"With gas prices climbing up, everybody is searching for ways to improve their car's gas mileage. Most people are aware of the standard ways to do that like decreasing, not stopping or beginning quickly, keeping the tires pumped up, changing the air filter and getting a tune up. Those with a gas guzzler might be hoping for something that will truly improve its gas mileage. They may be tempted to try one of the hundreds of products that are marketed to produce 20% to 60% better mileage. The question is; do those items work?

The Environmental Protection Agency has checked hundreds of these products. Not only did they not find any that substantially increase gas mileage, they discovered that a few of them can damage the cars and trucks' engine and increase its emissions. A few of these products boldly claim that they are approved by the Federal government or the EPA. This is a blatant lie as they do not authorize or back any products.

There are a myriad of products claiming to increase gas mileage. They claim to operate in a range of ways. Some of them are added directly to the gas tank. These items are expected to make the gasoline burn more completely therefore enhancing gas mileage. They generally include either acetone or naphthalene which is the main ingredient in mothballs. Not just do these items not work, they can damage the whole fuel system consisting of the seals, fuel injectors and fuel pump.

Another group of items declaring to improve gas mileage are fuel line magnets which can range in rate from $10 to $400. These magnets connect to the fuel line near the engine. Apparently, the magnet separates clumps of gas particles enabling them to be burned more efficiently. Although they do work on diesel motor, they do not work on fuel engines.

Efficiency chips are another group of gas cost savings scams. These chips are placed on the air intake temperature sensing unit. The theory is that the chip spins the air so that it blends better with the fuel and for that reason burns better. The chip which is really a resistor merely produces turbulence which decreases the air Taos car donation kona circulation and might decrease gas mileage.

Another phony gas saving device is the electronic engine ionizer. In this device the rubber capacitor blocks clip onto the spark plug wires. When among the spark plugs fires, this device declares to utilize that energy to fire the trigger plus in the cylinders that aren't shooting. That shooting is supposed to break down the gas left in those cylinders to make the next firings more efficient. The rubber on these gadgets can melt onto the manifold and cause a fire. And, early sparking can damage the engine.

There are also hydrogen generators on the marketplace than can cost as much as $2,000 and claim to yield as much as 100 mpg. The theory behind it is the generator separates the water molecules into pure hydrogen and oxygen. The pure hydrogen helps the fuel burn better resulting in better gas mileage. The problem is that it does not produce adequate pure hydrogen to be of any advantage and due to the fact that it alters the oxygen levels it can damage the valve seals and heads.

The bottom line is that if any of the numerous supposed gas saving gadgets worked, vehicle makers and gas companies would be utilizing them. Unfortunately, they do not work. The only choices a person who has a gas guzzler has are to continue to drive it or replace it. Automobile dealers and the public do not want them so selling it is not a viable service. That leaves car contribution as the best option. The tax deduction is an excellent benefit from an extremely bad situation."