Don’t Fall for Phony Fuel Savers
During the fuel crisis in the 1970’s things were pretty difficult. There were lines for fuel every day. People parked their cars the night before. Some days were for even numbered ending license plates, others for odd. People who normally were somewhat mild mannered got into arguments, shouting matches and altercations. And the prices were only between $1 and $1.50per gallon.
Move forward to the eighties and nineties when we were being warned over and over to conserve fuel. We were told to buy and drive smaller cars. We were also in a situation where automakers were basically told that they had to make more fuel efficient cars to ease the fuel crunch and to give us alternatives to gas guzzling land yachts.
One of the situations that came out of the woodwork at that time was a slew of gadgets and liquids and other offerings that were supposed to conserve fuel and keep out cars running better, longer, and on less fuel. Most of these were hoaxes and did nothing to help our cars. In fact, some of them totally ruined our cars after helping us to consume even more fuel.
Fast forward to today. Here we are in a similar situation. We are not sitting in line over night at gas stations waiting for rations to even or odd license place, but we are being warned that this could be coming down the pike. Then there are those gas guzzling super sized SUV’s that we were warned about in the 70s and 80s and 90s and the past decade, too. Just a couple of years ago they were selling for $20 to $50 thousand – and that was without all the bells and whistles. Now, with the fuel crisis, it is hard for dealers to even give them away, and companies like General Motors have taken big hits in profit – even whispering about possible bankruptcies, while laying off thousands of employees.
And, of course, the snake oil salesmen are back again with new additives and gimmicks to help our cars run better on less fuel for longer. The problem is that if you have a giant SUV that gets 12 to 15 miles per gallon, even if the snake oil works, you are still going to use a lot of fuel.
If you are thinking of buying some of the items touted to conserve fuel and help improve the way your vehicle performs, don’t just take someone’s word for it. Do some research. Check to see what these items are made of and what they actually do. Check with companies like Consumer Reports or your personal mechanic (or a mechanic that you trust) and get some opinions before you stick anything in your car engine or your gas tank.
Snake oil salespeople will always be around and always jump on any crisis. The best way to avoid falling for phonies and keep your car running well is to take it in for regular service and make sure the products you buy are genuine and credible.