Overview
Cars are a mystery to most people, and car repairs cause a panic because we don’t want to get taken advantage of by a mechanic. That’s why when a product like this comes along, most people will be interested in it because it allows them to help their car without actually getting under the hood. In this technology-riddled age it also seems plausible that you could plug something into your a dashboard that makes your car run better.
The Claim
By stabilizing the voltage in your car, its electrical system will be able to operate more efficiently, thereby saving you on gas. They also claim that this is a green product that is helping protect the Earth by lowering emissions and helping use less gas. They state that you’ll get better horsepower and your battery will last longer. They say it starts working the moment you use it, and you don’t need a mechanic to help you install it.
They make all of these claims knowing full well that the average user will not be able to check to see if it’s actually doing what it says or not.
The Hype
The hype comes from the idea of being able to improve your car’s performance by plugging something into the cigarette lighter. That port is not a communication device with your car’s electrical system. Your batter just sends voltage to it so you can charge things like cell phones and iPods. It’s not a transmitter and receiver, and it’s not waiting for a response from the thing you plug into it. It has only one function, light cigarettes and charge things.
The Cost
The Fuel Shark is set at a price that makes people want to give it a shot. They figure if they can really save up to 3 miles per gallon they will quickly be able to recoup the cost of the Fuel Shark, and then everything else is pure savings. It costs $30 plus shipping and handling. It comes with a guarantee, but the product is likely manufactured so cheaply that they still make a profit on the shipping charge alone.
The Commitment
This is where they attract the most customers, because there isn’t any commitment involved at all. Just plugging the device into a cigarette lighter is something that anyone can do, even those that don’t know anything about car maintenance and repair. This makes it the perfect product to prey on those that want to save money, improve their car’s performance, and not have to get their hands dirty.
Evaluation
There is no possible way that the Fuel Shark can do the things they claim to do with the product they are providing. While some of what they say is true about how your car works, almost none of what they claim the Fuel Shark can do is legitimate.
The electrical system does play a part in your car’s mile per gallon performance, and it’s a good idea to keep your fuses and your spark plugs well-tuned. Most people won’t have these checked on a regular basis, so you can get the benefits they claim by just having your fuses and spark plugs checked at your next oil change. This will run you about the same price as a Fuel Shark and actually provide some benefits.
What People Are Saying
The general consensus for Fuel Shark is that
Fuel Shark definitely goes into the Hall of Shame. With the claims they make, and the type of customer they target, they should be ashamed of themselves. There really needs to be a governing body that keeps products like these off the market. The FTC should really crack down on companies that make unsubstantiated claims and sell products that have no proof associated with them.
Our Recommendation
You can safely avoid the Fuel Shark and save your money. Buy an extra tank of gas with the money you save and don’t give it another thought. This is one of those products that make other As Seen on TV products look bad.
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View Comments
Yes, I have one in each vehicle! I get 5 mph per gal. Sometimes more.
With some hesitation, I purchased the Fuel Shark to try it due to its low cost. "What do I have to lose?" My two vehicles are older, well maintained, computer-less vehicles: '93 Mercedes 190E 2.6 auto, 73K miles in excellent condition, premium gas; '94 Jeep Cherokee Sport, inline six, 5-speed manual, 112K miles in good condition, regular gas. Conditions of testing were with full tanks, lip to lip fill ups at a time, just city and just highway with each tankful; AC off. Both vehicles idled smoother and accelerated more responsively, without intentionally driving in such a sporting manner. MPG rounded to nearest whole number. Summary: MB went from 18 to 22 mpg city and from 23 to just over 29 mpg highway using cruise control at 62 - 72 mph. Jeep went from 14 to 18 mpg city and from 20 to 25 mpg highway using cruise control at 60 - 70 mph. I did wonder about what electrical components were inside but my curiosity didn't prejudice (neither poopoo'd nor heightened) my opinion of this product. I now use it regularly in both vehicles and still notice economy improvements by how the fuel gauge needles move compared with prior to Fuel Shark. I now drive more carefree and not consciously trying to drive economically while seeing improved overall mileage data. I will guess newer cars wouldn't fair as well from this passive device due to OBD2 and constant onboard computer activity possibly neutralizing its effect. I don't claim to know how or why it should work, but judging it simply by my testing it as I've stated above. I look forward to experiencing additional benefits such as extended component life as mentioned elsewhere in reviews.
