Tire Pressure Not Just Hot Air

The latest in the battle over energy between Obama and McCain is all about pressure -- specifically, tire pressure.

Across the pond, the Guardian's environment blog asks:

Is McCain right to mock Obama when he says tyre pressure could save Americans from having to drill offshore for more oil? Or does Obama have a point?

Tyre pressure has not traditionally been a central debating point in US presidential elections, but the topic has dominated the agenda in the few days since Barack Obama's statement that keeping tyres inflated would save enough oil to avoid having to expand offshore drilling.

...

But would Americans save themselves enough oil? There are an estimated 150m cars on the road in America, and according to the Power Line blog, Americans drive approximately 2,880 billion miles per year, using around 120 billion gallons of gasoline annually - that's 6 billion barrels of oil.

For a second primer on safety and fuel economy as a result of proper tire-pressure management, we also checked out NASCAR.com, where we figured they'd know a thing or two about cars:

With gas prices now hovering around $3, smart drivers care. Savvy consumers are seeking to increase fuel economy and the life of their tires by paying more attention to those rubber objects that are attached to their vehicle.

Nearly ninety percent of drivers don't check their tire inflation properly. However, this percentage is starting to drop as gas prices underinflate consumer pocketbooks.

With escalating fuel prices, the time is now for drivers to focus on simple things like proper tire pressure to maximize tire performance and increase fuel economy.

For tips on how to check your tire pressure, here's some advice from the talk radio super duo at Car Talk:

A lot of people check the pressure listed on the tires themselves, but that's actually the wrong place to look. The number on the tire is the maximum allowable air pressure -- not the recommended pressure for that tire when used on your vehicle.

The recommended tire pressure is almost always lower than the maximum tire pressure. Check your owner's manual to find out where to look on your vehicle to find the recommended measurement. This number usually is indicated either on the driver's door pillar, the glove compartment door or sometimes on the gas filler door.

Related:
::Bill Scher: Yes Conservatives, Inflated Tires Beats Coastal Drilling

Comments

[Vespasian]

I don't care if we drill off our own shores or not. I don't own a place at the breach and I don't have an ocean view. My understanding is that the platforms will be over the horizon anyway. And, yes it will probably increase the risk to the marine environment. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do it... we should just do it with some real caution.

But drilling offshore will not have any real effect on our oil supplies for a decade or so. Doesn't mean we shouldn't do it... just don't count on it affecting gasoline prices any time soon. McCain's assertion that selling these leases will reduce the price we pay at the pump is a lie. McCain is a lier.

Big oil simply wants those leases now... while they own the White House. They know it is unlikely that they will own the White House again for a couple of decades. Depends on just how stupid we the people are.

Big oil should drill on the leases they have. Those lands are not theirs... they are ours. If they don't need those lands we should cancel the leases and sell them to some one who does need them. They are ours! The oil under them is ours. And so are the royalties they have not been paying. We should make sure our government knows we want full value for our oil.

[mlaiuppa]

Choose something between the recommended and the max for the tire. You'll increase your gas mileage by running with your tires a little overinflated. Tire pressure does save gas.

Check the trunk. Do you really need to carry all of that stuff? It adds weight. Ditch what you don't need. (Don't ditch your spare!)

Coast to stops. You can see that red light ahead. You don't need to accelerate to it so you can sit and idle for 3 min. It's a stop light. Do you really need to be there first? When it turns green, don't drag race to be the first off the mark. A gentle acceleration is all you need. You aren't going to save any time or get their sooner playing Indy 500. Check the cars around you. They're the same cars. You haven't done anything except burn gas.

Drive the speed limit or a little under. You can save gas driving 60 in stead of 65 and it isn't going to add significantly to your commute time. (A minute? Maybe two? Is that really going to make a difference? If so....leave two minutes early.) If you can drive 55 you'll save even more.

And yes....get a tune up.

[darrell198023]

I'm sure this information is completely accurate but I can't help but wonder how our government failed us in a 30+ year fight to decrease our oil dependency. We have some real problems here in American that need our undivided attention.

[Huffingtonposter231]

The left needs to abandon it's anti energy stance and allow America to drill for it's own oil and gas and to use lots of carbon free nuclear power.

The embarrassing anti energy agenda Obama supports leaves him standing around with a tire pressure gauge in his hand being laughed at.

[QueenTiye]

To Everyone Claiming "It's Not True" - ask yourself - WHAT'S not true? It's not true that this is something that individual Americans can do to help with the energy crisis, while our elected officials work on larger solutions?

It's not similar to small personal changes like recycling, switching to florescent light bulbs and showering more than taking baths?

This only becomes a matter of "true" and "untrue" if you actually believe that Americans can do NOTHING to help the situation - and that we are only victims waiting for our elected officials to save us.

I'm very glad that Obama is running on the platform that WE can do this TOGETHER.

Yes. Yes we can!

QT

[darthdarcy]

Keep your tires inflated not over inflated, and slow down the difference in doing 55 mph and 65 mph is 23% more gas usage...

[OldKnute]

YESSSS Darcy!!!

That's the spirit.

Is the SUV Dead?

Tires are extremely important to Mileage. So are REPLACING your tires with High Mileage offerings from Tire Manufactures. Tires that provide, BOTH durability and Milage..

If you save just one tank full a month, your new tires will pay for themselves in just 4 months. The remaining 5 years of ware, will only add to your savings.

Slow down TOO, More savings yet. It all adds up.

The larger SUV or Truck can save upwards of 20% on Gas, just by replacing those huge, Mud and Snow, Off Road, tires with narrower, High Mileage tires.

