STANDALONE INTRO: Saving fuel is saving money and that gets a lot of people�s attention. Too bad a lot of that attention is paid
to things that don�t matter. I�m B.C. with Top 5 myths about what saves gas in your car.
5 - You need to warm up your car
Like anyone does this any more. Today�s materials, machining techniques, oils, lubrication channels and more mean you can
drive off a second or two after you start your car instead of warming it up and wasting fuel. Ditto goes for idling at a stop light,
hence the prevalence of auto start stop tech these days, which increases MPG 5-10%. Idling can burn ? to ? gallon of gas an
hour..
4 - A dirty air filter will harm your fuel economy.
Unless its as clogged as a cork in a bottle, the car�s ECU will adjust fuel mix to match the amount of air actually getting in for
optimal economy. Now, you may get less power and torque with a badly clogged filter, but prob not lower MPG.
3 - Premium gas gets better MPG.
I never understood this one, but I think it comes the misconception that higher octane gas is more combustive and therefore would
make more power for a given droplet of fuel. In fact, higher octane fuel is less likely to detonate and therefore has no impact on
MPG unless you have a car that specifically requires it.
2 - Additives can increase fuel economy.
Turn off the daytime TV, these additives and devices are basically all B.S. The EPA has been testing this stuff for decades and IF
they deliver any improvement its tiny. If you think a $19.99 additive or gadget -- or two for if you pay separate shipping and
handling -- can outdo the hundred million dollar engineering job your carmaker did to design your car, I can�t help you.
1 - Manual transmissions get better fuel economy.
Today, the automatic will often get better fuel economy and 0-60 acceleration. That�s because an auto can be lashed to the
vehicles electronic engine control unit and managed for optimal shift points, gear holds and lockup. Let�s face it, your modern car
is a computerized transportation appliance and, typically, when you intervene, it�s for the worse.
