Car Care for the Smart “Driver”
You Are So Full of… Nitrogen
Q: Dear Boomer and X,
I went to put air in my tires yesterday because they looked low. The technician at the tire store asked if I wanted nitrogen or regular air? After I realized he wasn’t kidding, I said I didn’t know, I’d come back tomorrow. What’s with the Nitrogen? What should I say?
Phyllis Gorman
New Hyde Park, New York
Dear Phyllis,
A: Good for you! You thought about putting air in your tires. However, as adept as you may be sizing up your need for air, the best way to really know is by using an air pressure gauge. Check your door jam or owners manual for complete information to insure proper inflation. The correct tire pressure can greatly affect your gas mileage, especially during climate changes.
Asking if you want nitrogen or air may have made you feel like you were on candid camera but race cars; aircraft and even the space shuttle have been using Nitrogen for years.
Some research has shown that inflating your tires with Nitrogen will keep them properly inflated longer. Nitrogen molecules are bigger than oxygen molecules, so nitrogen seeps out more slowly than tires that are filled with air; nitrogen resists heat buildup better than air as well. Researchers and proponents of Nitrogen report as much a l.5 mile-per gallon increase since filling their tires with Nitrogen.
Most tire dealers charge $2.00 to $5.00 per tire for the life of the tire to be filled. Less than l0 percent of tire dealers in the nation are offering nitrogen but the numbers are growing daily. The cost to carry nitrogen runs from $3,000 to $12,000 for a dealer.
With or without Nitrogen, proper inflation is the key. You can obtain better gas mileage by 3.3 percent simply by keeping your tires properly inflated according to the US Department of energy. With the price of gasoline, every little bit helps.
Oh, and Phyllis, go back tomorrow and tell the tech you want Nitrogen… because their molecules are bigger... even though size doesn’t matter. (wink)
Boomer and X
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Car Care for the Smart Driver, May 2007
Car Care for the Smart Driver, Picking an Auto Repair Shop - April 2007
Boomer and X - Two generations of women offer car-care advice to readers each month. This Mother Daughter team of Cathy and Melanie Droz are automotive journalists and manufacturers “test drivers.” Boomer shares years of knowledge and experience while our generation “X” contributes and shares a trendier, more-technically hip solution to automotive questions.
Send your questions to Boomerand X@GPPPS.com
