Soltron - the Magic elixir - an update?

50mph on roundabouts

Milton Keynes - hence the reason Chrysler built automatics. At ohh dark early you can do 70+ over the roundabouts and more on the straights - course could always get up earlier but Virgin don't seem to sort the trains out so why bother...

No point swapping JFM Mr & Mrs cars as JFMs works car park roof is so low that JFM would have the worlds only open top M class.

Compliments of the season

Barry
 
Health warning - keep away

Yes sorry Barry (who's 6 foot ++ for those who've not mettim), sorry for all the cuts and bruises about your head caused by you thwacking into roof of our office carpark, ....or was it when I crashed the car..... or both. Eek. Fancy taking me sailing? I'll probly cause us all to drown.
 
Soltron -need proper measurement, MBM help Kim?

Depsol - thanks. I have not tested the bug-killing qualities of Soltron, just the mpg factor. I don't doubt the bug killing abilities, and I sed in my post that I was only looking at mpg.

Clearly you can't have economy and performance improvement, it's one or the other. You and matts make a valid point about leadfooting. I mean if the driving style is to press the pedal to the metal then if solly is a benefit the car will just accelerate faster and use the same amount of fuel. Alternatively if the driving style is to keep speed/accel the same then solly will result in fuel saving if it lives up to its claims.

The fact is, driving style is combination of the above, for anyone. Sometimes pedal is to the metal, sometimes it's not. I would therefore expect to see some improvement, praps half of the claimed 5%, but I didn't, and I therefore doubt the claims about Solly.

If you happen to have a lab, this stuff is easy to prove. You just run an engine with/without solly and measure the consumption for a given power output, or you measure the power output at WOT. Yet solly has never produced such figures, nor apparently commissioned a lab to do it. And the fuel/engine manufacturers have not adopted this product that gives a magic 5% increase. The only evidence is highly anecdotal, not lab-measured, like Priddy's comments etc. And when someone like me does a "proper" measurement, admittedly half-arsed or praps only 1/4 arsed, it shows sod all benefit from Solly. So all a bit suspicious IMHO.....

I repaeat that solly may be good stuff for diesel bug, no reason to doubt that. I just dont think it produces consumption/power benefits in a bug-free modern diesel but I'd be really pleased to be proved wrong on this by someone who could produce evidence (not anecdote), even 1/2 arsed, to the contrary.

Since we collectively are big diesel users I wonder if MBM could commission a lab to do a proper test to answer this question. Seems to me that all of us and many MBM readers would be very interested in the result. Kim, any chance?
 
Re: Soltron -need proper measurement, MBM help Kim?

Dont forget in a boat you usually keep the revs about the same for a whole journey therefore it is easier to get a recording and see how much is saved on MPG.

I have fuel quality tests from a lab which has taken two samples one treated the other untreated and have the results showing a marked improvement on the fuel combustability. I have also been privvy to info from Queens University of Dublin (Soltron asked them to test it) who tested it and found it to work in all its claims. I am sure if it didn't do even half of what it claims then the company would have been sued years ago for false advertising (or any litigation referring to this sort of thing, help me out here legal bods!) and would not be trading anymore.

Priddy found approx 8% improvement on fuel efficiency and he even took his comparitive measurements on the second leg of his jurney without Soltron after it had cleaned through the boats system. As you say only a lab can test it accurately to measure like for like.

I think an independant magazine should give it a trial in all the claims on a proper test bed. Come on MBM us boaters want to see whats good for us other than cleaning materials and electric gadgetry.

I'm sorry it didn't give you a good return on your wifes car (I hate trying to help people to find out it didn't work for them) however, as you see Geoffs seemed to do ok so Soltron has one happy customer and one unhappy one (except for me and my customers of course!), not a case for failure yet I think?

I think maybe testing a product in a magazine has something to do with advertising in it that is why they have not responded to everyones request for a test however, I do seem to recall Soltron advertising in PBO and MBY. Oh speaking of PBO they tested it for bug and cleaning qualities and even MPG I think (must dig it out) and it came out good.

Me thinks more testing and results required before anyone write it off, do you not agree?
 
Re: Soltron -need proper measurement, MBM help Kim?

Thanks Depsol. Fully agree a labtest would be good. With all due respect, Geoffs analysis was a bit erm anecdotal. I hope MBM take up this idea, I feel sure many readers would like to know. I hope there isn't a prob over advertising, they could do a comparative test on other fuel additives at the same time as testing Soltron, if they're worried about supporting just the one product.

I'm continuing my 1/2 aresed experiment till I get say 3000 miles with and 3000 without Solly, will take a couple of months. I'm pretty confident that should show up an improvement of 8% if it existed, though I think that's a wild claim on Priddy's part and frankly wrong, unless of course his diesel was contaminated and the Solly cleaned it up. Remember my test was CLEAN auto diesel in a pretty modern diesel engine, so I was not testing solly's ability to make dodgy diesel more combustible.

