# Does the Tornado Fuel Saver Work **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2004, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317 "2004-04-05T07:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/1 "2004-04-05T07:20:10Z")
So I saw the stupid info-mercial abou the Tornado Fuel Saver. Does anyone out there have first hand experience with this? Does it really work like the advertisment says? Here is a link to the device [http://shop.store.yahoo.com/rodi/torfuelsav1.html](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/rodi/torfuelsav1.html) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/2 "2004-04-05T07:33:40Z")
[http://www.wcpo.com/external/dwym/c3b519.html](http://www.wcpo.com/external/dwym/c3b519.html) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/3 "2004-04-05T07:35:23Z")
[http://www.urateit.com/writtenreviews.asp?id=173](http://www.urateit.com/writtenreviews.asp?id=173) ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/4 "2004-04-05T07:38:28Z")
Thanks for clueing me in about [URateIt.com](http://URateIt.com) ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/5 "2004-04-05T11:15:32Z")
Whenever you see something like that, you have to stop and ask yourself, “If there were a simple device that the auto makers could put on the vehicles they produce, one that would result in measurably improved gas mileage, why wouldn’t they do so, especially since they have to meet Federal CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards?” The same goes for things like STP Oil Treatment. I once saw an oil company exec, in an interview, saying that if they could add something to their oil to make it better than their competitors’ products, they’d do it in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/6 "2004-04-05T11:38:38Z")
A year or so ago today, my dad thought he was going to be a millionaire off those things. He got all the tools together, he was contracted out, he even bought a credit card thing. Welll, my mom and I both told him how much it would not work. Anyways, he still did it, and sold one. Now he thinks that he can save golf with this “SIMPLE ECONOMICAL TOOL!” Asshole… ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/7 "2004-04-05T12:43:58Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > The same goes for things like STP Oil Treatment. I once saw an oil company exec, in an interview, saying that if they could add something to their oil to make it better than their competitors’ products, they’d do it in a heartbeat. In this month’s _Choice_ magazine, which does nothing but product testing and evaluation they discussed oil and petrol additives and concluded that none are any use at all. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/8 "2004-04-05T13:26:12Z")
Sorry for the hijack; but speaking of STP, what’s the deal with it? I remember STP patches and stickers when I was a kid. STP seemed to be a respected product on the racing circuit and with people who had “muscle cars”. But as a kid, all I thought was “STP = Racing. The patches are cool.” So what’s STP all about? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/9 "2004-04-05T14:48:10Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Sorry for the hijack; but speaking of STP, what’s the deal with it? I remember STP patches and stickers when I was a kid. STP seemed to be a respected product on the racing circuit and with people who had “muscle cars”. But as a kid, all I thought was “STP = Racing. The patches are cool.” So what’s STP all about? As I understand it, STP is just motor oil with an extra dose of detergents. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/10 "2004-04-05T15:24:09Z")
This was discussed a few months ago on the NPR show CarTalk. The reason gas mileage appears to improve a little on the first few drives is nothing to do with the Tornado, it’s all down to driving habits. If you’ve you’ve just installed (and shelled out $ for) a new widget to improve your mileage, then you are more likely to employ better driving tecniques (smoother acceleration, slightly slower speed on the freeway or whatever). Your mileage improves. A month later you’ve forgotten about it, so you revert back to old habits and your mileage drops down again. > [@Enola Straight](#): > > STP is just motor oil with an extra dose of detergents. plus an efficient advertising team 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/11 "2004-04-05T15:42:58Z")
