The truth is, the rate of fill is about 0.05% of the world's daily oil consumption. That's just noise. You could save more oil by simply having full-service gas stations check the air pressure of the tires on every car that stops by - yet I don't see anyone calling for that.
My conclusion is that since it is already almost full, yet the fill rate is so slow, it really isn't going to make any difference either way. But the suckers who want to sell oil from the SPR at current prices obviously think oil prices long-term are going down. Let them bet their own money on that.
You could save more oil by simply having full-service gas stations check the air pressure of the tires on every car that stops by - yet I don't see anyone calling for that.
Probably because there aren't any full service stations. Except in New Jersey and other places where they are mandated by law.
Honestly, I haven't seen a full-service station for years.
There are a few places. I think that's the law in Oregon as well, and I have run into it at places in Europe.
But, even without that, there could be a campaign reminding people to check the air when they fill up, while making air hoses available at the pumps (instead of tucked off in a corner).
Here in Ontario media coverage of fuel prices is now a daily feature. Most of the local TV coverage regularily includes tips on how to save and tire pressure is always included as well as driving style tips. However whenever I visit Canadian Tire stores invariably the housewares and do-dads sections are the busiest with very little traffic in the automotive sections. I think a lot of people don't even know the car has tires, let alone that there is air in them.
That will never happen. It requires gas station owners to invest in new infrastructure, when a lot of them are hurting from the high prices worse than their customers.
Besides, checking tire pressure is best done before you start driving, not at the gas station when you may have been driving for awhile.
What do you think of the WSJ's idea that we should sell oil from the SPR?
It requires gas station owners to invest in new infrastructure...
I think most of them already have the compressors. It's a matter of education and access.
What do you think of the WSJ's idea that we should sell oil from the SPR?
It's kind of like running without insurance. It's a great way to save money - provided I don't have an accident.
If one had some kind of knowledge that oil would definitely be lower in the future - and the guy advocating that clearly felt that way - then it would make sense. But if you think oil is going much higher, then it would be stupid. Remember, people have been calling for the SPR to be tapped since oil hit $20. Imagine the situation we would be in now - $120 oil and an empty SPR - if those calls had been heeded.
I think most of them already have the compressors. It's a matter of education and access.
They have the compressors, but as you note, there's usually one, off in a corner, away from the pumps. Having them at the pump, as you suggest, would force stations to have more than one.
It's kind of like running without insurance. It's a great way to save money - provided I don't have an accident.
Yeah, but the non-peak oil aware won't really care about that. They just want to know if it will work. (And note they are in favor of maintaining a certain minimum level in the SPR, so we'd never be entirely without insurance.)
And we'd be able to fill up again, once oil drops below $40/barrel!
Remember, people have been calling for the SPR to be tapped since oil hit $20. Imagine the situation we would be in now - $120 oil and an empty SPR - if those calls had been heeded.
That's really the perfect comeback for people like us to use. Of course, the government can't use it lest it cause panic. This administration probably even has reason to think oil could soon spike, and they can't say that either.
It's the strategic reserve, not the "cheapskate" reserve anyhow.
In which case the reserve would probably be used to make fuel for military vehicles and aircraft. In the event of an attack on Iran, fuel shortages would last a lot longer then 90 days, and the US military is one of the world's largest users of oil...during WWII, people didn't drive unless they got the right permit...everyone else walked or took a bus.
As I see it, the SPR isn't there so we can keep driving to the Dairy Queen in our SUVs -- it's there for the military, and emergency services, and health care, in the event of a national crisis. I don't think selling oil out of the SPR would make much of a difference in oil prices -- we here in the U.S. are no longer driving the bus, when it comes to global oil demand and consumption.
To decrease the cost of filling the reserve and improve its efficiency, GAO recommended in previous work that DOE should include at least 10 percent heavy crude oils in the SPR. If DOE bought 100 million barrels of heavy crude oil during its expansion of the SPR it could save over $1 billion in nominal terms, assuming a price differential of $12 between the price of light crude oil and the lower price of heavy crude oil, the average differential over the last five years. Having heavy crude oil in the SPR would also make the SPR more compatible with many U.S. refineries, helping these refineries run more efficiently in the event that a supply disruption triggers use of the SPR.
