Driver swears by quirky gas station hack to save money when fueling up: ‘This was $30!'

New York Post

3 days ago

Apparently, slow and steady fuels the wallet.
A TikTokker claims that gently pumping gas boosts mileage and saves big bucks — but skeptics say her so-called 'fuel hack' is running on fumes.
Alecia (@aleciaa2) swears by her slow-pour strategy in a now-viral video with over 1.3 million views, insisting it nearly doubled her driving range. But not everyone's buying what she's pumping.
'God bless the person that said when you're getting, or like when you're pumping your gas, to put it on the slow setting,' the video creator said in the June 23 video. 'So it doesn't cause those air bubbles.'
Mid-clip, she dropped the receipts: a shot of her dash flashing a bold 522-mile range on just $30 of gas. Her car's little red icon sat smugly in the center console.
She then gestured to the odometer and asked viewers, 'Do y'all see that? And this was $30. It usually takes me $60 to fill my tank to like 400 miles.'
After dropping her gas-pump gospel, Alecia tried to credit the mystery TikTok prophet who changed her life — but drew a blank.
'I don't remember the creator, but God will bless you,' she said.
Commenters were fired up, pumping out questions of their own: Could a slow squeeze at the pump really stretch your mileage — or is this just fumes and fairy tales?
'I am genuinely confused. Gas pumps measure fuel by volume using a flow meter. Air or foam does not add any volume. Can someone explain?' one commented.
Someone replied to that comment, 'Pumping slowly can help reduce vapor loss and foaming, making your fill-up slightly more efficient and cleaner…'
While there were skeptics in the comments section — there were also believers.
This is a hack that some people swear by — while others are more skeptical of.
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'Mine added an extra 100 miles when I did it!!' one exclaimed as someone else added, 'also go at night or early morning when the ground is cooler!!'
'Worked for me this week. Usually takes 65-70 to even get to near full. I did it with 50,' one other noted.
Another commented, 'I just did this yesterday lol it takes longer to fill, but it's worth it.'
Others stressed that the hack isn't effective.
'I work for a fuel company. Trust me. It doesn't work like that but if it makes you feel better sure!' one wrote.
An additional user chimed in, 'That has never worked for me I've tire this. This past weekend and got the same amount of gas.'
One other weighed in, 'it doesn't work at every pump, but it's worth a try at every pump.'
Several commenters pointed out that today's gas pumps aren't dummies — they charge you for the juice you get, not how fast you pump it.
Sure, some vapor might vanish later in the tank, but during the fill-up? Not a chance.
Mid-clip, she flaunted the 'proof': her dash lit up with a bold 522-mile range on just $30 of gas — while her car's red icon sat smug and self-satisfied.
Tiktok/aleciaa2
According to Action News Jax, AAA pumped the brakes on the viral 'slow pour' hack too — backing social media skeptics and reminding drivers that gas tanks sit underground, safe from the hot air (and hot takes) fueling this myth.
The AAA rep poured cold gas on the theory, saying vapor loss stems from sitting fuel and sizzling temps — not from your pump speed.
As Action News Jax put it: the slow-pour pump hack is pure petrol fiction.
As The Post reported last year, a sharp-eyed TikTok tipster dropped some gas station gospel — showing drivers how to sniff out sneaky credit card skimmers before they get swiped.
The scam, which bleeds over a billion bucks a year, according to the FBI, was exposed by content creator FLM Flight, who filmed himself yanking on a pump's card reader — the easiest way to spot a sketchy setup.
'POV: You checking the card reader to make sure you don't get scammed,' he captioned the clip, which has already scored over 600,000 views on the app.
So, whether you're fueling up or filling in your TikTok feed, remember — some hacks are just running on empty.