STP was “the racer’s edge,” or at least we all though because of Andy Granitelli’s commercials slippery screwdriver test. Never mind how little fingers on a screwdriver had to do with lubricant film in engine bearings and cylinder walls. It’s just another bit of the long history of advertising demonstrations that we fool ourselves into thinking are relavent to what the product is supposed to do. IIRC a relative who had a new Kenworth trucks said that if the shop did analysys of the oil and found STP the warranty would be voided. IIRC independant test for Slick 50, the teflon additive, were very revealing. In the commercial they show a small Briggs & Stratton type mototor being run with the additive. Then they drain the oil and run the endgine again. Miraculously it keeps running. The independant tests were run under controlled conditions. The motor did keep running for a while as the remaining oil film on the bearings was enough under zero load conditions of idling. The motor eventually siezed up. A similar motor that never had the additve had its oil drained and it ran longer. It seems the teflon particles tended to clog oil galleries which kept the bearings from being lubricated enough. If such wonder devices and snake oils performed as claimed under unbiased, controlled testing they wouldn’t have to hawk them on infomercials. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/12 "2004-04-05T15:43:29Z")
If people adjusted their tire pressure monthly, they’d probably be surprised at how much that helps, and that’s based on **science** God forbid anyone do anything based on science. Anectdotal evidence sells, not science. Ain’t no one slowing down either. The energy needed to go 70mph is something like twice the energy needed to go 50, and no one is slowing down. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/13 "2004-04-05T15:53:13Z")
What I like about the webpage is where the Tornado has appeared in popular auto magazines. Yes, as paid ads, or perhaps a consumer warning not to buy this item.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-tornado-fuel-saver-work/238317/14 "2004-04-05T16:58:40Z")
Here is what STP claims to do on their web page located at [http://www.stp.com/oil\_oil.html:](http://www.stp.com/oil_oil.html:) > [@](#): > > FIGHTS FRICTION TO HELP PROTECT AGAINST ENGINE WEAR BY PROVIDING A THICKER CUSHION BETWEEN MOVING ENGINE PARTS > > USE EVERY OIL CHANGE > > High viscosity formula is specially formulated to help fight metal to metal friction by providing a thicker cushion between moving engine parts. Excellent for all cars, light trucks and SUV’s. > > STP® Oil Treatment fights friction to help: > > Protect against engine wear > Reduce oil consumption > Protect engine parts Also, their FAQ page at [http://www.stp.com/faq\_oil.html](http://www.stp.com/faq_oil.html), they say: > [@](#): > > What do STP® Oil Treament products do? > Motor oils are carefully formulated lubricants that perform many important functions including: cooling engine parts, keeping them clean, and protecting them against rust, corrosion, and wear. One of the most important functions of oil is to lubricate, by forming a cushion between moving parts to help them slide easier. This reduces metal-to-metal contact and friction, a major contributor to heat, wear, and premature aging of engine parts. STP® Oil Treatment fights this metal-to-metal fiction by providing a thicker cushion of oil between moving engine parts, thus helping to protect against engine wear. > > Where does sludge come from? > Sludge is a thick, sticky residue that can form inside your engine through a combination of combustion by-products (oil oxidation residue, carbon and water). Water condenses as a result of a hot engine cooling down. The oil mixes with the resulting water and forms the thick sludge that sticks to the engine parts. Frequent cold starts and short trips contribute to this condition, by not allowing the engine oil to heat up enough to vaporize and remove the water. Sludge is detrimental in that it can clog key oil passages such as oil drain-back holes and, in some cases, block the oil pick-up screen in the oil pan, causing engine oil starvation (not enough oil). STP® Oil Additive products contain detergents, which can help suspend sludge in the motor oil, preventing it from accumulating inside your engine. There are actually some additives they COULD have chosen to use, such as ZDDP, or calcium that would provide increased wear resistance, at least in extremely high-stress metal-to-metal situations. They might use them, but they don’t ADVERTISE that they use them. Regarding claims that higher viscosities protect motors better, I call _BUNK_. While some engines do profit from a higher viscosity oil than reccomended by the manufacturer (a small-block chevy like the LT1 motor in my Chevy Caprice comes to mind), in street applicationsl many modern engines would actually show more benefit from LOWER viscosity oils than are reccomended. Both Honda and Ford are reccomending 5W20 motor oils for most of their vehicles in the North American market, and used oil analyses are showing extremely satisfactory wear numbers with those oils. Ford’s service bulletin reccomending 5W20 actually retroactively reccomends this weight for the Crown Victoria from 1992 through present, with its 4.6 Liter V8. 5W20 issues aside, if you don’t want to run the 5W30 your automaker reccomends, you could just put in 5W40 or 15W40.