Iran has 20 million barrels of heavy oil in storage in tankers. I suspect that they would be willing to make a one time deal at a good price (payable in euros through Swiss bank). This would effectively fill our SPR (701.x to 721.x million barrels) and allow us to bomb them.
Around South Florida even 'free air' regardless of where it is located is scarce. Most self serves with "convenience" stores have the air and water off to the side AND for seventy-five cents!
Not only are tucked off in a corner, but they are usually coin operated. Last week I needed one because of a slow leak, I had to ask at the pay counter. At least they turned it on for me for free, as I am a frequent customer. Otherwise the machine wanted $.75 for the honor of using it.
Why don't we just use handpumps? I have a $7.50 pump I bought a few years back, and a nice round airpressure gauge. You should always have both in your car at all times, anyway! It ain't THAT hard!
I purchased emergency gizmos for both our cars that will inflate a tire and run off the car battery. They also have a built-in flashlight and warning flashers. They cost about $20, I think (made in China, of course). I've been looking for a manual foot pump, but I haven't found one yet (admittedly, I haven't been looking very hard or in the right places yet).
At least in California, state law now requires gas stations to provide free air to customers. If they have a pay machine you can ask the clerk and he'll give you a token or a quarter. The law was passed a year or two ago to encourage energy efficiency and safety.
I covered this in another article I recently wrote. In that essay, I posted the following excerpts from a recent story on Yahoo:
The Carnegie Mellon University Sustainable Earth Club studied 81 random vehicles in a parking lot and found that 80 of the 81 had under-inflated tires. The average rate of under-inflation was 20% -- soft tires, indeed.
The EPA estimates that for every 1 psi of under-inflation, fuel economy drops by 0.4%. That's not much, but if the tires are under-inflated by 8 pounds, that's a 3.2% drop in fuel economy. About 1.2 billion gallons of fuel are wasted annually due to under-inflated tires, the NHTSA estimated in 2005.
1.2 billion gallons is three times what we put in the SPR in the past year - but have you heard one government official talking about an intiative to air up our tires?
I'd be interested to know when that study was done. It can be difficult to keep tires at the right pressure when the seasons are changing. In April and May around here, it's not unusual for it be 90F one day and 30F the next.
And yes, I've heard government officials talking about tire pressure. They even passed a law about it.
Appearantly the federal government has passed legislation
that mandates TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) on every vehicle under 10,000 lbs GVWR starting September 2007 relating to Firestone and other tire safety issue.
The cheap and dirty way to do this has always been to count 'triggers' of the ABS sensors and alert when one tire turned in too many revolutions over it's counterparts. The problem here was it took the brain awhile to decide if it was really happening. Don't know if the new law mandates the smart in-the-wheel variety, (which address the fuel mileage issue more directly rather than just safety) probably not.
We just got in new Chevys. The Impala I drove read out each tire pressure as I drove, along with the running instantaneous gas mileage.
I have a tendency to overinflate my tires in an effort to improve fuel economy and over the years I'm reasonably sure I've blown at least two as a result. The tire pressure monitoring system on my car shows the real-time pressure of all four, in kiloPascals or psi, as well as the condition of the spare. If one or more tires fall out of range, it flashes a warning and the readings of affected tire(s) blink on the display. This system has been triggered several times in the six years I've owned this vehicle, typically when the weather turns sharply warmer or in extended high-speed driving. For me, it offers considerable peace of mind, added convenience and greater safety, plus it has protected me from expensive loss (you don't want to replace a P255/45ZR-18 before its time and/or an alloy rim if you can possibly avoid it). If this isn't standard equipment on all vehicles, it really should be -- that and side-impact air bags.
