This product amuses me...

[tjb1]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200433447_200433447&issearch=713200

The Fuel Doctor FD-47 increases a vehicle's miles per gallon (MPG) through power conditioning of the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU), fuel injection and engine timing equipment to operate more efficiently. When the vehicle's engine runs more efficiently, it will require less fuel, produce more power and have reduced exhaust emissions (reduced CO2). As a vehicle matures, its power systems tend to generate and experience more electrical noise or electrical interference. This noise can have many detrimental effects on vehicle systems, decreasing efficiency. The FD-47 is easy to install — simply plug it into the 12V power port and the power conditioning qualities of the FD-47 help to reduce and remove noise, restoring vehicle efficiency. FD-47 cannot be used on hybrids or electrical vehicles.

What retards are they selling this to?

 

[ucfgrad93]

What retards are they selling this to?

Sadly, there will be many people who buy this.

 

[tjb1]

Another product I like ever more...a Chainsaw Winch

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326346_200326346

For use with chain saws to pull up to 4000 lbs. on a single line pull. Comes with aircraft cable and all the adapters to fit almost any chain saw engine, including the direct connections as well as the short bar and cutterless chain. Attaches as easily as changing a chain saw bar. A 3 HP engine will create about 2000 lbs. of pulling power; a 6–7 HP engine generates up to 4000 lbs. of pulling power.

If you look at the picture, I see no way to hook the chainsaw to anything to even pull 2000 lbs let alone 4000 lbs...

 

[SkyBell]

Another product I like ever more...a Chainsaw Winch

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326346_200326346

For use with chain saws to pull up to 4000 lbs. on a single line pull. Comes with aircraft cable and all the adapters to fit almost any chain saw engine, including the direct connections as well as the short bar and cutterless chain. Attaches as easily as changing a chain saw bar. A 3 HP engine will create about 2000 lbs. of pulling power; a 6–7 HP engine generates up to 4000 lbs. of pulling power.

If you look at the picture, I see no way to hook the chainsaw to anything to even pull 2000 lbs let alone 4000 lbs...

For $900...just buy a real winch.

 

[R94N]

I heard about this on Car Talk. LOL! Maybe it's for people who don't know much about cars and who they can trick...

 

[RogersDA]

Debunked by Consumer Reports.

http://consumerist.com/2010/12/the-fuel-doctor-is-more-of-a-fuel-savings-dud.html

 

[notjustjay]

I'd be very curious to see what exactly the electronics are inside. Maybe a 7812 voltage regulator and a couple of LEDs?

 

[oPossum]

Pictures of the guts and schematic here

 

[dXTC]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200433447_200433447&issearch=713200

What retards are they selling this to?

Sadly, there will be many people who buy this.

"There's a sucker born every minute." (EDIT: --P.T. Barnum, perhaps?)

Pictures of the guts and schematic here

Can any of you electrical engineers confirm the apparent epic fail here?

 

[FourCandles]

...
Can any of you electrical engineers confirm the apparent epic fail here?

I'm not much of electrical engineer... but the "Detailed circuit description" section says it all - the key phrase being "non-functional"

 

[dXTC]

I'm not much of electrical engineer... but the "Detailed circuit description" section says it all - the key phrase being "non-functional"

Right; I figured as much, and I'm not really an electrical engineer. What I would like to know is the difference an inductor would make in the place of the capacitor, and (more importantly) whether this would still be feasible for making the product do what the manufacturer says it does if it were designed correctly.

 

[FourCandles]

With the previous disclaimer - that I'm not much of an engineer - my understanding of a voltage switching regulator is that it is a circuit designed to provide a constant output voltage to a device, even when supplied with a changing or variable input voltage.

This could be useful if the input is a steadily reducing voltage from a battery, or possibly in a single AC adaptor designed to cope with 110V - 240V and still supply, say, 9.6V DC. Such as in a mobile phone adaptor; which it seems this device may be made from.

But in any case, as the report says, "Even if the regulator circuit was functional, the output goes nowhere! " - i.e. that circuit is not even connected to anything.

Someone with actual electrical engineering experience may want to chip in here!

 

[obeygiant]

For $900...just buy a real winch.

"to the winch, wench!"- never-ending story.

 

[NickZac]

It looks more like a sex toy than a car part...