No Miracle Cures For Fuel Savings, Experts Say

As gas prices break new record highs, any promise of relief from pain at the pump is tempting.

But before investing in fuel additives or miraculous gizmos, research the product. Experts say only a handful of products on the market actually deliver higher gas mileage and even those barely live up to their claims.

Some of the products can actually decrease gas mileage or harm a vehicle's engine.

"There is no magical bullet," said Gregg Laskoski, spokesman for AAA Auto Club South. "If there was, the automotive industry would jump on it."

The market's current offerings range from the plausible to the fantastic. In August 2006, the manufacturer of a magnetic device that supposedly increased fuel efficiency paid out $4.2 million to settle a false advertising suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission.

Even as far back as 2002, when "rising gas prices" meant around $1.25 per gallon, the FTC was rooting out false claims. Besides magnets, there are also "turbo-blowers" that supposedly shoot a cyclone of fuel-thinning air through the engine and water additives.

"We advise consumers to be extremely skeptical," said Laura DeMartino, assistant director for enforcement at the FTC. Even the few products that worked "didn't justify the cost of the device."

AAA warns against buying products advertised "directly," meaning on late-night cable TV or mail offers. There's a reason those products are not available commercially, Laskoski said: "Most stores don't want to touch the products (because) they would be inundated with complaints."

Fuel Efficiency Tips

Most motorists can cut back on fuel expenses through changing their driving habits. Since most of the tips are similar, Edmunds.com, a vehicle comparison Web site, put them to the test.

Aggressive versus moderate driving showed up to 37 percent better fuel efficiency with a 31 percent average. The test drivers rapidly accelerated 15 times then slammed on the brakes and came to a full stop. They repeated the test with moderate accelerating and saw a dramatic difference.

The second test was simpler. Using cruise control, they drove a 55-mile stretch at a consistent speed of 75 mph, then repeated the test at 60 mph. The lower speed resulted in an average savings of 12 percent. It also proved that using cruise control boosts fuel economy by 7 percent.

Cutting down on excessive idling can boost fuel efficiency by 19 percent. Researchers suggest turning off the vehicle if parked for more than a minute.

Some of the free tips didn't stack up quite as claimed. There is some truth to turning off the air conditioner because the A/C compressor does pull some power from the engine. But the effect seemed to be fairly minimal in most modern cars and rolling the windows down actually tends to increase the drag on a car.

Researchers did find that opening the sunroof in a sport utility vehicle showed some effect, but, overall, keeping the A/C off showed negligible returns.

No conclusive results could be reached from the tire inflation theory. While it's important from a safety perspective to keep tires properly inflated, the effects on gas mileage are harder to gauge. Because every vehicle and set of tires is different, they decided it was best for the individual motorist to do their own test.