Kim, MBM, can you help with a test??
 
Re: Soltron -need proper measurement, MBM help Kim?

I’ve been sitting on the side here for a while watching the debate, thought I ought to chip in, if I may.

I believe I saw a power improvement in the car ( BMW 320D, new March 2001, now done 13,000 miles) when I started using Soltron, in October. Now, this is a qualitative assessment, or anecdotal if you like. I didn’t see any economy improvement, but realised that perhaps I was dissipating any economy using the power. Prior to Soltron I’d done a few trips to Poole and checked fuel usage using the on board trip computer.

I usually leave fairly early and can engage cruise control for a lot of the journey. The trip computer may not be accurate, but should be repeatable. Over several trips I’d got a pretty good idea of consumption on this journey. The computer was even able to discriminate between the outward and return journeys. I live about 100m above sea level, so outward is downhill, and back is uphill, on average. The average mpg over these trips (out & back) was very repeatable and almost exactly 50mpg.

Doing the trip using Soltron I got 52mpg, again repeatable over quite a few trips. Not a great change, and statistically, probably not very sound, but a trend. I need to do more tests without Soltron to check, the engine may have run in a bit more, for example. Cooler Autumn days may improve intercooling and volumetric efficiency.

The boat, no fancy on board fuel monitoring. Obviously, as we all know, boat fuel usage depends on all sorts of things. But having run the tub for three years I’d got a pretty fair idea of the fuel it uses. I know it uses about a litre a mile, 4 to 5 mpg. (3 litre Mercruiser petrol, 19ft boat, now 250 hrs on clock). Before the winter lay up, I did about 200 miles ( measured by GPS) using Soltron and recorded the fuel I put in. Overall, doing the sum, I saw 5.5 mpg. The tolerance on this is probably at least 1 mpg, but I reckon a positive trend and quoted about 10% improvement.

There are variables I’ve not taken into account. For example, the speed limit in much of Poole harbour is lifted from 1st October. So a large part of the 4 mile trip I do to the open sea can be at planing speeds, and probably has a positive effect on fuel consumption.

I know this is all a bit long winded, and I don’t claim that observations are or are not anecdotal. I leave you to make up your own mind on what I’ve reported. Right, having bored everyone, that’s it.
 
Re: most interesting

Oh gawd, you *measure* 50 mpg? And then again and again and again? And then note down if it's 52 mpg? Not me! I'm off to have some fun: The Milton Keynes Lunchtime Street-legal Drag-racing and Motorised Tug-of-war Club (founder: Mrs jfm). Apparently they have a nice spare M-class merc that newbies can have a go on.
 
Depsol Stretching the truth?

Ooh not quite true there Depsol. If you look back to my post of 17 October, I'd actually found the article in PBO and typed most of it up here (do a search with Soltron as title and it'll come up). That's not at all what Pat Manley said. He said the information he'd seen from Soltron, indicated etc . Not that he'd tested it and proven it himself. So not quite the unbiased PBO test that you'd have us believe.

I realise you've got an interest in this and I'm not knocking you for that, we all have to make a living, but it's not right to exagerate too much here on a chat forum is it?

But I agree that since it seems to perhaps have some value as either a bug killer or a fuel economy improver, perhaps a proper test by MBM would be in order. I'm surprised that someone like Volvo hasn't tested it, but then if they get the same response I got from the manufacturer, they're probably still waiting for supplies

Anyone want to volunteer their diesel boat for an independent unbiased test. Come on Kim, what do you think?
 
Re: o heck, be gentle Depsol...

Coliholic gorn and dun it now. Depsol has gorn orn at extensive length to explain how he doesn't a sausage out of soltron. so you're in deep trouble, and i'm off to the airport.
 
Re: Very interesting

'fraid it's my engineering background. Spent years running engines on test beds trying to look for the odd % change in fuel economy. Old habbits die hard!

Now I've retired, suppose I ought to look for something more interesting to do!
 
Re: o heck, be gentle Depsol...

Ahah, light blue touchpaper and retire eh?

Course he SAYS he doesn't earn anything out of it. Would you admit to turning a profit on something that's incredibly expensive and doesn't appear to do what it claims to do, with no reliable independent analysis to back it up?

Ah but then you work in 'puters so nuff said eh? nudge nudge wink wink;-)
 
Re: Depsol Stretching the truth?

Actually I just realised I do earn money out of soltron.....my FIL sells it to me at cost and I sell it on to fuel corrected customers at retail...uuuummmmm all my posts re soltron will prob be wiped now!

