• Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008

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Ways to give fuel a boost: Some good, others bogus

Robert Pritchett says he's been able to double fuel mileage on his Ford E-350 diesel van to about 20 mpg with an investment of about $400.

The Richland, Washington, resident recently installed a hydrogen booster system on his van that takes water and separates out hydrogen to be burned in the engine. Pritchett is testing the system for an alternative energy group and selling it as an independent dealer. He insists the system, plus a special oil he uses called Power Up, can save a lot of fuel.

But officials say those feeling the pinch at the pump should be skeptical of the hundreds of purported fuel-saving devices that are on the market.

Cathy Milbourn, Washington D.C.-based spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency, which has tested hundreds of so-called fuel-saving devices, said consumers should be skeptical, especially of those that claim to improve mileage 25 percent or more.

EPA tests have not found any device that does that, although there were no recent reports available on testing of hydrogen boosters.

Do so-called gas-saving devices work?

"Generally, no," Milbourn said.

Read the complete story at tri-cityherald.com

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