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Consumers Beware ‘Gas-saving’
Devices
Increasingly high fuel prices mean an
increase in the number of products that promise to add fuel savings and
cut costs at the pumps.
ABC News recently reported results for
the MPG-Cap, a “gas pill” marketed by the Florida-based company Fuel
Freedom International.
Click here to view the original story.
According to Fuel Freedom
International’s website, a $2 MPG-Cap in your gas tank for every fill
will increase mileage by 10 percent to 20 percent. However, when an ABC
affiliate enlisted AAA to test the pill, results were different,
according to ABC.
An expert from the AAA saw no
improvement while driving at 34 miles per hour and a 4 percent increase
in mileage at 65 mph, according to ABC. The company recommended using a
larger dose of the pills, but when AAA used four pills in a tank of
gasoline there was no difference in mpg, ABC reported.
Consumer groups warn that these
products fail to live up to the promise of better fuel economy. The
ConsumerReports.org website reports devices it has tested did nothing to
improve fuel economy. The bottom line, according to ConsumerReports.org
is, “the best way to get the most from a tank of gas is to follow the
vehicle manufacturer’s service schedule.”
The EPA Gas Saving and Aftermarket
Retrofit Device Evaluation Program has tested devices with fuel economy
claims for more than 30 years and reports “not one of the products has
ever come out proving their touted effects in a laboratory setting,”
said Anthony John Maietta, Life Scientist, EPA Region V, Chicago. The
EPA has not specifically tested the MPG-Cap.
FFI’s website says MPG-Cap is
registered with the EPA, which could lead consumers to believe that
means it is approved or endorsed by EPA as a gas-saving product.
However, that’s not what it means,
said Maietta.
“All (the guiding law) says is if you want to sell a fuel additive in
the United States, you need to register that product with EPA,” he said.
“These types of companies tout the fact that they are following the law,
nothing more. In order to be registered, you need to tell EPA what is in
the additive you are going to sell, as well as how much of it. This way,
EPA can tell if the additive will be harmful to your engine (or its
emissions), and then can accept the registry or not. This is so that
when you go to a Pep Boys and pick up a can of Heet, you know it won't
kill your car. This registration does not validate any product claims.
It only makes sure that negative effects aren't seen.”
So, you may not be able to buy a
“magic bullet” that will increase gas mileage, but there are some steps
to take that will help.
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Keep your car tuned up.
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Slow down and avoid a lot of jerky
starts and stops.
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Make sure your tires are properly
inflated.
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The use of
AMSOIL synthetic motor
oils is a tried and true method of increasing fuel efficiency.
Independent tests indicate synthetic lubricants can increase fuel
efficiency by 2 percent to 5 percent, while field testing and
on-road operation indicate AMSOIL synthetic motor oils yield even
greater fuel economy benefits.
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