They say that the emissions are legal in all states. One of the ways to increase performance is to advance the ignition timing, and I'm sure they are doing that. Another thing to do is to lengthen the duration of the spark, and I don't think they have a way of doing that. But, by advancing the spark, if memory serves me right, you also produce more oxides of nitrogen which could be a problem. What I DO SEE....
Quote:
The factories tune for average drivers who might buy low-octane gasoline and lug the engine. Our calibrations are engineered for drivers who care about performance and use premium-grade fuel. Gains of 10 to 20 horsepower with 3 to 7 tenths of a second improvement in acceleration times from 0 to 70 mph are typical - some improvements are even greater. However, some applications can enjoy tuning specifically for regular fuel. You can check on these applications by clicking on Dodge, Ford, or GM to view our feature comparison charts.
Looks to me like they are catering to drivers that don't care about the cost of the fuel they use. More for "signing your name to the intersection in rubber" than fuel economy. I think I'd take a better look at the
HHO unit in the link at "Fuelly". They claim a 60% improvement for a $40 investment. But, that may also increase your oxides of nitrogen by putting more oxygen into the engine.
Years ago, I had a 1947 Chevy. The vacuum advance was connected directly to the intake manifold. A '77 Ford LTD I had with a 400 cu in engine had it connected to the carb. When I changed that over to the intake manifold, the mileage went up from 16 to 33. Engine timing DOES make that big a difference. But, it was as part of the emissions control that it was put onto the carb. Today, you do need something like that to "fool" the computer with the timing. You're friend might be right about the emissions, though. Don't just take the company hype about the emissions. More and more areas are becoming emissions-aware, and in CA, especially.
