Nitrogen a gas for better mileage

[fontman]

Nitrogen a gas for better mileage
By David Sharp
ASSOCIATED PRESS
August 1, 2006

TOPSHAM, Maine -- Many motorists seeking to improve their mileage as gas prices soar this summer are examining everything, right down to the air in their tires. And for a growing number, plain old air isn't good enough.

George Bourque of Fairfield, Maine, is one of those who is driving around on tires filled with pure nitrogen, the same stuff that NASCAR racers use.

Mr. Bourque, an engineer, said he has seen a 1- to 1.5 mile-per-gallon increase since he began filling his tires with nitrogen, which is touted as maintaining tire pressure longer and resisting heat buildup on hot summer days.

"I analyze everything," he said.

Nitrogen has been used for years in the tires of race cars, large commercial trucks, aircraft and even the space shuttle.

But it is finding its way into the mainstream at a growing number of tire dealers, including Costco Wholesale Corp. and its Washington-area stores.

Nationwide, fewer than 10 percent of tire dealers offer nitrogen, but the number is growing, said Bob Ulrich, editor of Modern Tire Dealer magazine in Akron, Ohio. Most dealers charge $2 to $5 per tire for the nitrogen fill-up, he said. The dealers generally offer free lifetime refills.

Mr. Bourque got his tires -- filled with nitrogen -- in Waterville, Maine, at Tire Warehouse, which has 50 tire dealerships across New England. The nitrogen was part of an installation package when he bought a set of tires.

Skeptics will question how much can be gained by filling tires with pure nitrogen when air is 78 percent nitrogen.

The differences are subtle, but important, said Steve McGrath, Tire Warehouse's vice president of marketing in Keene, N.H.

Nitrogen molecules are bigger than oxygen molecules, so nitrogen seeps out more slowly from tires than air. Nitrogen also resists heat buildup better than air, which contains moisture, and it reduces oxidation, which can damage the tire from the inside out, proponents say. Nitrogen is an inert gas, so there are no safety or environmental issues.

Those advantages are important in vehicles equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems, which are sensitive to changes in tire pressure, Mr. McGrath said.

With or without nitrogen, proper inflation is the key to improving gas mileage. Motorists can improve gas mileage by 3.3 percent simply by keeping their tires properly inflated, according to the Department of Energy.

In the real world, though, only 20 percent of motorists check their tire pressure regularly, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association. Nitrogen, therefore, could have an advantage for those who don't check their tire pressure regularly.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has no opinion on nitrogen, but it does encourage motorists to keep their tires properly inflated, both for safety and to boost gas mileage, said spokesman Rae Tyson. Severely underinflated tires are dangerous, especially for sport utility vehicles and light trucks.

Tire specialists at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, neither endorse nor object to the use of nitrogen in tires.

"Nitrogen is certainly safe to use in tires, and theoretically it does offer some benefits," spokesman Douglas Love said from Yonkers, N.Y.

For Mr. Bourque, his tire pressure remains constant -- 40 pounds for his fully loaded truck -- even on hot days, when tire pressure normally fluctuates.

His gas mileage was about 19 mpg when he bought his 2005 Chevrolet Colorado. Now, with the engine broken in and new tires filled with nitrogen, he gets 20.5 to 22 mpg, depending on whether he runs the air conditioner, he said.

For tire dealers, the nitrogen generator and associated equipment typically run between $3,000 and $12,000, Mr. Ulrich said.

Marty Mailhot, manager of the Tire Warehouse in Topsham, Maine, said the idea is catching on with consumers, who are buying nitrogen for tires for cars, trucks, motor homes and lawn tractors. He has even tried it on footballs and inflatable tubes pulled behind boats.

He has a retort for those who pooh-pooh the notion of paying for nitrogen when there's plenty of free air for the taking.

"I say, 'Why are you drinking that bottled water when there's a pond out back?' " he said.

[10thzodiac]

Reading your post, got me to thinking again about what if American's and others got together to bring the price of oil down themselves. Oil prices our based on demand and supply like any commodity, too much... low prices, too little... high prices. Just think if people who drive cars drove them less all at the same time just long enough temporally to cause an over supply. The oil producers do it in reverse by cutting production to raise prices. Sure there will always be individuals that won't stick together, but if enough people do it long enough they could get lower prices, just like the oil producers get higher prices. Is that to simplistic? And anybody not cooperating with the program, well "Driver Beware!" I'm sure the oil companies will fight back, but how long can they keep loosing money for their stockholders? All we would be doing is saving more money and it could possibly even turn ugly... them against us mentality... and maybe the people will get so GD mad at Iran, Columbia and other foriegn oil producers that they get their bicycles out.

Just think of it like global warming once it gets out of hand there's no turning back!

SF

P.S. LOL, After this rant I'm just waiting for someone now to say that's un-American and call me a communist

[ivalis]

First of all, Nitrogen is NOT an inert gas.

I had read the above article. I happened to run into a retired chemistry professor today. He agreed that nitrogen would possibly be good at reducing the degredation of tires (no oxidation). Other than that, he couldn't see any benefit.