Modifying using Hydrogen Booster systems can increase mileage by 40%. These systems are to be found on the net, and in many communities. The price for Hydroxy Systems \are only about $800 to $1,200, many suppliers worldwide, and performance is Awesome!

Check them out.

That 13 mile per gallon, SUV can now be gaining upwards of 30 Miles per gallon, with only minor considerations.

All the best

Knute Neo-LIB

[LCRover001]

One thing that many don't know but some have started doing is inflating tiers with Nitrogen. The pressure doesn’t fluctuate like air increasing tire life and fuel efficiency.

Tires should be rotated every 5000 miles and their pressure checked every week.

Should a law be passed? No, but an informed public would be much better off.

Proper tire maintenance can extend the life of the tire and increase your vehicles fuel efficiency.

[KillTheMessenger]

Air is 80% nitrogen. So am I doing it 80% right or 20% wrong?

:-)

If my comment sounds like I think its a scam to you, you are actually on to something. With the nitrogen... not so much. Airplane tires are filled with DRY nitrogen because it is DRY. At 30,000 feet and -40 degrees (C or F makes no difference) all moisture in wet air inflated tires would condense almost immediately into a single wet spot at the lowest point and then freeze to a lump.

So now you have a piece of ice inside your 747 tire that is the piece of a human fist... and the temperature of that lump after flying across the Atlantic is -40 degrees, which means it is hard like a rock. The lump will not melt during the 30 minutes descent. But upon deployment of the wheels and impact on the ground at 200 mph within a single revolution of the wheel, the lump will potentially shred that tire and thus the whole aircraft will burst in flames with 400 people on board.

Nitrogen in a 747 makes perfect sense.

In your car, it does not. At all conceivable temperatures the wet air inside it is as much an ideal gas as dry nitrogen.

But if you feel like spending $40 on nonsense, go ahead.

[feelu4ia]

If air is 80% hydrogen, then wouldn't the remaining 20% be the first to leak from the tire? That is, only if the molecules in the remaining gases are smaller that hydrogen and permeate the rubber. Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not an expert on the subject. But you have to admit that 20% is not a small amount buy any measure. You wouldn't want to drink a beer that was 20% urine, would you?

But, anyway....most places don't charge extra for the hydrogen here. The less I have to monitor, the better.

[notthistime]

Olbermann discussed this same topic yesterday. Great clip. Huffpo - think about posting it directly on your site. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#26015617

[UnbiasView]

If Olbermann is backing it, I really don't buy it then :)

[ThunderclapNewman]

That just show how lacking in intelligence you are.

good advice is good advice, regardless of the source.

[bola47]

no, how about nascar?

[leduck]

who would have guessed, the solution to Peak Oil is tire pressure!

[KillTheMessenger]

It isn't. Neither is drilling.

OTOH, peak oil will lead to approx. 4% annual supply reduction after 2015 or so. If we decreased the speed limit to 55mph, the savings would probably get us through one year of decreasing supplies. That's not bad. I would take it, especially since the pricing effect is highly non-linear. Upgrading 16 million vehicles per year to hybrids will get us another couple of years. Car pooling and similar measures will buy us another few years of time. So with these measures we can stretch resources until roughly 2020. In twelve years we can start converting enough of our infrastructure to electric to start making a dent into our current oil consumption. It will be tough to actually keep up with the supply situation after 2020, but I would guess that by 2025-2030 the worst of the supply crunch will be over.

[derekc06]

so spoke the prophet... f that i think we have a little bit longer than 12 years worth of oil supplies left....

[UnbiasView]

LOL, yes the great one has spoken.

[SneathLane]

Go for the maximum tire pressure listed on the sidewall of your tires - keep it a pound or two lower than that.

The car manufacturers recommended pressure is actually under-inflation. For them, it's cheaper to tell you to drive with underinflated tires than it is to improve the suspension.

With properly inflated tires you feel the road more and save gas.

[UnbiasView]

"The car manufacturers recommended pressure is actually under-inflation"

Ahh, maybe that is because that over inflated tires can cause accidents so the real reason is they are covering their buts from LAWYERS.

[KillTheMessenger]

Can cause accidents?... HAVE caused accidents. :-)

[ilovemydoggy]

It difficult not to feel doomed. I was reading some ancient native American prophecies about our near future. According to them:
Bad news: it's going to get much worse.
Good news: if man "wakes up" he has a chance.

There's a post today about honey bees and Colony Collapse Disorder at:
http://www.Vaboomer.com

[KillTheMessenger]

Why would one feel doomed? Peak oil is well understood since the late 1950s. We had 50 years to prepare. And the Europeans have. So have the Japanese. So have I. If you haven't, well, that's probably not something to feel proud of because it means you have not been paying attention, but feelings of doom are completely out of proportion.

After all, Peak Oil means that we roughly have half the conventional oil supply left. So why panic? Just because it is expensive does not mean it's all gone.

[derekc06]

you're a genius

[poco767b]

In the last few months I have tried to change the way I drive, much smoother, accelerate more gently, plan my journeys better etc. The result, greatly increased mileage therefore less money spent and less oil used.

[Tom95134]

Check your tire pressure every other week. You can also over-inflate them by about 5~10%. The ride will be a little rougher but you'll reduce the rolling resistance and get better mileage. Just make sure you maintain the appropriate front-to-rear pressure offset and check for any unusual wear patterns.

Also, if you've accumulated a lot of "junk" in your trunk or back of the car clean it out. And if your job requires you to haul stuff then raise the tire pressure a bit more. Just don't exceed the max pressure indicated on the sidewall.

Tire pressure recommended by car manufacturers are a compromise between mileage and ride wit a clear bias towards ride.

[wm1066]

When no one else is around I coast alot, saves on the brakes. But I don't hypermile when I am in traffic, to dangerous.