Nitrogen oxides:
These are created when vehicle engines burn nitrogen that is present in the air and nitrogen compounds found in fossil fuels. Nitrogen oxides can irritate airways, especially your lungs.

Replacing the Air in Your Vehicle's Tires With Nitrogen Gas Can Save You Money on Vacation Driving Not only can travelers save money on gasoline by replacing the air in their vehicle's and RV's tires with nitrogen gas, they can save money on their every day driving as well. Research shows that drivers can improve their gas mileage by over three percent when they use nitrogen in their motor vehicle's tires.

This is not a new technology as it has been used for many years by commercial airlines as well as in NASCAR cars. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates that nitrogen gas be used in all commercial aircraft tires to eliminate the possibility of water vapor freezing at high altitudes which happens with air filled tires. The NASCAR teams use nitrogen in the tires of their racing cars because the tire pressure fluctuates less than it does with air.

How can using nitrogen gas in your vehicle's tires save you a lot of money?
First of all, you do not need to buy new tires to make the change, your present tires will be fine. By using nitrogen gas in your tires you can improve your vehicle's fuel efficiency and save a lot of money in the process. Nitrogen in your tires also improves your vehicle's handling and extends the life of your tires so you will have to replace them less often. There is no question that in this era of record high gasoline prices you will reap significant savings on all your driving for many years to come.

How can using nitrogen gas in your vehicle's tires also benefit our environment?
By using nitrogen gas instead of air in you vehicle's tires, it will help to better maintain proper tire air pressure. This optimizes tire road contact which reduces tire/road resistance. Because of this, the fuel economy is increased and less exhaust emissions enter into the atmosphere. You might say that by going green you are also saving green, greenbacks, that is.

How can you do your part to help America's economy reduce its dependence on foreign oil?
Current research shows that if every driver in the United States replaced the air in each of their vehicle's tires with nitrogen gas, they would improve their gas mileage by over three percent. This translates into a whopping saving of almost four trillion gallons of gasoline per year!

For more information and research data on the growing use of nitrogen gas in motor vehicles' tires including those of commercial carriers, visit Get Nitrogen at their website, GetNitrogen.org. In addition to the research, you will find a growing list of registered dealers located in the United States and Canada that can replace the air in your tires with nitrogen.

Here are some important points on how you can save gas and lessen green house gas emissions at the same time by not driving on under inflated tires, whether you are using air or nitrogen gas in them.
Firstly, check your vehicle owner's manual for the optimum tire pressure.

Use a tire gauge to accurately measure tire pressure. A visual tire inspection is not reliable.

Only measure tire pressure when they are cold. You should wait approximately three hours for the air inside your tires to cool down before measuring the tire air pressure.
Lastly, and probably the most important point, always check the air pressure in your vehicle's tires at least once a month.

Possible Causes of High Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) Emissions
In order to pinpoint the cause of excessive NOx emissions, the following systems (if applicable) and possible defects will need to be checked, usually in this order:

Over-Advanced Ignition Timing
Older vehicles have ignition timing systems that are adjustable and, unfortunately, anything that is adjustable is also mal-adjustable.

Fortunately, ignition timing is usually quick and easy to check. For more details, see Ignition System Testing.

Inadequate Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Flow
Operation of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system should be checked completely. To do this there are three areas that the technician must check:

• the EGR valve
• the EGR exhaust passage(s)
• the EGR control system

For more information on these procedures see Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System Testing.

Lean Air-Fuel Ratio
The technician should check to ensure that there is not an excessively lean mixture being burned. Depending on the vehicle, its fuel system, and its emissions control systems, this may involve simply looking at the VIR, measuring engine-out emission levels, and O2 sensor testing.

For detailed info regarding the diagnosis of fuel delivery systems, see Fuel System Testing.

Defective Three-Way Catalytic Converter
Your technician should test the catalyst by performing a converter efficiency test (see Catalytic Converter Testing). Note that this only applies if the vehicle is equipped with a three-way catalytic converter (some 1980-87 vehicles and all 1988 and newer vehicles have three-way catalytic converters).

Combustion Chamber Deposits.
If the above possibilities have been conclusively checked and no problems found, it is reasonable to conclude that combustion chamber deposits are contributing to excessive NOx emissions. For additional information see Combustion Chamber Deposits.