That's true. In years past, I use to fill my tires to their maximum rating specified by the tyre manufacturer but, as you know, 35 psi at -20C is altogether different at +20C. In Atlantic Canada, temperatures can swing from one extreme to the other all in the same week, so what's perfectly fine one day can be potentially disastrous the next. The TPMS has made me much more aware of this fact and taught me not to push the boundaries quite as hard. Now, I don't worry about day-to-day changes in my vehicle's tire pressure for the simple fact that my car monitors it for me.
Our 2006 Prius has the sensors. They aren't very accurate, however (at least in the '06 models). They are useful to warn of impending problems, not to make sure they're filled to optimum pressure.
The effect of these day-to-day temperature fluctuations on tire pressure tend to average out, but on the whole I think it is safe to conclude that most cars have underinflated tires - simply because there are inherent very slow leaks coupled with the fact that most motorists tend to ignore tire pressure. Also, remember that it is the differences in absolute temperature that determines pressure differences, so the difference in pressure resulting from a drop in temperature from 90F to 30F is not as great as it would at first appear.
If you check you tire pressure once a month, you should be pretty close to maintaining the proper pressure most of the time. It is very important to be extra diligent about this at the onset of Winter.
I personally find using a service station air hose both inconvenient and slightly dangerous (almost got run over by a car pulling out while bending over putting air in a tire), so I bought a nice little air pump ($49 at Peb Boys) and do it myself. It's probably already paid for itself.
I became a little compulsive about tire pressure as the result of having owned two rear-engined cars, a '66 Corvair and a '68 Beetle. The handling of a rear-engined car is extremely sensitive to front-to-rear relative tire pressure, so neglecting tire pressure with such cars is at one's peril.
I have a little air pump, too. It was $80 at Brookstone. You plug it into the cigarette lighter.
The only problem is people aren't used to seeing you inflate your own tires like that. Whenever I use it, some guy comes rushing out to help me, thinking I'm trying to change a flat.
Is the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure designed to optimize fuel consumption, or safety? I'm guessing the latter. Is there any reason the two optima should be the same? I'm guessing not.
One tire salesman recommended a lower pressure than that printed on the tire to make the ride "smoother." I wasn't that impressed. I've also found it entirely possible to pump up car tires with a bicycle pump. If you have one with an integral pressure gauge, it's pretty easy if a little phycically demanding.
Manufacturers set their tire pressure based on optimum feel and handling characteristics based upon the demographics for that particular model. A performance car would have less highly inflated tires for better traction. A luxury car would have even soft tires for comfort, etc. Tire manufacturer's print the tire safety range on their tires. You can be sure that this range is designed for maximum protection from lawsuits, so I would guess that the range is actually wider than that posted on the sidewall. I pressure my tires at the absolute high end for maximum MPG. I also have never noticed any difference in handling characteristics related to safety or performance. The only change is the ride is a bit harsher.
There is an optimal tire pressure for safety: flat. A moving car is a dangerous car. Get out and walk. Impacts tend to do less damage.
I pressure my tires at the absolute high end for maximum MPG
Interesting, thanks guys. I remember reading a recommendation to overinflate by about 2psi to save fuel, and I hadn't thought of the third figure of merit - ride comfort. Tire life would be a fourth figure of merit (again with a sharp optimum at zero pressure, if you didn't try to ride the rims).
I'm sure the optimum for all of these is (a) very noisy and (b) somewhat broad. And tradeoffs make life much more interesting.
Lowering pressure REDUCES traction. Raising the pressure too high will distort the tread, leading to excessive wear in the middle. The proper setting is not what is written on the sidewall, but what is printed on the label on the car. It is best not to exceed the correct pressure for your car by too much - I usually run about 3-4psi over the rating on the car.
Les Schwab Tires, an institution here in the Northwest, routinely fills tires about 4 psi over manufacturer suggestion. I've followed that practice in checking my own tire pressure.
How to Use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
I just finished writing an article on that:
Stop Filling the SPR?
