They are called OBD dongles and can be purchased over the internet for prices that vary between 4.99 and 39.99 euros. According to the makers you can save a lot of fuel, but the German counterpart of the ANWB says that these fuel-saving tools do nothing at all.
Except through internet are there also stores where these so-called fuel-saving dongles are available. These are small electronic plugs that can be plugged into the OBD socket of the car. This On Board Diagnostics socket is usually located near the driver’s footwell. By connecting such a dongle you could save up to 15 percent fuel.
Adac
The German Adac tested a dongle last year in collaboration with the computer magazine C’t. In addition, the product with the name ecoOBD2 completely failed. The experts could not detect any communication through the OBD socket. No signals could be measured that could affect fuel consumption in any way. In fact, the dongle – for sale via Amazon, among others, for less than 5 euros – did not establish an electrical connection with the CAN bus at all.
“Flashes and pretends to work”
The conclusion of the testers: ‘The ecoOBD2 blinks and pretends to work. But that’s all that happens.’ However, the German car club is not really surprised by this result. “If the promised effect were really achievable, such products would have long since been serially installed by car manufacturers because they would have a decisive competitive advantage,” says Markus Sippl, head of Adac vehicle technology. The Adac therefore classifies the dongle among other misleading fuel-saving products, such as pills for the petrol tank, magnets for the fuel line and additives to the engine oil.
ANWB dongles
According to the ANWB, it is a bit more nuanced. The union would not call dongles themselves ‘dubious tools’. At least not the dongle that the ANWB sells itself. This is therefore not a device that saves fuel, but a handy tool called Smart Driver that automatically alerts emergency services when you have an accident.
This dongle also ‘sees’ when there is no energy left in your battery or that something is wrong with the engine. According to the ANWB, this prevents unnecessary breakdowns and unexpected, sometimes expensive repairs. If you do end up with a breakdown, the Roadside Assistance will even know what’s going on before it gets to you, according to the ANWB.
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2023-05-15 04:15:21
#Dongle #save #fuel #panacea #consumer #fraud
