Thursday, December 07, 2006

Feel the Heet

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Does anyone use the gas line anti-freeze Heet or any similar product anymore? Back when I first started driving in the mid to late ‘70s it was a must to put this stuff in your gas tank during cold weather. If I didn’t, I was told by everyone, my fuel line would freeze, my car would suddenly stop and I’d freeze to death. Guaranteed!

I put a couple of bottles of Heet in my car every time I filled up in the winter. You could buy it right at the gas station. This was the conventional wisdom until at least the mid 1980s. Then it’s like everyone just forgot. About 15 or so years ago I quit using the stuff and…nothing happened.

So I’m just wondering: was the Heet craze just a marketing scam (I don’t even see Heet commercials anymore) or are cars built better now to withstand the cold? I’m frankly feeling a little scammed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I use it every day.

JP

Anonymous said...

My wife buys a case of it in the Fall and uses it all the time. Her car is parked in the garage when at home.

I have never used the stuff and have been driving in Illinois since 1962. My company car sits outside.

Neither of us have trouble with the dreaded "Gas Line freeze-up".

I think it's mostly marketing hype.