Reducing exhaust emissions
Exhaust emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulates, hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) can cause environmental impacts. Since the mid-1960s, emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides have significantly decreased.

In the U.S., GM began meeting very stringent Federal Tier 2 and California low emission vehicle (LEV) II standards in the 2004 model year. In 2004, 45 percent of the cars and light light-duty trucks (LLDT)s that GM sold met the Tier 2 standard, exceeding the 25 percent requirement. In 2005, 66 percent of GM's cars and LLDTs sold met the Tier 2 standard, exceeding the 50 percent requirement. Once fully phased in, all GM cars and light-duty trucks will meet these standards, which cut smog-forming emissions (HC + NOx) by 99 percent relative to mid-1960's models. GM is also meeting more stringent standards for evaporative hydrocarbon emissions that began to phase in starting in 2004. In Canada, GM sells vehicles that meet these stringent U.S. Federal standards.

Why does Car Heaven target pre-1995 live vehicles?
(Source: CVMA)

Environment Canada projects that smog-causing emissions, specifically hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen Oxides (NOx) , from the total auto sector are currently in decline as newer, cleaner vehicles replace older, higher emitting vehicles in the fleet.

This is due to the fact that, since 1971, the federal government has adopted increasingly stringent standards for smog-forming emissions from motor vehicles. One more recent example is the new On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations which came into effect under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, on January 1, 2004. For passenger vehicles, the regulations phase-in more stringent standards between 2004 and 2009. When these regulations are fully phased-in, all passenger vehicles will be subject to the same set of emissions standards. These regulations will result in a reduction of the allowable level of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions from new vehicles by up to 95% and 84%, respectively, relative to previous requirements.

The chart below shows the allowable limits for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides averaged over the Canadian vehicle fleet and illustrates how these allowable amounts have been reduced over time.
The improvements made since Tier 0 and Tier 1 vehicles shows why Car Heaven targets pre-1995 live vehicles. New cars have better technology in them!



In addition to achieving significantly better fuel economy, GM hybrid-powered buses produce up to 60 percent fewer oxides of nitrogen emissions and 90 percent fewer particulate, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions compared with conventional diesel buses.

Cars, Trucks, Vans and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)
Cars, pick-up trucks, minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are all types of passenger vehicles used for personal transportation in Canada. Given that there are approximately 18 million passenger vehicles on Canadian roads, they are a major contributor to air pollution, particularly in urban areas. Air pollution has major adverse impacts on the environment and the health of Canadians. While emissions of some pollutants from passenger vehicles have declined over the past two decades, air pollution continues to be one of Canada's highest environmental priorities and challenges.

Passenger vehicles emit various air pollutants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur oxides (SOx).  Both NOx and VOCs are involved in a series of complex reactions that result in the formation of ground-level ozone, which is a respiratory irritant and one of the major components of smog. The Criteria Air Contaminants Summary presents the emission estimates of these pollutants from transportation sources in Canada. Passenger vehicles account for a considerable proportion of the total national transportation emissions including:

• approximately 21 per cent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions
• approximately 51 per cent of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions
• approximately 4 per cent of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) emissions

Since 1971, the federal government has adopted increasingly stringent standards for smog-forming emissions from motor vehicles.  On January 1, 2004, the new On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations ( full regulation) came into effect under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999   For passenger vehicles, the regulations phase-in more stringent standards between 2004 and 2009.  When these Regulations are fully phased-in, all passenger vehicles will be subject to the same set of emissions standards.  These Regulations will result in a reduction of the allowable level of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions from new vehicles by up to 95 percent and 84 percent, respectively, relative to previous requirements.

The vast majority of passenger vehicles operate using gasoline.  Low levels of sulphur in gasoline enable the effective operation of vehicle emission control technologies. As a result of the requirements of the Sulphur in Gasoline Regulations (full regulations), sulphur levels in Canadian gasoline were reduced to an average of 30 parts per million (ppm) as of January 1, 2005.  This level represents a reduction of more than 90% relative to average sulphur levels in the 2000 timeframe.

While these new standards make substantial contributions to reducing emissions from passenger vehicles, the vehicle owner can also do a lot to reduce emissions.

