With tire pressure checks now a part of the national discourse due to a recent campaign dustup between the two presidential candidates, tire dealers can possibly pump up some positive publicity – and perhaps gain additional business – by conducting free safety inspection programs.
“Whenever a consumer comes to a tire repair facility, you can do more than just check the tire pressure; you can check for tire wear and other issues,” explains Richard Porter, manager of public relations and promotions for the Tire Industry Association (TIA).
“Giving away tire pressure gauges would also be good,” he observes; especially if they are inscribed with the name of your business.
According to the Car Care Council, replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 15 cents per gallon. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel.
An air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a “rich” mixture – too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. A tune-up can improve gas mileage by an average of 4 percent. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve mpg by as much as 40 percent.
Explain to your customers that when their tires aren’t inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake on. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that as much as 1.2 billion gallons of fuel is wasted in the United States each year due to under-inflated tires. Addressing this can save a motorist 12 cents a gallon.
Inadequate tire pressure “is the No. 1 cause of both poor gas mileage and premature tire wear,” says Porter. With a car tires costing $75 to $100 a piece, a pattern of sub-par maintenance “can add up quickly over the life of the vehicle.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that as much as 1.2 billion gallons of fuel is wasted in the United States each year due to under-inflated tires.
“If your tire is under-inflated by just 20 percent, you can lose up to three miles per gallon,” says Ashok Mathur, business manager at Air Products, which manufacturers the UltraFill High-Purity Nitrogen Tire Inflation System. “Those miles add up quickly and cost Americans a great deal of wasted fuel and unnecessary expense.”
Air Products moved fast as the tire pressure dispute arose between the two presidential candidates, issuing a nationwide press release extolling the benefits of nitrogen inflated tires.
“Nitrogen is a superior material for tire inflation because it diffuses through tire rubber about 40 percent more slowly than air, helping the tire maintain proper pressure longer,” says Mathur, noting how “nitrogen inflated tires maintain proper pressure up to three times longer than air inflated tires, enabling motorists to realize the fuel saving benefits of proper tire inflation for a greater period of time. Proper pressure reduces rolling resistance, which maximizes gas mileage.”
“We’re glad when anyone is talking about tire pressure,” Porter points out, reflecting on the Obama vs. McCain brouhaha. “Anytime someone does that, it’s a good thing. We hope that it will increase the public’s awareness.”
Obama started the drama rolling by including in his stump speech recommendations from NASCAR about how anyone can save money and conserve fuel by checking the tire pressure.
As the resulting political commentary erupted, comparisons were made to the Carter Administration of the 1970s when the then-president urged Americans to don sweaters and turn down home thermostats. Critics pounced and tried to portray Carter’s entire energy plan as a weak and ineffective boondoggle based on wearing a sweater inside your own presumably chilly house.
Obama’s recent tire pressure-checking pitch prompted the McCain camp to try a similar deflating posture: If you donate $25 to McCain’s campaign, you get a tire gauge reading “Obama’s Energy Plan.”
The symbolism fell flat when McCain himself veered slightly off-message by appearing to confirm his opponent’s point. “Obama said a couple of days ago we all should inflate our tires. I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it,” McCain declared.
“We commend Senators McCain and Obama for shedding light on the importance of vehicle maintenance as Americans seek to save energy,” says Rich White, the Car Care Council’s executive director. “You can’t control the price of gas, but you can control how much gas you burn. Performing simple and inexpensive vehicle maintenance does not only save gas money, perhaps as much as $1,200 per year, but it also improves a vehicle’s safety and dependability.”
