Gas prices are so volatile, who knows where they will end up next? The higher prices are causing people to look for inventive ways to make their cars get better gas mileage. There have always been mileage increasing gadgets and gizmos, but now they seem to be coming from every direction. Do they really work?



Don't believe the hype. Many of these devices do nothing more than take your hard earn cash (which you need to be saving to pay for the gas it's supposed to save). The EPA and the Federal Trade Commission have both been testing the products that come on the market and so far none of them have offered any fuel saving effects.

Tests have shown that some of the devices are actually harmful to the efficiency. Many uninformed consumers are installing these devices and inadvertently voiding their car's factory warranty.

It would be great if there was a product that could make the average car go twice as long on one tank of gas or that could convert a normal engine into one that uses water for fuel, but those products do not exist.

The only real way to save on your mileage is to drive sensibly. Make slow starts and slow stops and drive the speed limit. It is also a good idea to have your vehicle serviced regularly and to keep your tires inflated at the pressure recommended by the car's manual.

Finding an answer to the fuel costs will not come in a bottle. It will come from the actions and behaviors behind the will. There is very little truth in the myths, ads and ideas for making a car get better gas mileage. The answer is not going to come in a bottle ? it is going to come from behind the wheel.