NITROGEN OXIDES (NOx)  Under high pressure and temperature conditions in an engine, nitrogen and oxygen atoms react to form nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides, like hydrocarbons, are precursors to the formation of ozone and contribute to acid rain. Catalytic converters in car exhaust systems break down heavier nitrogen gases, forming nitrous oxide (NO2) - 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Nitrous oxide makes up about 7.2 percent of the gases cited in global warming. Vehicles with catalytic converters produced nearly half of that nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide also comes from nitrogen-based fertilizer and manure from farm animals.
Air (Nitrogen oxides)

Nitrogen oxides are nitrogen-oxygen compounds produced mostly by burning fossil fuels.

What is the issue?
Air quality especially in large urban centers is affected by pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, homes, factories, power plants and other sources. Nitrogen oxides react with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sunlight, especially in the summer months, to form ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone can:

• aggravate asthma and respiratory problems
• increase the risk of heart disease
• damage vegetation and decrease the productivity of crops

Ground-level ozone is a key ingredient in smog (a common term for urban air pollution). Smog can affect our health by irritating the eyes, nose and throat, and worsening respiratory and heart problems.

Nitrogen oxide emissions, which produce nitric acid, also contribute to acid rain.

Reducing the impacts of nitrogen oxides is a complex challenge. Industry and government continue to target efforts to reduce emissions through new equipment, fuel efficiencies and emission reduction programs. Since the 1980s, Canada's overall nitrogen oxide emissions have increased only slightly, remaining steady at over two million tonnes a year. But Eastern Canada's air quality is also affected by sources (vehicles, fossil fuel-burning power plants and industries) in the U.S. About half of the acid rain and smog-producing emissions affecting this region come from U.S. sources. Further action against nitrogen oxide emissions will depend on the cooperation of the U.S.


Canadian nitrogen oxide emissions
 

Canadian nitrogen oxide emissions have increased slightly since 1980.

Nitrogen oxide emissions

In 2001, gross nitrogen oxide emissions by Canada’s major power generators went up because of increased fossil fuel production and increased reliance on coal.

Nitrogen oxide emission intensity

Canada’s power generators decreased nitrogen oxide emissions per unit of electricity generated through new combustion and emission technologies.

Nitrogen oxides:
These are created when vehicle engines burn nitrogen that is present in the air and nitrogen compounds found in fossil fuels. Nitrogen oxides can irritate airways, especially your lungs.

Replacing the Air in Your Vehicle's Tires With Nitrogen Gas Can Save You Money on Vacation Driving Not only can travelers save money on gasoline by replacing the air in their vehicle's and RV's tires with nitrogen gas, they can save money on their every day driving as well. Research shows that drivers can improve their gas mileage by over three percent when they use nitrogen in their motor vehicle's tires.

This is not a new technology as it has been used for many years by commercial airlines as well as in NASCAR cars. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates that nitrogen gas be used in all commercial aircraft tires to eliminate the possibility of water vapor freezing at high altitudes which happens with air filled tires. The NASCAR teams use nitrogen in the tires of their racing cars because the tire pressure fluctuates less than it does with air.

How can using nitrogen gas in your vehicle's tires save you a lot of money?
First of all, you do not need to buy new tires to make the change, your present tires will be fine. By using nitrogen gas in your tires you can improve your vehicle's fuel efficiency and save a lot of money in the process. Nitrogen in your tires also improves your vehicle's handling and extends the life of your tires so you will have to replace them less often. There is no question that in this era of record high gasoline prices you will reap significant savings on all your driving for many years to come.

How can using nitrogen gas in your vehicle's tires also benefit our environment?
By using nitrogen gas instead of air in you vehicle's tires, it will help to better maintain proper tire air pressure. This optimizes tire road contact which reduces tire/road resistance. Because of this, the fuel economy is increased and less exhaust emissions enter into the atmosphere. You might say that by going green you are also saving green, greenbacks, that is.

How can you do your part to help America's economy reduce its dependence on foreign oil?
Current research shows that if every driver in the United States replaced the air in each of their vehicle's tires with nitrogen gas, they would improve their gas mileage by over three percent. This translates into a whopping saving of almost four trillion gallons of gasoline per year!

For more information and research data on the growing use of nitrogen gas in motor vehicles' tires including those of commercial carriers, visit Get Nitrogen at their website, GetNitrogen.org. In addition to the research, you will find a growing list of registered dealers located in the United States and Canada that can replace the air in your tires with nitrogen.

