OT: 4 gas-saving myths

4 gas-saving myths

Think you're stretching your gas dollars by killing the air
conditioning or buying your gas on Wednesday? Think again.

By David Ellis, CNNMoney.com staff writer
May 9 2007: 5:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Using a special additive or cutting off
your A/C won't really cut your gasoline consumption. But myths like
these run rampant in the minds of American drivers.

Right now, the price of gasoline is (once again) approaching
nose-bleed levels. Last week the nationwide average for a gallon of
regular unleaded self-serve gasoline climbed to $3.07 a gallon.

So before you attempt a half-baked scheme to stretch your gas dollars,
here's a look at what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to fuel
economy:

Nothing but gimmicks

There have been additives, special magnets and even a pill that has
promised to improve a car's fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent
in some cases.

While the promise of stretching your gas dollars seems awfully
lucrative, especially when they cost under $20, most of these products
provide a negligible, if any, improvement in fuel efficiency, said Rik
Paul, the automotive editor for the publication Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports and the government's Environment Protection Agency,
have tested dozens of these products finding that none of them offer
any significant improvement in fuel economy.

"With all the pressure car companies are under, if one of these
inexpensive devices dramatically did improve fuel economy, they
(automakers) would be all over it," said Paul.

Windows, air conditioning - who cares?

There's the old saw that leaving your windows rolled down creates an
aerodynamic drag on your car, cutting down on fuel efficiency. And
there's the notion that the fastest way to drain your gas tank is by
running your air conditioning.

Don't believe either one.

In two separate studies conducted in 2005, the automotive Web site
Edmunds.com and Consumer Reports compared the fuel economy of both a
sedan and an SUV at highway speeds with and without air conditioning
and how open windows affected gas usage.

What they found was no significant difference in fuel economy in
either sedan or SUV under either condition.

Don't wait until Wednesday

Some drivers insist the best time to buy gasoline is on a Wednesday,
when pump prices have cooled from the weekend run-up when oil
companies typically raise prices.

That's true to a point, says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil
Price Information Service. Gas prices tend to be higher on the
weekend, but there's no ideal day of the week to purchase your gas.

Geoff Sundstrom of the motorist organization AAA notes that gas prices
fluctuate from day to day and are determined by gas station owners who
look at a variety of factors including wholesale gasoline prices,
competitors' prices and food and drink sales if they have an attached
convenience store.

Drivers who want to bargain-hunt for inexpensive gas should instead
check out Web sites like Gasbuddy.com, which allows consumers to find
the cheapest gas in their area simply by entering their zip code.

Restart your engines

It's probably a myth that goes back to the days when cars were
equipped with carburetors, but many drivers believe that starting up
and turning off your car repeatedly is a fast way to drain your gas
tank.

But because of modern fuel-injection technology, drivers actually save
gas by turning off their engine than letting their car needlessly
idle, says Consumer Reports' Paul.

Granted it's probably not sensible shutting down the engine every time
you get stuck in traffic, but if it looks like you might be at the
drive-thru for more than 30 seconds to a minute, it's worth turning
off your car, says Paul.

Tips you can use

So what are some fuel-savings tips you can trust?

Make sure your tires are properly inflated for starters. Besides
posing a safety hazard, underinflated tires can reduce your fuel
economy slightly, based on Edmunds.com's 2005 study.
Removing excess weight from your car can also help save you gas. The
Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between
3 and 6 cents a gallon (assuming gas prices of $2.97 a gallon) just by
removing those golf clubs and other unnecessary weight from your
trunk.
If your car comes equipped with cruise control, make sure you use it,
especially on long trips. Edmunds.com's study revealed that using
cruise control at highway speeds offered an average fuel economy
savings of 7 percent.
But the biggest fuel saver is driving the speed limit and driving
sensibly. Rapid starts and stops and exceeding the speed limit will
dent your pocketbook. Just by adhering to one of those, the Department
of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 15 and 98
cents a gallon, again assuming pump prices are at $2.97 a gallon.

.

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