Father's Day is almost here - but what are you buying your Dad for his car? And does he need it?
From "Motor Honey" to the 100-mpg carburetor, we've all heard about - and sometimes, paid good money for - automotive gadgets that don't work as advertised. Or don't work at all. Before you spend your hard-earned money on any of them, know that you'll probably do more for your driving experience by keeping your car's tires properly inflated and your eyes wide open.
Here are some top contenders for car gadgets you're better off without:
Deer whistles: Glue or screw one to your car's fender and an ultrasonic signal only deer can hear is supposed to be created by the flow of air over the device as you drive, alerting deer to your oncoming presence and hopefully, keeping them from jumping through your windshield. Problem is, there's no evidence deer whistles actually work - and plenty that they don't. Maybe tacking one the fender of your Aztek will improve its good looks but it's doubtful it'll repel Bambi.
Fuel system "energizer:" Or "vitalizer" or some such high-tech-sounding name. Usually nothing more than a hollow tube that's supposed to improve fuel economy by "energizing" or "vitalizing" the fuel "molecules" so that they burn more efficiently. Some use magnets, some don't. None have ever been shown to improve fuel economy. Buy one if you think it'd make a neat amulet or necklace.
Engine (or transmission) "rebuild" in a can: Who needs a mechanic when you can just "pour in" the fix? Right? Wrong. That goop you pour into the engine may cut down on the clouds of blue smoke pouring out of the tailpipe or quiet the death rattle of worn-out bearings for just long enough to unload the car on some poor sucker. The "fix" is more like a cover-up, and the heavy glop can actually accelerate the Final End by increasing friction within the engine.
Air intake "vortex" or "tornado:" It looks like a gerbil wheel and supposedly increases airflow (and thus engine power) by creating "vortexes" in the air intake system. But all this product really does is create a vortex that sucks money out of your wallet and routes it directly to the company that sold you this rip-off. In fact, independent testing of these devices has found they actually lower horsepower (and hurt fuel economy) by creating excess turbulence or impeding airflow into the engine.
"Cathodic" rust prevention: This one's really sly, because the process does work in certain industrial applications. Basically, a flow of charged electrons is used to prevent oxidation (rust) from eating away at things like buried pipelines and sea-going ships. But for the CP process to work, there must be a complete circuit. In the case of a ship, this is provided by contact with seawater; in the case of pipelines (and even buried reinforced concrete) by contact with the soil. But your car is insulated from "ground" by its tires, and the only way for the process to work would be to drive it into the ocean or bury it in the ground. There have been lawsuits and court orders in both theU.S. and Canada to keep these products from being marketed and sold for use in automotive applications because they work about as well as a pet rock.
There are many others, and all have one thing in common: they don't work. Beware of any product that makes claims for itself that sound too good to be true. In virtually every case, they are - and you end up wasting your money on a useless piece of junk that does nothing to make your car more efficient, more powerful, or longer-lasting.
;)
Air intake "vortex" or "tornado:" It looks like a gerbil wheel and supposedly increases airflow (and thus engine power) by creating "vortexes" in the air intake system. But all this product really does is create a vortex that sucks money out of your wallet and routes it directly to the company that sold you this rip-off. In fact, independent testing of these devices has found they actually lower horsepower (and hurt fuel economy) by creating excess turbulence or impeding airflow into the engine. 