Funny how this has got so serious as I recommende it ages ago as something I'd tried and it had worked for me and my clients and I tried Redex Fuel set even Motor up for different things. The vineries I visit (glasshouses) have a funny set up using heavy oil but by using Soltron we recorded a 2.5% increase in fuel combustability negating the need to move all the pipes alongside the boiler and house the oil tank. just 1 example of how Soltron has changed something for the better plus he got lowered fuel consumption cos boiler tubes were cleaner cosfuel burning better i.e it all started by making the fuel burn better to getting more benefits down the line which are too numerous to mention and explain client setup.

The bottom line is Soltron has worked for me time and time again where others have failed or not been any use at all and I think its worth a mention.

Everyone in C.I. is able to get it easy enough so no problem there (geoff got it also!). I'm not exagerating as I said before if it is all lies sue the company everything it has said on the bottle I have proven myself. I understand that Volvo have recommended it to people with fuel problems before and I know MTU have had a look at it without disapproval (but haven't stuck there name on it although this could be for anumber of reasons like having to cough up cash meybe) but putting a brand to a product I ahve heard is complicated as I know a mate who tried once and got buried in the legal sh*t!

Anyway its up to you if you use it or not. As I say it takes more than one disatisfied customer to say a product doesn't work and if you can def prove it doesnt sue them you could make a fortune or find a better product. remember not just MPG improvement but power also and Kills the bug plus breaks down sludge plus cleans all pipes injectors etc plus increases combustability of the fuel.

Its worth carrying it for trips to EU where you can pick up the bug so easily dutch barges spring to mind.

Oh BTW I know of another user on this forum who has kept QT but uses it all the time and wont go 2 c without it. You know who you are.

As I said before I'd test it in your boat before giving final verdict it has a lot of pluses if u can get hold of it and I know the negative everyone harps on about is the cost but how much do you think it would cost to get rid of the bug in your boat without it. Just think of the dumped fuel cost alone 650ltrs = £130 a lot of Soltron that will buy I'm sure then the treatment and replacement parts.

I bet you spend more on flares without using them but no-one complains about that cost. Why because they work in an emergency. No way of getting rid of the bug when lost at sea so is Soltron a product you use to prevent an emergency and put it down to safety costs who knows but with all its benefits I'm willing to pay the price for peace of mind and I dont c me ever going to c without it.

Dom now standing off soap box but hopes everyone understands the message I am trying to get thru an its not about making a profit as I work as an Investment Manager during the day and get paid extra ordinarily well for doing so its my hobby job to be involved with fuel problems etcstems from when I was a motorbike mechanic long story but I enjoy it and enjoy problem solving. I also enjoy boating soooo much I would not wish people to have a problem that could easily be solved so therefore recommend product I know works.

Happy Boating over xmas everyone and apolgies for typos as it is late and v.tired.

PS I know the Sealine training school use it in there boats after Alpha one broke down with the bug.

PPS Am I streching the truth IYHO?
 
Re: Wow, that proves it!

Yes indeedy. A very thorough and unarguaable case for the defence, dearest Depsol. They're totally flummoxed.
 
Re: interesting

Ooh, me a bit engineering too. But whereas my mate in the physics class wrote the nice diagrams and did a graph, I experimented with how many batteries it took to blow up the light bulbs, leaving me with vast expertise of breaking things and a perhaps too-adventurous engineering style. More recently, when Mrs S moved jobs, her BMW car had almost half a tankful of petrol left in it the afternoon before he last day. I took the opportunity to see just how fast and responsive the car in second gear at motowrway speeds, and consumed the available fuel in only forty miles. Does this help?
 
Re: Depsol\'s essay

Cor blimey depsol I'm a bit puffed out after reading that! ;-)) Praps Solly is more use with crappy diesel (including the central heating oil we all put in our boats) than auto diesel that I ran my "experiment" on, which is probably the best diesel there is?

I'm not a dissatisfied customer, I couldn't care less actually! Wont bother suing for erm 30 quid

Incidentally I know the Sealine School Alpha very well, did my dayskipper prac and ICC on it a few years ago. I'm prob responsible for various missing lumps of gelcoat. Horrid boat, I wouldn't waste solly by putting it in the fuel tanks of that boat, better to spray solly all over topsides then chuck a match, IMHO

Which IM firm you with?
 
Re: Depsol\'s essay

Funny enough the boat was sold and now lies in Beaucette Marina in Guernsey.

Yes auto diesel is usually of better quality or higher cetane number as far as I am aware.
 
Re: MBM test on Solly

Kim sent me a PM to say that he has passed along to Jake the suggestion that MBM commissions a proper lab test on solly. So here's hoping.......

Re Sealine, thanks for update. What boat do SSS have now then? I can't understand why CI-ers buy VAT paid boats on UK mainland then export em to VAT free CI. Why not buy local to avoid VAT?
 
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