The truth is, the rate of fill is about 0.05% of the world's daily oil consumption. That's just noise. You could save more oil by simply having full-service gas stations check the air pressure of the tires on every car that stops by - yet I don't see anyone calling for that.
My conclusion is that since it is already almost full, yet the fill rate is so slow, it really isn't going to make any difference either way. But the suckers who want to sell oil from the SPR at current prices obviously think oil prices long-term are going down. Let them bet their own money on that.
Probably because there aren't any full service stations. Except in New Jersey and other places where they are mandated by law.
Honestly, I haven't seen a full-service station for years.
There are a few places. I think that's the law in Oregon as well, and I have run into it at places in Europe.
But, even without that, there could be a campaign reminding people to check the air when they fill up, while making air hoses available at the pumps (instead of tucked off in a corner).
Here in Ontario media coverage of fuel prices is now a daily feature. Most of the local TV coverage regularily includes tips on how to save and tire pressure is always included as well as driving style tips. However whenever I visit Canadian Tire stores invariably the housewares and do-dads sections are the busiest with very little traffic in the automotive sections. I think a lot of people don't even know the car has tires, let alone that there is air in them.
Charity groups could check the air pressure for a free-will donation. Like some of them do with car washes.
Hey, I was about to post that! Yes, it would be a lot easier than washing cars and could even be done by old farts like me.
That will never happen. It requires gas station owners to invest in new infrastructure, when a lot of them are hurting from the high prices worse than their customers.
Besides, checking tire pressure is best done before you start driving, not at the gas station when you may have been driving for awhile.
What do you think of the WSJ's idea that we should sell oil from the SPR?
It requires gas station owners to invest in new infrastructure...
I think most of them already have the compressors. It's a matter of education and access.
What do you think of the WSJ's idea that we should sell oil from the SPR?
It's kind of like running without insurance. It's a great way to save money - provided I don't have an accident.
If one had some kind of knowledge that oil would definitely be lower in the future - and the guy advocating that clearly felt that way - then it would make sense. But if you think oil is going much higher, then it would be stupid. Remember, people have been calling for the SPR to be tapped since oil hit $20. Imagine the situation we would be in now - $120 oil and an empty SPR - if those calls had been heeded.
They have the compressors, but as you note, there's usually one, off in a corner, away from the pumps. Having them at the pump, as you suggest, would force stations to have more than one.
Yeah, but the non-peak oil aware won't really care about that. They just want to know if it will work. (And note they are in favor of maintaining a certain minimum level in the SPR, so we'd never be entirely without insurance.)
And we'd be able to fill up again, once oil drops below $40/barrel!
I think that we need the SPR. Remember New Orleans after the flood. A major city without gasoline will look the same in a few days.
That's really the perfect comeback for people like us to use. Of course, the government can't use it lest it cause panic. This administration probably even has reason to think oil could soon spike, and they can't say that either.
It's the strategic reserve, not the "cheapskate" reserve anyhow.
Maybe our fine President *knows* there will be a problem with oil supply in the near future...
Like when we invade Iran?
In which case the reserve would probably be used to make fuel for military vehicles and aircraft. In the event of an attack on Iran, fuel shortages would last a lot longer then 90 days, and the US military is one of the world's largest users of oil...during WWII, people didn't drive unless they got the right permit...everyone else walked or took a bus.
As I see it, the SPR isn't there so we can keep driving to the Dairy Queen in our SUVs -- it's there for the military, and emergency services, and health care, in the event of a national crisis. I don't think selling oil out of the SPR would make much of a difference in oil prices -- we here in the U.S. are no longer driving the bus, when it comes to global oil demand and consumption.
The DOE wants to do this with the SPR:
/
Iran has 20 million barrels of heavy oil in storage in tankers. I suspect that they would be willing to make a one time deal at a good price (payable in euros through Swiss bank). This would effectively fill our SPR (701.x to 721.x million barrels) and allow us to bomb them.
