This came as the world saw steep rising fuel prices and the higher costs of living which pushed consumers to want to take every advantage available to minimise the pain at the fuel pumps. Picture: Antoine de Ras.
The Ombudsman of Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) was warning consumers of rising claim rejections due to the damage caused by fuel-saving methods.
This came as the world saw steep rising fuel prices and the higher costs of living which pushed consumers to want to take every advantage available to minimise the pain at the fuel pumps.
OSTI said that the temptation was therefore great to turn to so-called fuel saving devices, be they in the form of gadgets fitted to fuel lines or fluids or tablets added to fuel to save some money.
“Such fuel saving devices however 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? With the pressure on vehicle manufacturers to produce the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the market, it is a big red flag that these devices are not fitted by manufacturers, or that they do not recommend adding tablets and fluids to fuel,” said OSTI.
It added that consumers do not only run the risk of wasting hard earned money on such devices that provide no fuel savings but 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. It said modern vehicles have complex systems that regulate fuel intake and exhaust gas recirculation, and these systems were very sensitive to any additives introduced to the fuel system, other than the lubricants or fuels recommended by the manufacturers.
Manufacturers follow very strict guidelines when engineering their vehicles, and work closely with the manufacturers of lubricants and fuels, who created products to provide the best lubrication and fuel efficiency for specific vehicles.
Adding untested tablets and fluids to a vehicle, may inhibit the ability of the recommended fuels and lubricants to function properly.
OSTI said this 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 rands.
It added that it was also important to note that most, if not all, motor vehicle insurance policies that offered comprehensive cover excluded liability for mechanical malfunction or failure. Further, it said even if the consumer had a mechanical warranty policy in place that covers mechanical breakdowns, such policies also excluded damage caused by a consumer not following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
“Ultimately, the onus rests on consumers to follow manufacturers’ recommendations. The best and
most proven way to save fuel is still to exercise good driving habits and there is a host of resources available to consumers on these. The bottom line is that the old saying in this instance still holds true today–if you are pennywise, you may end up being pound foolish,” OSTI said.
Last month, Wynand van Vuuren, client experience partner at King Price Insurance said that a growing number of South African car owners were remapping their vehicles’ engine control units (ECUs) – or ‘chipping’, as it’s commonly known–to get more power or save fuel.
Van Vuuren said that chipping your car should not affect your ability to get insurance, but that you should always disclose any modifications to your insurer.
“In insurance terms, chipping your car is considered a modification, even if it’s one you can’t see. Anything you do to change a vehicle’s performance will change your risk, and as such, you should tell your insurer about these changes, as they may affect your monthly premium,” Van Vuuren said at the time.
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