Can Nitrogen in your tires improve gas mileage

With gas prices as high as they have been over the last year, anyone is looking for way to get more miles per gallon. KDKA Consumer Editor Yvonne Zanos reports that something as easy as filling up your tires with nitrogen could help. Some experts say if you fill your tires with nitrogen, you may get longer tire life and a smoother ride. Already, NASCAR drivers and airlines use nitrogen. Local driver Victor Ndinyah is among those using nitrogen. "As soon as I took off, I noticed the difference," says Ndinyah.

Nitrogen in tires is not new to the auto industry. Service Manager Anthony Tisone says, "Nitrogen has been around for a long time. Mario Andretti has been using it since the sixties, it's been out there and available to the professional but to the average consumer, it's not been available. "But now nitrogen is available to consumers. Tasone says the tires offer a smoother ride because the outside temperature has no effect on the nitrogen inside the tires. "This maintains a steady temperature. It does not fluctuate up or down. Thirty two pound of air on a five below zero day and that does not change," says Tisone. Ndinyah says he notices that his car now gets better gas mileage. He says, "So far I'm getting about an extra mile a gallon driving back and forth. "Some experts says there are reports of some people getting about 30 miles more per tankful when using nitrogen. "There is also benefits of longer tire life, the big thing is the safety of the tire.. by keeping the tire inflated properly, the vehicle has better stability"One drawback is that nitrogen is not free like air is. You can expect to pay about $6 per tire to get the nitrogen in. For the average driver, it would pay for itself in a month. Locally, Andretti Toyota in Moon Township offers nitrogen tire fill ups.