Save fuel: ADAC warns of dubious tools
Created: 07/07/2022, 16:06
By: Sebastian Oppenheimer
Special OBD dongles are said to save up to 15 percent fuel - but one tested by the ADAC failed completely.
(Iconic image) © Rolf Poss/Imago
Special OBD dongles promise up to 15 percent less fuel consumption.
The ADAC has tested one of them - with catastrophic results.
Munich – There have been better times for car drivers: thanks to the lack of chips and the supply chains disrupted by the corona pandemic, you sometimes have to wait a long time for new cars, used cars are also scarce – and expensive.
Added to this are the fuel prices
that exploded at the beginning of the Ukraine war
.
With a few tricks you can still save money at the gas station - for example by comparing prices using apps or by driving to the pump at the right time if possible.
Another supposed fuel-saving option are special
OBD dongles.
The ADAC has now tested one of these devices - with a more than sobering result.
Save fuel: ADAC warns of dubious tools
So-called fuel
-saving dongles are available on the Internet and in some shops
.
These are small electronic plugs that can be plugged into the car's OBD socket (On Board Diagnostics).
The advertising promise: The little helpers should
save up to 15 percent fuel
.
According to the automobile club, the prices for the plugs range between 8.99 euros and 39.99 euros.
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ADAC tests fuel-saving dongle – the connector fails completely
In cooperation with the computer magazine "c't", the ADAC has now put a fuel-saving dongle for diesel vehicles under the microscope.
But: The dongle called
"ecoOBD2" failed
completely.
The experts could not find any communication via the diagnostic socket.
No
signals
could be measured that could affect
fuel consumption
in any way.
The "ecoOBD2" did not establish
any electrical connection
to the CAN bus at all.
ADAC tests fuel-saving dongle - conclusion: "flashes and pretends that it is working"
The conclusion of the testers: "The ecoOBD2
flashes and pretends that it is working.
But nothing more happens.” The automobile club is not really surprised at this result, however.
"If the promised
effect
were actually achievable, such products would long since be installed in series by car manufacturers because they would have a decisive competitive advantage," says Markus Sippl, head of ADAC vehicle technology.
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If you want to save fuel, you should therefore follow a few well-established tips that – especially in combination –
can reduce
fuel consumption.
Even if the fuel prices should actually drop again at some point: If you want to stock up right away, you should be careful, because there are clear regulations in Germany for carrying petrol in spare canisters in vehicles.
(sep)