Nitrogen is Earth’s most abundant gas. In place of compressed air, can it benefit your tires to help them perform better, last longer, or increase fuel mileage? Air is comprised of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent of 13 other gases. It also contains, on average, 1-3 percent of water vapor. So is it worth eliminating the 22 percent of the other gases? My research revealed the nitrogen molecule has a more difficult time migrating through the rubber compound than air does. The other benefit is that nitrogen pressure does not fluctuate as much as regular compressed air with temperature changes. This is good because tire pressure can change as much as 1 psi for every 10 degrees in temperature variation with compressed air. The biggest benefit is that through the course of removing the other air molecules, it also removes most of the water vapor. This is key, as water vapor in your tire can cause more of a pressure swing than dry air and promote mor ... read more

You Auto Know by Rick Koebernickof K Auto Repair & Tire Center   In these tough economic times, everyone needs to think about where to spend money and where to cut back. It basically breaks down to what you need— and I stress need— to buy at the time. As far as your vehicle’s repair and maintenance, you need to ask yourself a lot of questions, as well as the repair facility, about what should be serviced right away versus what can wait. Some questions to think about: How much can I really afford for repairs? Will I be taking a road trip this year? How long do I plan on keeping the vehicle? When you answer these, make sure you are being honest with yourself. When your vehicle is in the shop to get checked over and you get the phone call to review the results, that’s when you should ask them questions. Keep in mind your answers while listening closely to their suggestions. When they say you need to have work done— brakes, for inst ... read more