Durban - The Ombudsman for short-term insurance has issued a warning to consumers to be cautious when using fuel saving devices in their vehicles or to avoid using them at all.
Fuel prices have rocketed over the past few months due to a combination of factors. While a decrease in prices has been forecast for September, the price of fuel is still markedly higher than it was at the beginning of the year.
This has led to some motorists opting to use fuel-saving devices, including gadgets fitted to fuel lines, fluids or tablets.
In a statement on Thursday, the ombudsman for short-term insurance said such fuel-saving devices need to be approached with caution, if not avoided altogether.
“The first question consumers must ask themselves is, do these devices really save fuel as promised? And, secondly and more importantly, if so, why do the vehicle manufacturers not fit these devices or recommend the use of such devices?”
The statement added that it is a “big red flag” that these devices are not fitted by manufacturers, or that manufacturers do not recommend adding tablets and fluids to fuel.
“Consumers not only run the risk of wasting hard-earned money on such devices that provide no fuel savings, but they run the greater risk of the possibility that the use of fluids, tablets or gadgets not recommended by manufacturers may actually harm their vehicles’ fuel system components.
“Modern vehicles have complex systems that regulate fuel intake and exhaust gas recirculation, and these systems are very sensitive to any additives introduced to the fuel system, other than the lubricants or fuels recommended by the manufacturers. By adding untested tablets and fluids to a vehicle, it may inhibit the ability of the recommended fuels and lubricants to function properly.”
The ombudsman warned that using these devices may end up being a costly exercise in futility for consumers.
“Not only will they not have saved any money on their fuel costs, but they may also have to foot the bill for repairs to their vehicles which may run into thousands of rand.
“It is also important to note that most, if not all, motor vehicle insurance policies that offer comprehensive cover exclude liability for mechanical malfunction or failure. Further, even if the consumer has a mechanical warranty policy in place that covers mechanical breakdowns, such policies also exclude damage caused by a consumer not following the manufacturer’s recommendations.”