Myth 1 -- Fill your car when the temperature is low
The logic behind this idea is that when the temperature is low the density of the petrol is higher and thus a
certain volume contains a greater mass of petrol. The logic is certainly sound, but in practice the temperature of
the petrol coming from the forecourt nozzle hardly alters. The petrol is contained in storage tanks lying well below the
ground, where temperatures vary little.
Myth 2 -- Pump your petrol slowly
The reasoning is that when you pump slowly, the petrol will contain fewer air and petrol vapours. This one is
wrong because the petrol nozzle is expressly designed to avoid this very problem. Whether you pump fast or slow
makes no difference, you will still get a full tank either way.
Myth 3 -- Use Premium Fuel To Increase Your Mpg
People believe that if they use a slightly more expensive fuel to power their cars, the efficiency of their engines
will increase thus saving money. So what do the experts recommend? Almost unanimously it is to use the fuel that your owner's
manual specifies. The higher octane petrol will not result in an increased efficiency. After all, the engineers who designed
your car's engine should know.
Myth 4 -- Miracle Petrol Saving Devices
These sorts of devices abound on the internet. Dodgy businessmen trying to sell you the latest weird magnetic contraption to
attach to your fuel line, or a magic additive to add to your petrol. Without exception these are almost certainly useless and do nothing
to increase fuel mpg. Consumer watchdogs have tested most of them and have found any claims made for them to be false. If they did work motor
manufacturers would be clammering all over them.