I put this device in a 2013 Chevy Silverado V8. My mileage went from 16 miles to the gallon to 10 miles to the gallon. I removed the device and my mileage has returned to 16 miles to the gallon. May be a good idea for some but it didn’t work for me.
I just used my fuelsharkl for the 1st time. I drove from Newport News, VA, to Baltimore, MD. I've made this trip for the last 30 yrs, recently in my New 2021 GMC Arcadia. I drove a New Route, which made my millage 251 miles. My gas gage NEVER MOVED, even after arriving in Baltimore. When I went to gas up, I let the tank overflow just to make sure it was as FULL AS WHEN I LFET VA. IT TOOK 6.8 gals. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I have the gas recite. UNBLIEVEABLE. I am a former Sgt in the US Marines (Vietnam) & RETIRED Law Enforcement (36 yrs) Municipal & Federal. THIS IS NOT BS. THANK YOU FUELSHARK
I received My Fuelshark in the mail to my surprise it seemed very inexpensively made, never the less I plugged it in and wow, nice my gas kilometers went up by 37more than what I started with and there was a bit more pep to the drive as well. I am looking to purchase 10 more to give out for Christmas presents to family members! ( No one is paying me to say any of this) I am excited about it!
I bought it for entertainment , I do this quite a bit. My car is a 2011 Ford Focus 2000 cc engine. 300,000 km on odometer, I regularily check my mileage at fill-ups. Fuel use at these interval's is usually from 34 MPG on IMP GAL up to 36 mpg. I have in 11 years never seen more than 36 mpg even with mostly hwy travel. This car has always had an issue that no one can diagnose that being if it idles rough mileage drops for no reason. Lots of parts have been changed. So back to Fuel Shark, First trip i did fill up and traveled 575 KM and filled up again this time mileage showed just a tad under 40 MPG. Also engine for some reason idled quite smooth but not perfect but better. The only explanation is that the capacitors smooth out any voltage spikes similar to capacitor home devices to prevent meter from reading spikes that you are billed for. I will be checking more BUT i must add the acceleration is much improved and I will also add that I absolutely hate the computer controlled throttle, damn piece of crap.
I've tested alot this device, and now my car consumes a lot less, i won the lottery and my wife turned in a 25 years old russian model !
Thank you fuel shark !
I removed the fuel shark and I saw my gas gauge going down faster that's all the proof I need
I bought 12 of these and now I have to stop every 50 miles to remove gas from my tank to keep it from oveflowing. I'm thinking if I drop to 9, I will never have to put gar in my ca again.
Yeaah man I know what you mean. Once I put one of these fuel sharks in my car and wow what an improvement. I got pulled over because of all the gas spilling out of my gas tank. My only complaint is that the gas needle is stuck on past Full and that I have to stop every 45 miles to remove the excess gas from my tank.
Man you guys are the best and really make an awesome product. Now can you come up with a device that can help keep my gas tank from overfilling? Maybe somethign that I can plug into my ODB2 socket and give me a green light?
Only experience and testing can prove/disprove something, right?
My experience:
Chevrolet Spark 1.0, 8 years old:
sparing 3,5% (in the city drive)
Ford Focus 1.4, 9 years old:
sparing 11% (city) - before: 8,7 liter of gasoline on 100 kilometers, with FuelShark: 7,8 L / 100 km
sparing 0% (intercity drive)
Greetings from Croatia :)