. Will the Fuelstar have any adverse effect on my engine warranty?
A. No. If there is a problem which is attributable to Fuelstar then the Fuelstar company will rectify the problem. If there is a problem and it's not attributable to Fuelstar then the engine manufacturers will still stand behind their warranty. In more than 200,000 installations, Fuelstar has never caused any engine damage of any type. To the contrary, in providing a more complete combustion, Fuelstar will actually prolong engine life.
Q. Can I be assured that the Fuelstar will not have any adverse effect to my engine?
A. Yes, by giving a more complete fuel burn, the Fuelstar keeps internal engine operating surfaces cleaner, thus prolonging the life of engine components (especially fuel injectors and spark plugs) and engine oil. It has no adverse effects at all.
Q. Most modern engines have high pressure fuel injection systems. Can the Fuelstar withstand those pressures?
A. Absolutely. The highest pressures encountered in the fuel lines of gasoline (petrol) or diesel engines rarely exceed 0.7 MPa (100 psi). The Fuelstar canister has a working pressure of at least 20 MPa and a burst pressure of 34.5 MPa (5000 psi). The extremely high pressures encountered in modern common rail diesels after the induction point into the engine have no apparent effect on the nanometric tin particles produced by the Fuelstar canister. Likewise, the particles, being less than 100 nanometers (0.1 micron), have no adverse effect on the fuel system componentry. In fact, the tin particles have a degree of lubricity which will prolong the life of such components.
Q. Most newer petrol engines have moulded plastic and sometimes solid metal fuel lines. Is it possible to successfully tap into those line types?
A. Yes, it is relatively simple for any competent mechanic. If any specialist assistance is required, consult one of the authorised Fuelstar installers listed in the installation instructions which accompany the product.
Q. Can it be used on the new common rail diesels that have fine tolerances?
A. Yes, experience has shown that it brings about a significant improvement when used in common rail diesel engines.
Q. Does the Fuelstar have any adverse effect on catalytic converters, diesel oxidation catalysts or particulate traps / filters?
A. No. In fact to the contrary. In providing a more complete fuel burn, the Fuelstar reduces the load on these components.
Q. With what fuels can the Fuelstar fuel combustion catalyst be used?
A. Petrol, avgas, diesel, biodiesel, fuel oil and propane (LPG). It can be used in all internal combustion engines and also in oil fired burners.
Q. Can the Fuelstar be used with engines running on high octane petrol (gasoline)?
A. Yes and a significant improvement can be expected in engine performance. However, where the Fuelstar really comes into its own, is the ability of the product to enable the engine to run as well or almost as well on lower grade fuel with the Fuelstar as it did on the higher grade without the Fuelstar.
Q. Has the Fuelstar product been approved by the Government?
A. Yes, the product is the subject of Executive Order D-572 issued by the California Air Resource Board (the most stringent test authority in the world), approving the product for sale in the State of California.
Q. Has the product been tested?
A. Yes, the product has been installed to more than 200,000 engines in a period spanning more than 20 years and has therefore survived 200,000 tests in the Real World.
Q. Has the product been formally tested by an independent test laboratory?
A. Yes, it has been successfully tested by several independent test laboratories. The most extensive test was that done by California Environmental Engineering LLC which revealed a reduction in fuel consumption by 27% and in carbon dioxide, the main contributor to Greenhouse Gases, by 31%.
Q. How come the oil companies don't add the product when they produce diesel or petrol (gasoline)?
A. The reactive tin particles, which are added to the fuel, are colloidal and will remain in suspension for a relatively short time only. If added to diesel or petrol at the refinery, the particles would fall out of suspension. This is why it is necessary to instal the product as close to the engine as possible.
Q. What sort of reduction in fuel consumption could I expect?
A. We have numerous instances where the fuel consumption has been reduced by 15% and more. However, we consider a reasonable expectation to be 10%. Anything over and above that should be regarded as a bonus. In fact, most of our customers would be satisfied with 5%.
Q. Will the product do anything to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions?
A. Yes. For a car doing 25 to 30,000 km per year, the emission of GHG would be reduced by 0.5 to 1.0 tonne per year. For a truck doing 150,000 to 250,000 km/year, the emission of GHG would be reduced by 20 to 30 tonnes per year.
Q. Are there any occasions where the Fuelstar will not work as claimed?
A. Occasionally the product will not intially work as claimed. For example if the product is too small for the application or too large or is installed upside down etc it will not work. However, these problems are purely temporary and can be easily rectified by Fuelstar's technical personnel.
Q. Have there been any formal tests of the Fuelstar product which have produced fail results?
A. Yes, there have been two formal tests which produced fail results. The first was in 1997 by the University of Melbourne acting under instruction from The New Zealand Automobile Association. In that case, the Fuelstar unit was not bolted to the engine but was left laying on the floor of the test laboratory in a static position. This was contrary to our published installation instructions and to our specific instructions given to the NZAA prior to the test. It is critical that the unit be bolted to the engine as the movement causes friction of the metal pellets which is critical to the operation of the product. The second was in a test conducted by Orbital Australia on instruction of the Western Australian Consumer Department. In that case, with the benefit of hindsight, we know that the Fuelstar was oversized for the application. Had the unit been installed to a vehicle of a customer, we would have supplied a smaller unit had we not achieved the desired result. In this case we did not have that opportunity. It must be borne in mind that these two agencies did not conduct tests to see whether or not the Fuelstar worked but rather they performed the tests with the objective of obtaining a fail result.
Q. Will the product emit any toxic substances such as tin?
A. Tin generally is non-toxic. That is why it has been used for centuries for
the storage of food...in cans lined with tinplate and more recently in
tinfoil. There are some forms which are toxic such as tri-butyl tin, but
the form in which we use it, it is non-toxic.
During the combustion process any remaining tin metal is converted to tin sub-oxides. In any event, tests done by the Safety in Mines Testing and Research Centre at Redbank in Australia
showed no measurable emissions of tin.
Most of the tin oxide formed during the combustion process is deposited on
piston crowns and in the exhaust system. And, as we are dealing with
nanochemistry, the amount involved is very small anyway.
So...the tin emitted is immeasurable and the CO2 reduction brought about by
the Fuelstar is in the order of one half tonne per annum for a car and 30
tonnes per annum for a truck.
The balance is certainly all one way....in our favour.
Q. Can I install the Fuelstar myself?
A. We recommend that the Fuelstar be installed by a duly qualified mechanic. Any competent mechanic should be able to instal the product within one hour. Most garages in NZ are experienced in installing Fuelstar, but should there be any difficulty please consult with one of our authorised installers, the names of which appear in the detailed installation instructions which accompany the product.
Q. If I replace my vehicle, can I move the Fuelstar from the existing vehicle to the new vehicle?
A. Yes, provided the engine is not substantially larger or smaller.
Q. Where can I purchase Fuelstar?
A. Fuelstar may be ordered on-line or by telephone/fax direct from the Fuelstar company.
Q. Can I pay by credit card?
A. Yes. The Fuelstar company accepts Visa, MasterCard and Amex.
Q. If the Fuelstar does not live up to my expectations, can I return it?
A. Yes, of course, provided the unit is returned within 90 days of purchase. However, in sales of more than 200,000 units we have had virtually no units returned for refund...quite an enviable record.
The Fuelstar canister is easy to instal and will usually outlive the engine.
Different sizes of canisters are available for different sizes of engine.
Life of product: 2 million km or 25,000 engine operating hours in the case of an off-road or stationary engine.
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