How to get better gas mileage

[Norman Byers, N.D.]

I just remembered something else that causes poor fuel economy. It happened just yesterday; I look at my temp gauge and noticed that it was higher than it should be. I realized that I was low on coolant.

My previous car had a coolant leak once and I noticed that I was getting poor gas mileage. An engine that is too hot a less efficient engine. Check your coolant levels or have it flushed if it's been more than 2 years since you've changed it or added any to your car.

Norman

[Ron Lambert]

I am puzzled. Why would pure nitrogen leak less from a tire than regular air? Nitrogen is a smaller atom than oxygen, which makes up most of the rest of the atmosphere. Nitrogen is atomic number 7, with seven total protons in the nucleus. Oxygen is atomic number 8, with 8 protons in the nucleus. Both have two atoms in each normal molecule, so N2 would also be smaller than O2. I would expect that the smaller atom/molecule would work its way through tire rubber more rapidly.

Or is the real cause of leakage the oxidation of the rubber caused by the oxygen in air, which would be avoided with pure nitrogen?

If we really want to use chemical properties to reduce leakage from tires, we should inflate tires with argon (atomic number 18), which is also chemically inert, as one of the "noble" gases that does not chemically interact with other elements. Some manufacturers of thermal windows put argon in between the double panes. Argon is present in the atmosphere as a trace gas. It would be fairly expensive to produce enough of it to inflate tires. But it would most likely never leak--one of the reasons why it is preferred in thermal windows.

[Norman Byers, N.D.]

Hi Ron,

I was thinking that they should use helium as it would raise the car against the gravitational pull of the earth and thereby reduce friction. The less friction the easier the movement of the tires over the roads and that would give better gas mileage.

[Gregory Matthews]

The reduction of friction leads to diminished ability to accelerate and to change direction of travel. In fact, when zero friction exists, the vehicle would simplly spin wheels, with no change in position. That would lead to a real MPG of zero, allow it would still have an apparent MPG.

[Ron Lambert]

Cute, Norman! I think we would need a fairly big gas bag filled with helium to significantly lighten the effective weight of the car on the road. Maybe add on a small blimp attached to the tops of cars? Of course, that might cause a problem with overhead wires. And the air resistance would actually increase drag, thus reducing mileage. There would be an increased danger of being blown off of bridges by cross winds. We would also probably wind up parking our cars above the garage, rather than in it. But we should keep an open mind to all possibilities....