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Magic Tank Emergency Fuel Put To The Test

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Admit it. You've done it before. You've been guilty of driving around on an empty tank of gas... wondering how long it will be to the nearest gas station?

For those of you in a bind -- there's a new product called the "Magic Tank" that promises to make sure you don't get stuck on the side of the road. "With our product, it's great," says Magic Tank's owner Steve Bistritzky. "It's a like spare tire. You put it in the trunk until you need it." A half-gallon of Magic Tank equals a half gallon of gas and Bistritzky says it has a shelf like of ten years. "It's made from gasoline, but what we've done is taken out all the highly flammable components," says Bistritzky.

It may sound like a great idea but does it work?

January Marshall McPhail of Marshall Motors in Dallas and Ray Konderla of Rick and Ray's Auto Plaza in Fort Worth helped us test it out.

After reading the literature that came with the product, Ray used it on a unused pressure washer. It took a while to get it started. But once it did, it worked great. The literature does state that the engine needs to be warm to get the product to work. So if you're using it on a generator that hasn't been used since the last power outage, tough luck.

Next stop -- Marshall Motors in Dallas -- January Marshall poured it into her dodge truck, which was completely drained out of fuel. The product got on her hands while pouring. And, it does smell like a strong petroleum product. But once Magic Tank was in, it lived up to the promise. "It did push the gasoline up to the top, it did work," she said. She concedes that it could be a good thing in case of an emergency but, she has a few concerns with the product. "I would not recommend it being used once or twice at the max and I'm not in favor of carrying chemicals in your car," she says. Her advice, "Just pay attention to your gas gauge."

The product is not available in stores yet. You can buy it online for $19.95 for half a gallon.

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