Nitro....

[Knightro2]

....Fill that is.

When I bought my V last November the dealership NitroFilled my tires. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has gone from standard air to nitro in their tires and actually noticed a gas saving difference.

[corpsecorps]

Why would Nitro in the tires give you better Mileage?

[bulld0g]

This should help explain Quote »Nitro-Nized tires maintain proper pressure up to three times longer because nitrogen diffuses through tire walls more slowly than air. This gives drivers several important safety and performance advantages:

* Problems associated with under-inflation are reduced. Under-inflated tires run hotter and wear faster due to increased rolling resistance. A tire that is 10 percent under-inflated will lose approximately seven percent of its service life. * Tires maintain their strength longer. Nitrogen-filled tires show twice the life to failure in both field and laboratory tests due to absence of interior oxidation caused by the oxygen in compressed air. * Tires perform better. Nitrogen can help increase tire mileage by as much as 25 percent. Tires that are properly inflated respond better to steering input and handle better. * Tire pressure is more consistent. Compressed air expands at varying rates depending on the amount of water vapor it contains; nitrogen is "dry" and expands at a consistent, predictable rate.In addition, nitrogen tire inflation is better for your wallet and better for the environment. Belle Tire estimates customers can save up to $125 per year in vehicle operating costs if they Nitro-Nize their tires, depending on the number of miles driven annually. On a larger scale, Americans could save 3.7 billion gallons of gas per year if they maintained proper tire pressure with nitrogen. Examine the facts:

* Americans use about 375 million gallons of gasoline per day. SOURCE: http://www.eia.doe.gov/ ; Energy Information Administration * That equals 136,875,000,000 gallons per year. SOURCE: Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government * 220 million vehicles in the U.S. drive 11,600 miles per year. SOURCE: Energy Information Administration; http://www.eia.doe.gov/ * That equals 6,991,780,821.918 combined miles per day. SOURCE: Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government; http://www.eia.doe.gov/ * You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. SOURCE: US Dept. of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency; http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ * Every gallon of gasoline a vehicle burns puts 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. SOURCE: US Dept. of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency; http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ * The U.S. uses about 20 million barrels of oil per day, two-thirds of which is used for transportation. One barrel of crude oil (42 gallons) produces approximately 19.9 gallons of finished motor gasoline. SOURCE: US Dept. of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency; http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ * As many as 85 percent of motorists do not properly check their tire inflation pressure. SOURCE: Rubber Manufacturers Association, February 2003 RMA survey; http://www.rma.org/CONCLUSION: If 85 percent of the 220 million vehicles on the road today improved their gas mileage by 3.3 percent, the U.S. would save: 3,716,692,884.802 gallons of gas per year.

Information provided by http://www.getnitrogen.org/ . Visit their web site for more information on nitrogen and its benefits[/quote]

[matttail]

There was a thread about this a long time ago. zerothread/282061

Basically, the sales pitch is that nitrogen will stay in your tires longer, leak less, and thus provide better gas mileage, assuming that you don't check your tire pressure your self on a regular basis (or pay attention to your TMPS). As to how well that concept actually works and so on is up to opinion.

[jmaclean]

I have a friend at work who is a hyper-miler*. He overinflates his tires beyond the recommended tire pressure to the Max inflatable pressure on the sidewall. He says that today's radial tire tread stays on the road and he gets much better mileage. Website for that group is http://www.cleanmpg.com/ He also uses techniques which I haven't all used such as turning the ignition off at speed and restarting - various coasting techniques - driving ahead, etc.

He's also recommended a device to monitor your mileage in real time - see: http://scangauge.com/

(*Hypermiler is a term coined by Wayne Gerdes to describe a driver who strives to exceed their vehicle's EPA fuel economy rating.)

[Ever Victorious]

By the way, overinflating your tires is EXTREMELY dangerous to do in the rain. You have significantly less traction for steering than you would if you had your tires at normal pressure.

Autocrossers normally run 8-10psi high on the course. In the rain, though, they drop back to 0-3psi high because they can't turn if they keep the pressure up.

And one of the best things you can do for mileage is get rid of unnecessary weight... but do you REALLY want to be running around without a spare tire? :P

[APEXi240]

And one of the best things you can do for mileage is get rid of unnecessary weight... but do you REALLY want to be running around without a spare tire? :P

No, but it's a good enough reason to keep the old lady at home when you're running errands.

[Zadkiel]

Well I know about nitrogens properties because of my job. I'm in the USAF and am a Crew Chief on C-130's. We are directed to use nitrogen because of its resistance to pressure changes. A lot of friction is developed on landing and the nitrogen keeps the pressure from increasing rapidly which would cause the tire to explode.

[frankoV]

Kimber: better use nitro so y ou can land the Camel safely!

[Onyxblue]

And man will continue to suffer unto itself until some stand to rally the fray by firm example. Chaos must succumb to order lest these days be numbered. I cannot contribute to disarray. I simply cannot relate. - Shai Hulud.

Another DUNE fan?

[KimberKenobi]

Kimber: better use nitro so y ou can land the Camel safely!

[APEXi240]

Another DUNE fan?

No, sorry, it's a hardcore/metal band, name lifted from Dune though.