<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16441" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE>v\:* {
BEHAVIOR: url (#default#vml)
}
</STYLE>
<STYLE>v\:* {
BEHAVIOR: url (#default#vml)
}
</STYLE>
<!--IncrdiXMLRemarkStart>
<IncrdiX-Info>
<X-FID>FLAVOR00-NONE-0000-0000-000000000000</X-FID>
<X-FVER></X-FVER>
<X-CNT>;</X-CNT>
</IncrdiX-Info>
<IncrdiXMLRemarkEnd--></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 5px 10px 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"
bgColor=#ffffff background="" scroll=yes>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<TABLE id=INCREDIMAINTABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD id=INCREDITEXTREGION style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; DIRECTION: ltr"
width="100%">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV id=IncrediOriginalMessage dir=ltr><I><B>Subject:</B></I> Gas Saving
Myths</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>CNNMoney.com<BR></FONT><FONT
size=6><SPAN class=t>4 gas-saving myths</SPAN><BR></FONT></STRONG><SPAN
class=tt><FONT size=3>Tuesday May 15, 3:34 pm ET</FONT></SPAN> <BR><SPAN
class=au>By David Ellis, CNNMoney.com staff writer</SPAN>
<DIV>
<DIV class=ar> </DIV>
<DIV class=ar>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.
<DIV>Right now, the price of gasoline is again setting record highs. The
average price for a gallon of regular hit $3.087 Tuesday, the <A
href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/15/news/economy/record_gas_prices/index.htm"><FONT
color=#0f55c3>third record</FONT></A> in a row.
<DIV>
<DIV>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:
<DIV>Nothing but gimmicks
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>Consumer Reports and the government's Environmental Protection
Agency, have tested dozens of these products finding that none of them
offer any significant improvement in fuel economy.
<DIV>
<DIV>"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.
<DIV>Windows, air conditioning - who cares?
<DIV>
<DIV>There's the old saying 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.
<DIV>Don't believe either one.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>What they found was no significant difference in fuel economy in
either sedan or SUV under either condition.
<DIV>
<DIV>Don't wait until Wednesday
<DIV>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.
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>Restart your engines
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>Tips you can use
<DIV>
<DIV>So what are some fuel-savings tips you can trust?
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV>
<DIV>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.
<DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD id=INCREDIFOOTER width="100%">
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%">
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD width="100%"></TD>
<TD id=INCREDISOUND vAlign=bottom align=middle></TD>
<TD id=INCREDIANIM vAlign=bottom
align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SPAN
id=IncrediStamp><A href="http://www.incredimail.com/index.asp?id=101218"><SPAN
border="0" name="imgCache"><IMG
alt="Free Animations for your email - By IncrediMail! Click Here!"
src="cid:572775DC-1304-4D0A-A72B-E7A34A3BDAEF" border=0></SPAN></A></SPAN>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
<BR>Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.1/805 - Release Date: 5/15/2007
10:47 AM<BR></BODY></HTML>