The necessity for nitrogen tire filling capability will increase drastically over the next several months. All passenger vehicles will be required to have on-board TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems) by 2008. Standard air-filled tires have been proven to cause excessive TPMS alarms, due to the rapid expansive properties of moisture-filled air. Using nitrogen in tires monitored with TPMS systems will result in more consistent tire pressures, drastically reducing failures currently seen on these soon-to-be-required on-board systems. Additionally, nitrogen prevents corrosion of TPMS due to its dry, inert properties.
Regulations for TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems) are as follows for the U.S.:
• Through Sept. 30, 2006 – 20% of a manufacturer’s vehicles must have TPMS incorporated.
• Oct. 01, 2006 – Sept. 30, 2007 – 70% of a manufacturer’s vehicles must have TPMS incorporated.
• Oct. 01, 2007 – 100% of all vehicles must have TPMS incorporated.
For information on products offered by RTI, call (800) 468-2321 or visit www.rtitech.com.