Best Hopes for Rational Behavior :-(
Alan
Around South Florida even 'free air' regardless of where it is located is scarce. Most self serves with "convenience" stores have the air and water off to the side AND for seventy-five cents!
Pete
Not only are tucked off in a corner, but they are usually coin operated. Last week I needed one because of a slow leak, I had to ask at the pay counter. At least they turned it on for me for free, as I am a frequent customer. Otherwise the machine wanted $.75 for the honor of using it.
Wow, I never heard of such a thing. I thought you always had to pay. It would never even occur to me to ask to use it free.
Why don't we just use handpumps? I have a $7.50 pump I bought a few years back, and a nice round airpressure gauge. You should always have both in your car at all times, anyway! It ain't THAT hard!
I purchased emergency gizmos for both our cars that will inflate a tire and run off the car battery. They also have a built-in flashlight and warning flashers. They cost about $20, I think (made in China, of course). I've been looking for a manual foot pump, but I haven't found one yet (admittedly, I haven't been looking very hard or in the right places yet).
I've been looking for a manual foot pump,
Visit any bike sections in a tarket/kmart/mal-wart big box store. Downside - they are flimsy.
At least in California, state law now requires gas stations to provide free air to customers. If they have a pay machine you can ask the clerk and he'll give you a token or a quarter. The law was passed a year or two ago to encourage energy efficiency and safety.
You find full service throughout Oregon. The law says you can't pump your own gas.
On the other hand, perhaps we should take some responsibility here and do the checking of tire pressure ourselves?
I covered this in another article I recently wrote. In that essay, I posted the following excerpts from a recent story on Yahoo:
1.2 billion gallons is three times what we put in the SPR in the past year - but have you heard one government official talking about an intiative to air up our tires?
I'd be interested to know when that study was done. It can be difficult to keep tires at the right pressure when the seasons are changing. In April and May around here, it's not unusual for it be 90F one day and 30F the next.
And yes, I've heard government officials talking about tire pressure. They even passed a law about it.
And yes, I've heard government officials talking about tire pressure. They even passed a law about it.
That's a new one on me. Can someone confirm that the 2008s have these sensors?
My daughter's 2007 Toyota Pruis has the tire pressure lights.
Appearantly the federal government has passed
legislation
that mandates TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) on every vehicle under 10,000 lbs GVWR starting September 2007 relating to Firestone and other tire safety issue.
Some flap about tampering and installing custom wheels.
The cheap and dirty way to do this has always been to count 'triggers' of the ABS sensors and alert when one tire turned in too many revolutions over it's counterparts. The problem here was it took the brain awhile to decide if it was really happening. Don't know if the new law mandates the smart in-the-wheel variety, (which address the fuel mileage issue more directly rather than just safety) probably not.
We just got in new Chevys. The Impala I drove read out each tire pressure as I drove, along with the running instantaneous gas mileage.
Hi Robert,
I have a tendency to overinflate my tires in an effort to improve fuel economy and over the years I'm reasonably sure I've blown at least two as a result. The tire pressure monitoring system on my car shows the real-time pressure of all four, in kiloPascals or psi, as well as the condition of the spare. If one or more tires fall out of range, it flashes a warning and the readings of affected tire(s) blink on the display. This system has been triggered several times in the six years I've owned this vehicle, typically when the weather turns sharply warmer or in extended high-speed driving. For me, it offers considerable peace of mind, added convenience and greater safety, plus it has protected me from expensive loss (you don't want to replace a P255/45ZR-18 before its time and/or an alloy rim if you can possibly avoid it). If this isn't standard equipment on all vehicles, it really should be -- that and side-impact air bags.
Cheers,
Paul
Over or under inflated tires suffer enhanced, and uneven wear. The cost to the motorist of premature replacement can be considerable.
Hi EoS,
That's true. In years past, I use to fill my tires to their maximum rating specified by the tyre manufacturer but, as you know, 35 psi at -20C is altogether different at +20C. In Atlantic Canada, temperatures can swing from one extreme to the other all in the same week, so what's perfectly fine one day can be potentially disastrous the next. The TPMS has made me much more aware of this fact and taught me not to push the boundaries quite as hard. Now, I don't worry about day-to-day changes in my vehicle's tire pressure for the simple fact that my car monitors it for me.
