"Federal Government Approved"

"20 percent fuel efficiency improvement!"

As the gas prices keep soaring and the economy tumbling, you will see more of the above spread all over! They all promise to save you fuel and give better mileage. These are devices that are meant to save gas! But the truth is most of these devices do not deliver what they promise. Also important to note here is that government agencies do not endorse devices that promise to save fuel. So next time that you see "Federal Government Approve", you may want to double check the validity of the same.

So why are the "gas-saving devices" not trustworthy?

A. Many such devices actually lead to emission of smoke which adversely affects the performance of the engine and cause pollution.

B. Fuel line gadgets, Additives, Liquid Injections, Engine Modifiers and Vapor Release devices have a serious side effect of smoke emission.

C. Many consumers who appear in the testimonials for the promotion of such devices hardly ever test the fuel consumption of their vehicles before they install a "gas-saving" device to compare the "improved" efficiency.

Now you are well-informed about the gas-saving devices and their performances. But that won't help you save gas which is the need of the hour at the wake of gas prices going north! So let's look at some tips to make that engine work for you efficiently:

Drive well. Avoid sudden braking, ignition and start-up. Keep your driving as smooth as possible. Stay within the speed limit. Do not drive below it nor should you accelerate too much. Both affect fuel economy adversely. Use your cruise control; it's there for a reason. Make full use of gears during overdrives.

Your car-manual will tell you the type of fuel needed for your car. Do not use high octane gas for it does not improve the performance of your car unless your car is of premium grade.

Avoid bumpy roads. Dirty roads with potholes and debris will only make your engine work harder and consume more gas.

Change oil regularly. Do not skimp on that. A better maintained engine will always give a better mileage.

Keep the tire pressure as is required and your wheels aligned correctly. Low tire pressure and misaligned wheels will drag on the road making the engine overwork. Similarly clogged air filters will increase gas consumption. Maintaining and servicing the different parts of your car is very important.

Remove unnecessary items from your trunk. Low rear can cause your engine overwork by 1-2% which is something that can save you up to $0.10 per gallon.

Avoid lengthy warm-up for your car and revving up before switching off the engine.

Do not let the engine idle for a longer period. Long queues in the parking lots, waiting or bad traffic - switch off the engine and start again. It is said that idling your engine can lead to a fuel loss almost equivalent to running a few miles.