No car owner wants to hear that the problem the car is having is in the transmission. Transmissions are one of the most expensive parts that a car owner might have to replace – if the car is old enough, it sometimes makes more sense to replace the car entirely than to replace the transmission. But I’ve found that there are ways to save when you need transmission work! Not only are there ways to save money on a new or rebuilt transmission, there are also ways to locate transmission problems and have them fixed before they become too serious. This blog is designed to help you take better care of your transmission, and avoid paying too much for transmission repairs.
An increasing number of dealerships, tire outlets and auto repair shops are offering to fill their customers' tires with nitrogen instead of oxygen. Proponents claim that nitrogen offers a number of advantages that lead to better overall performance, tire longevity and, most importantly fuel economy. But does it really give you an edge when it comes to squeezing more miles out of your gallon?
What Nitrogen Brings to the Table
At first glance, you might wonder what the big deal with nitrogen is. After all, the air you breathe already contains 78 percent nitrogen. However, the nitrogen on offer for your tires is as close to 100 percent pure as possible. According to proponents, this offers a number of benefits that could help you save a little change at the pump:
Mixed Results
In spite of nitrogen's supposed benefits, the question remains - does it give you better fuel economy than filling your tires with regular air? Unfortunately, you won't see fuel savings from nitrogen alone.
Consumer Reports found that while using nitrogen did reduce pressure losses over time, there was only a 1.3 psi difference between nitrogen-filled tires and their air-filled counterparts. In other words, the differences in pressure losses were negligible, at best.
Recent studies also found that differences in inflation pressures caused by temperature changes were also negligible when comparing nitrogen with ordinary air.
Underinflation is the Bigger Issue
Instead of spending money on filling your tires with nitrogen, you're better off simply checking your inflation pressures. Underinflation is one of the leading causes of tire failure, and it can also rob your vehicle of its fuel efficiency. Keeping your tires inflated at the proper pressure can improve your fuel economy by 3.3 percent.
Checking your tire pressures is as simple as using an analog or digital tire gauge. Pressure checks should be done on a monthly basis to ensure that you are getting the best possible mileage. Don't rely on your vehicle's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), as it's designed to alert you when tire pressures become critically low. For more tips, contact a company like Dack Auto Service.
Share4 August 2015