Cheers,
Paul
Our 2006 Prius has the sensors. They aren't very accurate, however (at least in the '06 models). They are useful to warn of impending problems, not to make sure they're filled to optimum pressure.
Leanan -
The effect of these day-to-day temperature fluctuations on tire pressure tend to average out, but on the whole I think it is safe to conclude that most cars have underinflated tires - simply because there are inherent very slow leaks coupled with the fact that most motorists tend to ignore tire pressure. Also, remember that it is the differences in absolute temperature that determines pressure differences, so the difference in pressure resulting from a drop in temperature from 90F to 30F is not as great as it would at first appear.
If you check you tire pressure once a month, you should be pretty close to maintaining the proper pressure most of the time. It is very important to be extra diligent about this at the onset of Winter.
I personally find using a service station air hose both inconvenient and slightly dangerous (almost got run over by a car pulling out while bending over putting air in a tire), so I bought a nice little air pump ($49 at Peb Boys) and do it myself. It's probably already paid for itself.
I became a little compulsive about tire pressure as the result of having owned two rear-engined cars, a '66 Corvair and a '68 Beetle. The handling of a rear-engined car is extremely sensitive to front-to-rear relative tire pressure, so neglecting tire pressure with such cars is at one's peril.
I have a little air pump, too. It was $80 at Brookstone. You plug it into the cigarette lighter.
The only problem is people aren't used to seeing you inflate your own tires like that. Whenever I use it, some guy comes rushing out to help me, thinking I'm trying to change a flat.
Is the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure designed to optimize fuel consumption, or safety? I'm guessing the latter. Is there any reason the two optima should be the same? I'm guessing not.
One tire salesman recommended a lower pressure than that printed on the tire to make the ride "smoother." I wasn't that impressed. I've also found it entirely possible to pump up car tires with a bicycle pump. If you have one with an integral pressure gauge, it's pretty easy if a little phycically demanding.
Manufacturers set their tire pressure based on optimum feel and handling characteristics based upon the demographics for that particular model. A performance car would have less highly inflated tires for better traction. A luxury car would have even soft tires for comfort, etc. Tire manufacturer's print the tire safety range on their tires. You can be sure that this range is designed for maximum protection from lawsuits, so I would guess that the range is actually wider than that posted on the sidewall. I pressure my tires at the absolute high end for maximum MPG. I also have never noticed any difference in handling characteristics related to safety or performance. The only change is the ride is a bit harsher.
There is an optimal tire pressure for safety: flat. A moving car is a dangerous car. Get out and walk. Impacts tend to do less damage.
Excessive tire pressure can cause greater wear in the center of the tire. (Internal construction figures in as well).
Also observe the front/rear pressure delta, and likely exaggerate it a bit if running higher pressures.
Best Hopes for Energy Efficiency and Properly Inflated tires,
Alan
I pressure my tires at the absolute high end for maximum MPG
Interesting, thanks guys. I remember reading a recommendation to overinflate by about 2psi to save fuel, and I hadn't thought of the third figure of merit - ride comfort. Tire life would be a fourth figure of merit (again with a sharp optimum at zero pressure, if you didn't try to ride the rims).
I'm sure the optimum for all of these is (a) very noisy and (b) somewhat broad. And tradeoffs make life much more interesting.
Lowering pressure REDUCES traction. Raising the pressure too high will distort the tread, leading to excessive wear in the middle. The proper setting is not what is written on the sidewall, but what is printed on the label on the car. It is best not to exceed the correct pressure for your car by too much - I usually run about 3-4psi over the rating on the car.
Les Schwab Tires, an institution here in the Northwest, routinely fills tires about 4 psi over manufacturer suggestion. I've followed that practice in checking my own tire pressure.
Leana