YEAH, BUT DOES ROCKING THE CAR AT THE PUMP LET YOU FILL THE TANK HIGHER?:

Your Dad Was Wrong: A lot of traditional automotive wisdom just doesn't hold up. (Jim Dunne, January 2007, Popular Mechanics)

Most of us grew up thinking our fathers had encyclopedic knowledge, particularly about those things important to a young man coming of age — sports, women and cars. But as we learn from experience, we realize that much of what we thought was gospel when Dad spoke was wrong. Not only were some of his nuggets based on misinformation, the automotive technology he was talking about has changed tremendously over the years. Read and learn. (We'll save sports and women for another time.) [...]

DAD SAID: "Restarting the engine uses more gas than idling."
BUT: Why do you think all these new hybrids shut down the engine at traffic lights? It takes almost no fuel to restart a warm engine. If you had a car that was hard to restart, and the carburetor (remember them?) flooded regularly, this may have had a germ of truth, but no longer. [...]

DAD SAID: "Fill up with premium every few tankfuls."
BUT: Unless your owner's manual recommends it, you're wasting money. Regular-grade gas has the additives to keep your engine clean. In fact, modern engines rated for premium will run relatively well on regular — you'll lose a little zip, but you'll save a few bucks.