"e85boost" by "dkboost" ... hoax?

[RJVB]

Hi,

 

I found a flyer in one of my local workshops about hydrogen-based engine cleaning by a French company called DKBoost, and checking out their website I saw they have another product that's potentially interesting for the 1.0TSI Fabia (2018) we also have: https://dkboost.fr/produits/e85boost . (There's an English version hidden under the "hamburger" menu on the top-right.)

 

The presentation is just a bit too "licked" and "magical" to my liking though, and I cannot seem to find any real-world feedback on the product. I'm guessing they reprogram the ECU but I find it rather suspicious that there's a total lack of information about compatible models or the inevitable warranty and certification/homologation aspects.

 

I know this is a UK forum so I don't expect any relevant feedback on the homologation aspects but engine remapping seems to be a somewhat common "hobby" on here so maybe I can get some opinions on how realistic the claims are and how feasible it is to offer this kind of service pretending it'll be possible for all petrol engines?

My workshop doesn't offer this service but I will ask them about it next time I drop in.

[nta16]

@Rooted will probably know about stuff like this.

 

This gets good reports but AFAIK isn't available in UK so I doubt for France also. - https://www.atschemicals.com/

 

1 hour ago, RJVB said:

(There's an English version hidden under the "hamburger" menu on the top-right.)

I didn't know what this meant so I used Google Translate but then I saw the flag looking icon, top right of page, and it gives a drop-menu of French or English.

 

[Ootohere]

Not got a clue, and not really interested & not clicking on anything or translating. 

 

In South America 1.0 Citigo run on 100% Bioethanol E85 pump fuel and have a bigger fuel tank than in Europe. 

 

..............

It has taken me 5 days to recover my Hotmail after getting locked out.

[RJVB]

3 hours ago, nta16 said:

This gets good reports but AFAIK isn't available in UK so I doubt for France also. - https://www.atschemicals.com/

 

I didn't know what this meant so I used Google Translate but then I saw the flag looking icon, top right of page, and it gives a drop-menu of French or English.

 

The ATS stuff looks to be like the cleansing additives Bardahl sell (and I try to use once a year), nothing to do with E85 adaptation?

 

How do you call the drop-down menu icon that looks like a stack of 3 whatever they might be?

 

I recall learning that Brazil made its own car fuel out of sugar can in elementary school, so before '85. Evidently it has been possible to get cars also used elsewhere to run on the stuff since that day and that only have gotten easier. One of the DKBoost claims is that their technology is the same as the one manufacturers use in (E85) flexfuel cars. I don't doubt all that is possible, the question is how they can provide guarantees that it will work regardless of make and model. From what I've seen from the MC world one doesn't just improvise a new engine mapping, it takes quite a bit of expertise, which doesn't rime with the claims of an easy investment with interesting returns.

Still, if this is being offered through otherwise independent workshops it has to work well enough that the clients of those places remain happy customers... but maybe I should check if the places supposed to offer the service still do!

[nta16]

5 hours ago, Rooted said:

Not got a clue, and not really interested & not clicking on anything or translating. 

Fairy snuff, sorry to have  brought you in.

 

 

5 hours ago, Rooted said:

It has taken me 5 days to recover my Hotmail after getting locked out.

And you're surprised, Hotmail, good thing they bother with such stuff, pity it's against honest users but they, and others, have to be so careful the internet can be marvellous for all including those it shouldn't be.

 

2 hours ago, RJVB said:

The ATS stuff looks to be like the cleansing additives Bardahl sell (and I try to use once a year), nothing to do with E85 adaptation?

I've no real idea but I very much doubt it as I think, but can't remember, they have a commercial set up too, didn't seem snake oil to me but I could be well wrong as the some of the English motor trade has ripped me off and fooled me over the decades since the 1970s.  I hope I've got smarter since but I might be fooling myself and forgetting a lot.

 

 

2 hours ago, RJVB said:

How do you call the drop-down menu icon that looks like a stack of 3 whatever they might be?

To me in English it looks like a flag on a pole but that's just my interpretation and you and others may see differently and that is fine I didn't intended to get into any argument about such.  The three dots in an arrow is media.

 

 

2 hours ago, RJVB said:

Still, if this is being offered through otherwise independent workshops it has to work well enough that the clients of those places remain happy customers... but maybe I should check if the places supposed to offer the service still do!

Lots of stuff has been pushed out before and gets nowhere for many reasons but if you think it's a goer then go for it and as long as you can be honest with the results (some people are unable to admit to mistakes, including me easily sometimes) let us know the results of how you find it in the short term, medium term and long term. 

 

Edited 21 January by nta16
typos from rushing for tea/dinner

[J.R.]

8 hours ago, RJVB said:

maybe I can get some opinions on how realistic the claims are and how feasible it is to offer this kind of service pretending it'll be possible for all petrol engines?

 

Most of your questions are answered in the "Questions/Réponses" at the bottom of the web page, as I thought they are reprogramming the vehicles ECU to adapt to the E85 Bioethanol and must be using the same method of sensing the fuel mix that the flex fuel cars like the Ford Puma, Focus and Kuga do.

 

I dont know how they can in consecutive sentences state quite correctly that E85 has 30% less calorific value than petrol and then conclude that by using it you will get an increase in power and torque, the only way that can be done is by raising the compression ratio to take advantage of the higher octane and using a lot more fuel.

 

A pal had an old Renault Laguna converted to E85 with an aftermarket tuning box, the fuel consumption was much worse but back then boi-ethanol was very cheap in that area as we were a big producer.

Edited 21 January by J.R.

[RJVB]

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

 

Most of your questions are answered in the "Questions/Réponses" at the bottom of the web page, as I thought they are reprogramming the vehicles ECU to adapt to the E85 Bioethanol and must be using the same method of sensing the fuel mix that the flex fuel cars like the Ford Puma, Focus and Kuga do.

 

They're saying that in somewhat vague terms; as I said I already guessed that that's what they're doing. And could they really be using [i]the same[/i] method rather than something similar? I would guess they could only do that legally by licensing that method - and even then it's assuming that those flexfuel cars don't have additional sensors to make this work.

 

"We" (as in France) are no longer a big bio-ethanol producer? I didn't have the impression I've been seeing less colza fields the past couple of years. E85 is still a lot cheaper than regular E10 or E5. AFAIK a 2018 Fabia is out of warranty by now so ours easily does 15k km per year so the investment of this particular conversion would pay itself in 1-2 years from what I've seen. If it's reliable of course, and there are no hidden costs.

[J.R.]

"We" being the region Picardie where I lived and is still my residence principale, the then Député was a champion of bio-carburants and pushed it very much in the assemblée nationale, he has since fallen into obscurity (became a sénateur) and I dont see it being pushed like it was back then, the fields around are still full of betteraves as they have always been.

 

I think the state support for sugar was deemed illegal on the word market and was being/has been removed and the producers knew they would lose their global market hence the push for bio-carburants.

 

I dont know what the sensing is on a dual fuel vehicle, it could be as crude as the engine knock sensor, I take your point about it being illegal to modify the ECU software, I have heard of cases where people with remapped vehicles like mine have put their cars in for service and had them returned with a standard map and been billed for the priveledge! I think that is why they are so cagey with their words, you know exactly how things work in France.

 

In your shoes I would not convert as without the engine being converted to a higher compression ratio you will not see the benefits of bio-ethanol and will percieve it to be running badly, I think the dual fuel vehicles probably have a compression ratio which is the best compromise between petrol and ethanol, probably biased towards the latter as that will be the fuel of choice for most drivers.