New pills for our gas pain at the pump

New Pill Promises to Save You Money at the PumpApril 11, 2006 - The price of gasoline is expected to rise even higher this summer. The cost per gallon could be a quarter higher compared to a year ago. Action News has found a PILL that promises to make you feel better at the pump.

"I remember when gas was 99-cents."
But the average price for gas today is two-dollars and 70-cents! That's about an 18-percent jump in just two months!
Celeste Thompson/Mount Airy: "Gas prices are outrageous. They really are. They're just too high."
"It stinks."
If you're sick over climbing gas prices, Action News may have found the perfect prescription. A pill claims to save you 10, 20, 30 percent or more on fuel! A package of 10 MPG, or miles per gallon, caps will cost you 19.95 The company, Fuel Freedom International calls the MPG-caps a revolutionary new solid fuel treatment. It claims the pills increase gas mileage by breaking fuel down to its molecular level so that it is presented to the combustion chamber in a much finer mist.
"Do you think it's going to work?"
"I don't know. We'll find out."
Action News asked Tom McLaughlin, the manager of AAA's Mid-Atlantic auto repair division, to help us test it out. Tom uses a scan gauge to get the gas mileage for our test.
"This will tell us the miles per gallon at any particular moment you care to look at it right down to the tenth of a mile per gallon."
We drive on highways and byways to get our base mileage for comparison. Then it's time for the real test.
"All right. You ready to try this?"
"Yes, I'm ready to try this."
"Okay. Here we go."
"Let's put the pill in."
"Here we go with the pill."

The MPG-caps are supposed to make consumers feel better. But yes, your car does the swallowing.

According to the pill's marketers, just insert it into your fuel tank before you fill up. One caplet is good for 20 gallons of gas.

We put in one caplet and go for a spin. So is this pill the miracle cure for the high gas prices ailing so many consumers? Check out the results.

We see a four percent increase in gas mileage while going 65 miles per hour. But no difference at 34 miles per hour. When we tell the company about our results, it suggests we put in four pills and try the test again. We did and saw no improvement in gas mileage at either speed.

Tom McLaughlin/AAA: "I didn't see anything approaching any of the claims for 10, 20 or 30 percent improvement in mileage, no."
Tom says he isn't surprised. He's also tested many other products that claim to boost gas mileage.
"But in my experience in the past, none of these products have worked in any significant way."
The MPG-caps brochure says the product is EPA registered. But that only means the product is safe for the environment. The EPA has not validated whether the product actually works.
The company tells us you might have to run 5 or 6 tanks of gas before the pills begin to work. For tips on how to improve your car's gas mileage without