Plasma (Ignition) Booster?

[cfg83]

Hello -

What do you think of this? :

Plasma Booster All S-series
http://www.saturnmotorsports.com/cat...roducts_id=266

The Plasma Booster is a revolutionary ignition component to enhance your Saturns existing inductive ignition systems. Easy to install, 100% secondary current increase, 4 times spark spark energy increase for the initial spark discharge.

The fact that it says "100% secondary current" implies (to me) that it would use more juice => increase the load on the alternator => reduce MPG.

What do you think?

CarloSW2

[Danronian]

Originally Posted by cfg83

Hello -

What do you think of this? :

Plasma Booster All S-series
http://www.saturnmotorsports.com/cat...roducts_id=266


The fact that it says "100% secondary current" implies (to me) that it would use more juice => increase the load on the alternator => reduce MPG.

What do you think?

CarloSW2

Looks like a gimmicy product that doesn?t do a thing.

It could be something like a MSD ignition control unit that enhances spark. Which if it is a legitimate product like that, it could work, and help MPG. But yes, it could also take more "juice" to make it work.

[GasSavers_TomO]

HERE is the sites graph of the effect the booster has on the current on a BMW.

I'm a little worried about how the device takes away current from the primary spark though.

EDIT: some good reading about the system HERE

[cfg83]

TomO -

Originally Posted by TomO

HERE is the sites graph of the effect the booster has on the current on a BMW.

I'm a little worried about how the device takes away current from the primary spark though.

EDIT: some good reading about the system HERE

Ok. From the above EDIT, what does this mean? :

"My research showed that you only need about 0.3 milli-joules of energy to ignite a perfect stoichiometric air-fuel mixture," Arens says. Yet modern ignition systems supply 20 to 50 milli-joules of energy, meaning there's plenty of energy available. Where that led to was studying the effect of amperage on mixture ignition, and the Plasma Booster itself.

I think he claims to use (leftover?) energy that is already in the ignition system, but I don't really understand.

I'll keep an eye on it and read up on it. If he's in San Diego, he may be worth a visit down the line.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

Hello -

I think this is relevant to the topic :

Getting the Spark!
Crane Cams - makers of FireBall ignition systems - takes us on a quick tour of how different ignition systems work.
http://autospeed.com.au/A_0772/cms/article.html

CarloSW2

[GasSavers_TomO]

So if anyone feels the need for a test, go ahead and order me up a Summit MSD system and a plasma booster and I'll test them out on my VX. If I get good results then letting my keep the one that works well would be payment enough.