Do fuel additives really work? In a GasBuddy survey, nearly 8,500 respondents doubted how well fuel additives worked in their experience, while 10,000 said they don’t use such additives.

The results indicate a mixed bag, with 56%, or 4,717 responses, responding that fuel additives made no difference in their experience. 18% or 1,510 respondents said they experienced varied results, while 2 percent or 189 said they thought the additives made their car run worse than i was before they used the fuel additives.

That leaves just under a quarter of respondents users happy using fuel additives, or 24%- some 2,076 motorists- saying they felt that additives made their car run better.

“We believe the skepticism of our respondents is well-founded,” says Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. “Some additives make exorbitant claims suggesting that fuel economy might improve by up to 25%. Unfortunately, none of these product claims have ever been substantiated by any government review or consumer agency.”

GasBuddy has other suggestions for motorists looking to boost fuel economy or to spend less on gasoline. First, motorists can save over 10 cents per gallon by using GasBuddy’s free smartphone app to pinpoint cheaper gas. In some areas, GasBuddy sends alerts before prices rise significantly, offering motorists a chance to fill up at lower prices. Second, driving defensively can result in less gasoline burned and ultimately lead to savings on fill ups. Third, motorists can learn about issues driving gas prices higher or lower by reading the GasBuddy Blog (blog.GasBuddy.com.). Other fuel savings tips can be found on GasBuddy’s website, www.GasBuddy.com.