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Better Gas Mileage And Fuel Additives

by Stephan Grindley

As gas prices swell, individuals are switching to products which claim to improve mpg, like numerous gas additives. Before dumping still more cash into a bottle of fuel additive, see whether the product is actually essential, or even handy for obtaining better gas mileage.

People use additive in there gas tanks because they think it will give them better gas mileage, or make their engine last longer. Some additives will extend the life of your engine and give you more gas for your money. These additives work well cleaning the gunk out of your parts, like fuel injectors and fuel lines. You should be cleaning the fuel injectors by having them taken apart and cleaned regularly anyway so if you do this you wont need any additives.

Moreover, in the developed nations gasoline already has additives in it. The regular gasoline has less additives than the premium one. Despite the higher octane rating, premium gasoline does not improve efficiency of most passenger vehicles. They only work in older engines that has "pinging" problems or a few specialized engines like the engine of a boat.

Neglecting the care of the vehicle is one good reason to try a fuel additive especially designed to treat the neglected components, such as clogged fuel injectors. The temporary use of an absorbant fuel additive may be required to clear water in the fuel tank or the fuel line. The temporary use of a fuel additive may be useful in used vehicles with an unknown maintenance history.

With these specific exceptions, fuel additives are usually not needed. Most gasoline already contains similar additives, and more of these additives will not help your engine get better gas mileage. In addition, high levels of additives will cost you money and damage the environment. If you are not sure whether you should use a fuel additive or not, consult your local mechanic and get his opinion.

You need to carefully follow instructions if and when you decide to use fuel additives. The additive may or may not float in gasoline, so you may need to pour it into your gas tank when it is empty or when it is full. If you use the additive improperly, then it won't work as well.

As gas prices rise, more people are turning to products which claim to inprove mpg, such as many fuel additives. Before dumping even more money into a bottle of fuel additive, consider if the product is really necessary, or even helpful for obtaining better gas mileage. People hope the additive will provide improved gas mileage, or extend the operational life of the engine. Some additives in some cases can indeed do one or both. However, proper maintenance of the vehicle, including periodically taking apart and cleaning the fuel injectors, renders unnecessary the addition of a cleaning agent to the fuel.

Published September 30th, 2008

Filed in Help