There are hundreds of fuel saving gadgets being advertised these days some of which don't work. Not only do they not work, but they can also cause damage to your vehicle.

Tests that were carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency on over 100 fuel saving gadgets showed that most of them did nothing to improve fuel mileage, and for the ones that did work, the results were not that great.

Fuel efficiency products come under a few different categories. Some of these categories are: vapour bleed devices, fuel line devices, mixture enhancers, ignition devices, engine modification devices, fuel and oil additives and driving habit modifiers.

The EPA's test were designed to evaluate whether the devices had any significant impact on a vehicle fuel economy. What they could not test for was whether the devices would have any adverse effects on a cars performance over time.

Air Bleed devices are one such device that could potentially cause damage to a vehicle. The way they work is to increase the air intake of the engine by adding air to the carburettor. This type of device can cause engine misfire, especially on cars built between 1974 and 82. These vehicles had carburettors that were factory set to a maximum. And on cars built after 82 it may not even work because carburettors were redesigned to be automatically adjustable.

Many ads feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. There are too many variables that affect fuel consumption, such as traffic, road and weather conditions, the car's condition and overall maintenance, and the driving habits of the owner.

There is a case of a consumer giving a glowing testimonial of a fuel saving device in a letter that was written to the manufacturer. But one piece of information that was ommitted was the fact that the vehicle had also been serviced when the device was installed.

Some advertisers claim that the gas-saving device is approved by the Federal government. No government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars. The seller can only state that the item has been tested by the EPA. If the advertiser claims that the product has been tested by the EPA ask to see the results or contact the EPA directly.

If you have already purchased a gas-saving product and you are not satisfied, contact the manufacturer and ask for a refund. An honest company offers a money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the company's response, contact your local or state consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau.

Regular maintenance and servicing is one of the best way to ensure that your vehicle is running at it's maximum fuel efficeincy. You can find out service intervals by looking in the vehicle manual.

Three simple steps that will help improve gas mileage in all vehicles:

Getting a tune-up.

Checking tire pressure.

Removing any excess weight from the car's trunk.

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This author has collected together 100's more articles on making your car fuel efficient and has also written a selection of motoring articles on his website, OldboyArticles.com