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Mark Giauque reportingNo doubt many of us are paying very close attention to the gas mileage in our cars. But car experts are warning high prices are also prompting potential gas-saving scams.
"I've still got to get to work, go where I got to go so I just pay the gas."
"Just the reality."
"We're addicted to oil and we're going to pay uh whatever the market will bare."
You know about the profits oil companies are making, but they're not the only ones.
Scott Huntsman: "It's a ten billion dollar industry per year in the automotive aftermarket."
Tunex Technician Scott Huntsman says part of that aftermarket involves products that promise to improve your gas mileage including the latest thing, a pill you drop in your gas-tank. Huntsman says the pitch sounds familiar.
Scott Huntsman: "You know take this pill and you'll lose three hundred pounds. Here's another one, put it in the tank of your car and you get another 100 miles per tank full."
Scott Huntsman: "Snake oil, a lot of it, I will call just based on results."
The company insists their product works. But the EPA, Triple A and the FTC have their doubts. Huntsman says there are products that may not hurt your car, like those air cleaner inserts that are supposed to create a tornado like vortex in your engine, making for a more efficient fuel burn. But....
Scott Huntsman: "A lot of engines these days are designed with high swirl combustion in mind."
Besides, Huntsman says, most of the products also come with a sheet of paper, offering you other tips on how to save fuel.
Scott Huntsman: "If you follow what the sheet says, even without them putting their product inside, you're going to see an increase."
So what can you do? Huntsman says it's back to the basics, make sure your car's air filter is clean, that it's running well. And keep the tires properly inflated.
Scott Huntsman: "You remember how it was when you were a kid, you were riding your bicycle and your tires were flat...how hard it was to get it down the road. Well, the same thing goes with an automobile.