Here are some important points on how you can save gas and lessen green house gas emissions at the same time by not driving on under inflated tires, whether you are using air or nitrogen gas in them.
Firstly, check your vehicle owner's manual for the optimum tire pressure.

Use a tire gauge to accurately measure tire pressure. A visual tire inspection is not reliable.

Only measure tire pressure when they are cold. You should wait approximately three hours for the air inside your tires to cool down before measuring the tire air pressure.
Lastly, and probably the most important point, always check the air pressure in your vehicle's tires at least once a month.

Possible Causes of High Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) Emissions
In order to pinpoint the cause of excessive NOx emissions, the following systems (if applicable) and possible defects will need to be checked, usually in this order:

Over-Advanced Ignition Timing
Older vehicles have ignition timing systems that are adjustable and, unfortunately, anything that is adjustable is also mal-adjustable.

Fortunately, ignition timing is usually quick and easy to check. For more details, see Ignition System Testing.

Inadequate Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Flow
Operation of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system should be checked completely. To do this there are three areas that the technician must check:

• the EGR valve
• the EGR exhaust passage(s)
• the EGR control system

For more information on these procedures see Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System Testing.

Lean Air-Fuel Ratio
The technician should check to ensure that there is not an excessively lean mixture being burned. Depending on the vehicle, its fuel system, and its emissions control systems, this may involve simply looking at the VIR, measuring engine-out emission levels, and O2 sensor testing.

For detailed info regarding the diagnosis of fuel delivery systems, see Fuel System Testing.

Defective Three-Way Catalytic Converter
Your technician should test the catalyst by performing a converter efficiency test (see Catalytic Converter Testing). Note that this only applies if the vehicle is equipped with a three-way catalytic converter (some 1980-87 vehicles and all 1988 and newer vehicles have three-way catalytic converters).

Combustion Chamber Deposits.
If the above possibilities have been conclusively checked and no problems found, it is reasonable to conclude that combustion chamber deposits are contributing to excessive NOx emissions. For additional information see Combustion Chamber Deposits.

Reducing exhaust emissions
Exhaust emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulates, hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) can cause environmental impacts. Since the mid-1960s, emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides have significantly decreased.

In the U.S., GM began meeting very stringent Federal Tier 2 and California low emission vehicle (LEV) II standards in the 2004 model year. In 2004, 45 percent of the cars and light light-duty trucks (LLDT)s that GM sold met the Tier 2 standard, exceeding the 25 percent requirement. In 2005, 66 percent of GM's cars and LLDTs sold met the Tier 2 standard, exceeding the 50 percent requirement. Once fully phased in, all GM cars and light-duty trucks will meet these standards, which cut smog-forming emissions (HC + NOx) by 99 percent relative to mid-1960's models. GM is also meeting more stringent standards for evaporative hydrocarbon emissions that began to phase in starting in 2004. In Canada, GM sells vehicles that meet these stringent U.S. Federal standards.

Why does Car Heaven target pre-1995 live vehicles?
(Source: CVMA)

Environment Canada projects that smog-causing emissions, specifically hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen Oxides (NOx) , from the total auto sector are currently in decline as newer, cleaner vehicles replace older, higher emitting vehicles in the fleet.

This is due to the fact that, since 1971, the federal government has adopted increasingly stringent standards for smog-forming emissions from motor vehicles. One more recent example is the new On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations which came into effect under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, on January 1, 2004. For passenger vehicles, the regulations phase-in more stringent standards between 2004 and 2009. When these regulations are fully phased-in, all passenger vehicles will be subject to the same set of emissions standards. These regulations will result in a reduction of the allowable level of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions from new vehicles by up to 95% and 84%, respectively, relative to previous requirements.

The chart below shows the allowable limits for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides averaged over the Canadian vehicle fleet and illustrates how these allowable amounts have been reduced over time.
The improvements made since Tier 0 and Tier 1 vehicles shows why Car Heaven targets pre-1995 live vehicles. New cars have better technology in them!



In addition to achieving significantly better fuel economy, GM hybrid-powered buses produce up to 60 percent fewer oxides of nitrogen emissions and 90 percent fewer particulate, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions compared with conventional diesel buses.

