Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
Attention Ford Fans: Sales Figures Don’t Matter
It’s popular in the Ford truck community to brag about the fact that the F-series has been #1 in truck sales in the US for 30+ years running. The idea is that, because Ford sells the most trucks, they must make the best truck.
The trouble is, this logic is based on a false assumption. Sales figures aren’t proof of quality because consumer behavior isn’t logical. In fact, when it comes to cars, consumer buying behavior is incredibly illogical. Consider the following:
- There are numerous publications that take the time to rank and review every new car every year.
- There are numerous independent companies that rate the quality and reliability of every new vehicle on the market.
- Despite strong reviews and strong ratings for quality, many cars fail to make sales gains in the marketplace. Conversely, vehicles with poor quality ratings and bad reviews are still sold.
This is because, at the end of the day, vehicle sales aren’t just about vehicle quality. They’re also about emotions, perceptions, politics, personal experience, and more.
Fuel Doctor – Long Term Test Results
>> Be sure to check our official Fuel Doctor review post to see if it really works!
Guest Post By Toby of Tundra Fuel Economy blog.
May 2nd, 2011 – At this point the Fuel Doctor has been installed and tested for only a little more than 5,300 miles. During that time I have tracked my fuel economy using both my Scanguage and the tried and proven method of miles driven divided by gallons pumped to full. Each time I refuel I try and use the same pump in order to minimize pumping variances and I always fill the tank full.
Here is the raw data from the testing so far:
Fuel Doctor Initial Test Results
>> Be sure to check our official Fuel Doctor review post to see if it really works!
Guest Post By Toby of Tundra Fuel Economy blog.
March 15th, 2011 – Prior to installation of the Fuel Doctor I was averaging 14.5 Miles Per Gallon for each tank of fuel. These numbers were firmly established over a period of several months. At the time of the commencement of testing I was refueling at one-quarter of a tank of fuel driving the same route seven days a week with unvarying weather and traffic conditions. In order to maintain consistent test conditions I used cruise control to and from work.
Punching Numbers - Fuel Doctor Testing
Immediately upon installation of the Fuel Doctor I recorded an increase of a little more than one and a half miles per gallon. The average per tank miles went from 14.5 MPG to 16.1 MPG – garnering an improvement of nearly ten percent. This improvement was phenomenal, but I viewed it with caution and reservation.
Fuel Doctor – Initial Impressions
>> Be sure to check our official Fuel Doctor review post to see if it really works!
Guest Post By Toby of Tundra Fuel Economy blog.
Our Fuel Doctor Test Unit
February 15th, 2011 – The Fuel Doctor arrived at my house securely packaged in bubble wrap. It is a compact device with no wires or connecting cables. Installing the Fuel Doctor was simple and straightforward – it plugs into the cigarette lighter. I was surprised by how small the Fuel Doctor is but it turns out that the small size is a good thing as it does not stick out far enough to get snagged on anything that I am constantly throwing in the little tray beneath the cigarette lighter.
Prior to the arrival of the Fuel Doctor I did some research on the internet – most of what I found disputed the efficacy of the product. I found You Tube videos in which self-proclaimed electrical engineers dissected the product and gave lengthy and involved technical explanations as to why the Fuel Doctor could not possibly work. A simple Google search on the Fuel Doctor returned a mountain of websites ranging from “does it work” and “how does it work” to “Fuel Doctor scams.”
Fuel Doctor Review – Does it Work?
This week we’ll be reviewing the Fuel Doctor, a fuel saving device that I encountered at the 2010 SEMA show last November.
Conducting this review will be Toby K, who runs his own Tundra Fuel Economy blog where he writes about fuel saving devices. Over each of the next five days, you’ll read a post from Toby describing his testing process. At the end, you’ll learn the following:
A close-up of the Fuel Doctor, a "electrical system conditioner" that plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter.
The Fuel Doctor really works – or at least it did for this specific test.
The Fuel Doctor touts something called “electronic signal conditioning,” and according to their Chief Technical Officer Doug Hungerford, the Fuel Doctor can improve fuel economy in the right circumstances. According to our admittedly small test, it does. Here’s the whole story:
