I read somewhere that the prius has a air pressure monitoring system, are you able to push a button or something and see the pressure any help would be appreceiated.
More specifically, you set the sensor system when your tires are at the correct pressure. If the pressure in any tire drops significantly, a little radio in the valve stem notifies the car that your tire pressure is low. You then get a funny little low pressure idiot light on the dash, which will cause you post back on this forum asking what that light is for. The light represents the cross section of a low tire with an exclamation point in it, but it isn't obvious until it's pointed out. Tom
or you could fill with nitrogen and not have to worry about that nasty old air! Nitrogen is safer and gives a 3% mpg boost!:whoo:
correct it will not explode. air will. N2 also will not condense when the tire heats up in use then cools. That water in your tire eats away at the rim and the rubber causing failure at speed sometimes. 3% doesnt seem like a lot of savings but it all counts at the pump. better handling from N2. fact. N2 does not leak out like air. correct pressures that dont rise and drop due to use. race cars use n2. so do airlines. a lot of emergency vehicles also. 18 wheelers too. shouldnt you?
Have you had a problem in the past with air filled tires exploding? Is this really something that worries you? So air filled tires will make my rims dissolve? Seriously? For some reason fear of exploding tires and dissolved rims just doesn't keep me awake at night. Do you have a source for this claim? Passenger car tires don't even remotely experience the abuse those vehicles experience on a daily basis. Sorry if my skepticism seems harsh but these claims come off as fear tactics. Just don't know that I buy it.
The nitrogen vs air argument is bunk unless you are driving a high performance race car or landing a jet airplane. For the normal motorist nitrogen has little added benefit and unless you can get nitrogen for free, it is a waste of money. Here's the bottom line from an article in "The Straight Dope" The full article can be found here: The Straight Dope: Is it better to fill your tires with nitrogen instead of air?
Once the tires have been inflated to desired pressure, you can set the monitoring system to alert you when the pressure falls below the limit as stated. It's an idiot light for your tires. You still need to measure the tire pressure.
I wont comment on your choice of opinions. They are yours and you are happy with them. So be it. You will note please that I was not rude to you. Your comments do come off as rude to me. Your opinions are not my facts unless you can substantiate them with something other than an opinion site. I bought a Prius to decrease my gasoline dependence. N2 helps with that. I bought a Prius to be helpful with the so called Green initiative. N2 helps with that. I use N2 for the safety benefits. You can use air if you would rather. It matters not to me. I was just letting the readers know what I do and why. This link shows or at least quotes scientific proof from tire manufacturers and others. You opinion site is just that. opinion. Getnitrogen.org - Save Billions Their are a plethora of other sites of scientific evidence which you can view by using google.
I did not mean to offend you with the word "bunk." But that's the general word I use for false claims. Not that the claims for nitrogen benefits you make are entirely false, but they are when it comes to normal automobiles. And to further bolster my point (since you don't trust the opinion of the Straight Dope), here is a link to a Consumer Reports study that draws the same conclusion: Tires - Nitrogen air loss study: Consumer Reports Cars Blog Bottom line: nitrogen won't hurt, but people would save money and be better off if they just checked their tire pressure regularly (which most do not according to NHTSA).
I would not consider the site you linked "scientific proof". Do you have better sources for the 3% mpg gain? There is nothing wrong with believing something but be careful when claiming it is fact and reporting that claim to others. I would love to see a real scientific test on the fuel effects of tires filled with "air" (78% nitrogen) and tires filled with 100% nitrogen.
"Getnitrogen.org" seems to do a great job of summarizing the benefits of keeping your tires properly inflated. I see no evidence or explanation for why the type of fluid used to fill a tire would affect the fuel economy of the vehicle on which the tire is mounted, assuming that the tire pressure is maintained. I suppose the implication is that N2 leaks less than air does, so your tires are more likely to be properly inflated without action on your part? Why not just check the tire pressure every time you fill up at the gas station?
Yes, and as the Consumer Reports article states: "More important, all tires lost air pressure regardless of the inflation medium, so consumers should check their tires' air pressure routinely."