Cars, Trucks, Vans and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)
Cars, pick-up trucks, minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are all types of passenger vehicles used for personal transportation in Canada. Given that there are approximately 18 million passenger vehicles on Canadian roads, they are a major contributor to air pollution, particularly in urban areas. Air pollution has major adverse impacts on the environment and the health of Canadians. While emissions of some pollutants from passenger vehicles have declined over the past two decades, air pollution continues to be one of Canada's highest environmental priorities and challenges.

Passenger vehicles emit various air pollutants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur oxides (SOx).  Both NOx and VOCs are involved in a series of complex reactions that result in the formation of ground-level ozone, which is a respiratory irritant and one of the major components of smog. The Criteria Air Contaminants Summary presents the emission estimates of these pollutants from transportation sources in Canada. Passenger vehicles account for a considerable proportion of the total national transportation emissions including:

• approximately 21 per cent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions
• approximately 51 per cent of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions
• approximately 4 per cent of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) emissions

Since 1971, the federal government has adopted increasingly stringent standards for smog-forming emissions from motor vehicles.  On January 1, 2004, the new On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations ( full regulation) came into effect under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999   For passenger vehicles, the regulations phase-in more stringent standards between 2004 and 2009.  When these Regulations are fully phased-in, all passenger vehicles will be subject to the same set of emissions standards.  These Regulations will result in a reduction of the allowable level of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions from new vehicles by up to 95 percent and 84 percent, respectively, relative to previous requirements.

The vast majority of passenger vehicles operate using gasoline.  Low levels of sulphur in gasoline enable the effective operation of vehicle emission control technologies. As a result of the requirements of the Sulphur in Gasoline Regulations (full regulations), sulphur levels in Canadian gasoline were reduced to an average of 30 parts per million (ppm) as of January 1, 2005.  This level represents a reduction of more than 90% relative to average sulphur levels in the 2000 timeframe.

While these new standards make substantial contributions to reducing emissions from passenger vehicles, the vehicle owner can also do a lot to reduce emissions.

NITROGEN OXIDES (NOx)  Under high pressure and temperature conditions in an engine, nitrogen and oxygen atoms react to form nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides, like hydrocarbons, are precursors to the formation of ozone and contribute to acid rain. Catalytic converters in car exhaust systems break down heavier nitrogen gases, forming nitrous oxide (NO2) - 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Nitrous oxide makes up about 7.2 percent of the gases cited in global warming. Vehicles with catalytic converters produced nearly half of that nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide also comes from nitrogen-based fertilizer and manure from farm animals.
Air (Nitrogen oxides)

Nitrogen oxides are nitrogen-oxygen compounds produced mostly by burning fossil fuels.

What is the issue?
Air quality especially in large urban centers is affected by pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, homes, factories, power plants and other sources. Nitrogen oxides react with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sunlight, especially in the summer months, to form ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone can:

• aggravate asthma and respiratory problems
• increase the risk of heart disease
• damage vegetation and decrease the productivity of crops

Ground-level ozone is a key ingredient in smog (a common term for urban air pollution). Smog can affect our health by irritating the eyes, nose and throat, and worsening respiratory and heart problems.

Nitrogen oxide emissions, which produce nitric acid, also contribute to acid rain.

Reducing the impacts of nitrogen oxides is a complex challenge. Industry and government continue to target efforts to reduce emissions through new equipment, fuel efficiencies and emission reduction programs. Since the 1980s, Canada's overall nitrogen oxide emissions have increased only slightly, remaining steady at over two million tonnes a year. But Eastern Canada's air quality is also affected by sources (vehicles, fossil fuel-burning power plants and industries) in the U.S. About half of the acid rain and smog-producing emissions affecting this region come from U.S. sources. Further action against nitrogen oxide emissions will depend on the cooperation of the U.S.


Canadian nitrogen oxide emissions
 

Canadian nitrogen oxide emissions have increased slightly since 1980.

Nitrogen oxide emissions

In 2001, gross nitrogen oxide emissions by Canada’s major power generators went up because of increased fossil fuel production and increased reliance on coal.

Nitrogen oxide emission intensity

Canada’s power generators decreased nitrogen oxide emissions per unit of electricity generated through new combustion and emission technologies.