Using a Hydrogen Generator with Your Car or Truck Engine

One of my readers, JT, recently asked me a question about a previous article I had written about the hydrogen gas generator I installed in my car. You can see more about this generator by clicking here.

Here's JT's question:

Dear John,

John , I read your report on your hydrogen gas generator you put in your car. I am interested in installing one as well.

But before I do, I will be checking to see how to re adjust the map sensors in my car's computer. This is something you did not mention. The people who are developing these know how to do this by fooling the engine into thinking it is running leaner and then inject the gasses.

I believe (I am not an expert yet) when you simply add the gas and not adjust the amount of gas/ air mixture, there is no way to get better mileage and as you found, an increase in heat and combustion.

You have to lower the regular amount of gas your computer sends to the fuel injection? Or how else do you think it will get you better mileage?

Also, they say that injecting HHO increases the efficiency of the burning gasoline. Not by adding more combustion. Gas only releases 18% of its energy so by adding hydrogen and oxygen, energy release increases, too.

Thanks,

- JT

Answer

JT, thanks for your note and this great question!

Quite some time has passed since I installed - and later removed - the hydrogen gas generator from my VW Jetta diesel (TDI). But before I address your comments and questions, I have a few words of caution.

A Word of Warning

When installing any piece of non-factory issued, OEM, or otherwise approved equipment on your car or truck, there is a certain degree of risk involved. Will I strongly caution you to do as much research as possible. Do plenty of web searches on the Internet regarding a hydrogen gas generator, consult with people on car and truck user forums, and try to meet up with at least one or two people who have actually used a generator in their car.

Significant Boost In Power

In my experience, I did notice a significant boost in power after installing and using my hydrogen/oxygen (HHO) generator. As an item of disappointment, I noticed that my fuel efficiency dropped significantly. I attributed this to a control function of my car's onboard sensors and computer. After my engine's system detected a significant change in temperature to both my engine water temperature and exhaust gas temperature, I'm sure that the onboard computer compensated for this by releasing more fuel into the engine's cylinders in order to help cool off the engine.

I do know for a fact that the engine cylinder heads were most likely overheating: when I stopped my car, turned off the engine, and raised the hood, a tremendous blast of heat hit my face - such a great amount of heat that I have never felt come from the engine before.

Engine Failure?

This blast heat made me concerned, as I did not wish to crack my engine block, warp the cylinder heads, or otherwise do permanent damage to my car's engine. I immediately slammed the hood down, restarted the engine and drove for about 10 minutes without running the gas generator so that my engine could cool down to normal operating temperature.

"Successfully" Using an HHO Generator

With my words of admonition aside, I have a few words of encouragement. I have seen several other cars using HHO driving around my town.

Of the few that I have spoken with, only one seem to have an overall good appraisal of using his hydrogen gas generator. The others had experiences similar to mine. A few facts: all of the cars were gasoline burners; the ones with the unhappy owners had onboard computer controlled engines (like my car); and the one with the happy owner had an old-fashioned non-computer-controlled air aspirated (carbureted) gasoline engine. What this tells me is that hydrogen gas generators don't mix well with engines that are controlled by onboard computers. This only makes sense, as the computer has been optimized to work only in an unmodified state.

MAP Sensor & Other Adjustments Necessary

JT, as you suggest, one would probably need to make adjustments to the various sensors - perhaps including the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor, among others. Additionally, computer settings would have needed changing in order to trick the engine into cooperating "successfully" with the extra power and heat produced by a hydrogen gas generator.

This said, I would have to qualify the word "successfully" in the previous sentence. If "success" means getting more power from your engine, be prepared to take the consequences if they come your way.

Where an HHO Might Work Better

Because the one happy owner with the old-fashioned air-aspirated engine doesn't have to deal with the complexities of an onboard computer, he is able to make relatively quick adjustments to his air-fuel mixture. He can thus more easily regulate his engine's operating temperature and fuel consumption also.

However, I would surmise that - because of the significant increase in heat and power - that guy's cylinder head temperature was probably way off the chart. Over time, his engine may have blown. Given the condition of his car, I don't think this guy really cared.

His car was in ancient rattletrap Honda with a few body parts missing and a lot of miles on the engine. Given the condition of this guy's car, it was probably worth less than US$1000. If his HHO generator ended up destroying his engine, he may have looked upon it as a fortuitous opportunity to get a new car.

All this said, as a reduced-risk situation, my best guess is that using an HHO generator is best done on an old clunker like that of the guy I mention above.

Risk Involved

JT, while I have not made any modifications to the computer settings on my car, I know of several people who like to play with their car settings using some software they install on a laptop. They make changes on the software, and then upload them via a cable attached to their car's computer data port.

Because a hydrogen gas generator presents higher levels of tremendous heat and added stress to the engine, my overall recommendation is not to use one. Because of the obvious rise in heat showing in my engine's cylinder head temperature, I chose to remove my HHO generator and discontinue using it altogether. Because the engine in my car is still relatively new, I don't want to subject it to any conditions that would accelerate its wear and tear, or its sudden demise due to overheating and over-stress. The risk is too high.

If one is really bent on using a hydrogen gas generator, I suggest using it in a lower risk set up such as the one I describe above - or maybe even just use it on your home lawn mower!

Sources / Suggested Other Reading:

Cold Air Intake to Boost Engine Power!
Thinking About Using Nitrogen for Your Tires?
EWAI for Your Car - Try Before Hydrogen Gas or Water Injection
All the Other Articles