More For a Gallon: Gas-Saving Gadgets Put to the Test -- Do They Really Work?; Tornado Air Management System on the Air -- ABC News

    SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif.--Nov. 12, 2001--Besides frustrating drivers, fluctuating gas prices have done one thing: they've caused more people to pay attention to the mileage they are getting.
    But could some inventions designed to take you farther on a tank of gas really work?
    "Dollars & Deals" reporter Mark Schumacher put one device called the "Tornado" to the test. The Tornado's creator told Channel 10 that it works by using air in a special way. "The Tornado is simply a non-moving, turbine shaped device which will create a vortex effect to the engine...which creates atomized fuel, makes it a better mixture between air and fuel," Jay Kim said. "The result: better fuel efficiency and, you know, mile performance."
    Mechanics told Channel 10 that the theory behind the device makes sense, but they -- like the company's testers, found it hard to believe that it could really work. "I think it's a little hard to believe that that little thing blowing air in my engine could improve my gas mileage -- but we'll give it a shot," Lourdes Arias-Green said.
    For two weeks, Arias-Green and Melanie Williams kept meticulous track of their mileage and gas consumption. Then it was time for the moment of truth. Could the Tornado whip up better fuel efficiency in just 14 days?
    "I was getting about 16 and a quarter (miles). Now, I'm getting about 17 and a quarter per gallon," Arias-Green said. That's just under a ten percent increase in fuel economy. And Williams' results were even better. "I'm averaging about a mile to two miles per gallon more," she said.
    The only thing that might blow away the Tornado is the price. It's a one-time cost of $70, so it will take months of better mileage to pay for it. Still, the company's testers are crazy about the results. "I couldn't believe it and I'm happy with it -- so I want to keep it. You can't have it back!"
    The city of Norwalk feels the same way. It has fitted their entire fleet of approximately 150 vehicles with the device. "I figured we could save, conservatively, $10,000 a year on fuel costs," said former Norwalk equipment maintenance supervisor Dennis Johnson.
    TORNADO is environmentally friendly, priced $69 and has a 30-day money back guarantee and limited lifetime warranty. For more information, contact 714/224-4800, fax 714/224-4801, 6905-D Oslo Circle, Buena Park, CA 90621, or visit www.TORNADOair.com
    Corporate users of the TORNADO include Harris County, Houston, TX; City of Norwalk, CA; the Boise Police Dept.; JC Whitney: Camping World; Participating NAPA Stores and more.