Shell Oil is hyping their gasoline as being nitrogen enriched. What is supposed to be good about that?

If I remember correctly from my chemistry classes, you get energy from the combustion of carbon and hydrogen to propel your car. The combination of nitrogen and oxygen is endothermic or neutral as far as energy is concerned. Additionally, it forms one of the pollutants that catalytic converts were designed to remove.

To me, it is like using ethanol, you can't burn the oxygen in the alcohol, so you get less miles per gallon.

On top of that, your car gets plenty of nitrogen, it is about 70% of the air that comes in through the intake.

Can someone explain why nitrogen itself in fuel is a good thing? I can understand nitrous oxide, but I dont think Shell is peddling racing fuel.

__________________
1983 300SD "Guderian"
1987 MR2
2015 Camry
2015 Chevy Spark
2006 Hyundai Tucson

Enriched? I'd think diluted.

__________________
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Sounds like a bunch of B.S. to me. From what I have seen from the commercials they "claim" it helps clean your engine. But I agree with you that to me it would lend to more Nitrogen Dioxides in the air. And I have seen the shell trucks at the same fuel depot as everyone else.

I can explain it....GIMMICK.

Just like the ads telling you nitrogen in your tires is better. But they fail to mention that air is over 70% nitrogen...

__________________
2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

$$$ grab...pay more for less.....

The tire thing is legit if you are running an F1 car or an aircraft or the space shuttle! I sleep better at night knowing my F1 cars tires won't combust lol.

yeah nitrogen in tires is legit F1 and high end like lexus fill their tires with nitrogen since its better. As for the nitrogen sounds like a gimmic

__________________
1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

From what I understand - the nitrogen is not being added to the fuel itself, it is being added to the existing detergents. The net effect is that this stabilizes and improves the detergent's life span and performance within the engine, particularly increased stability at higher operating and combustion temperatures. So it makes the detergent additives work better - which helps keep the engine cleaner.

As far as increased emissions, it seems the jury is still out.

I think the potential cleaning benefits may be plausible, however there hasn't been much news on any drawbacks - like emissions.

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Stablize the detergents? But that would imply that the gas has been sitting for a long time. Or the detergents are unstable. Couldn't this be countered by simply going to a filling station where lots of business is? Therefore you would get "fresher" gasoline.

Sounds like a lot of marketing nonsence to me....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C9gNNlYJUA

:38

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

I think it has to do more with how the detergents react in the engine environment than actual time degradation.

However, I'm rapidly reaching the limits of my understanding of this issue.

Will need to dust off the biochem/organic chemistry textbooks soon and that is already making my left eye twitch...

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

I tried shell gas for a bit in my 300E instead of using Redline SI-1 in the gas.....it ended up being cranky and not running as well.....went back to normal premium + the Redline.....runs great.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

One of my favorite shows. Only a week and a bit to the new season!

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Maybe you have to be a certain age to remember but when I was a kid, Shell had these commercials where they had two indentical cars with a beaker of gas on top of the carburetor (60s) and they'd fill one beaker with NEW SHELL, now with PLATFORMATE!! And the other with gas from some unworthy competitor. The Shell powered car would go a hundred yards or so further.

And ever since, they've charged more for their gas. That, and pollute the holy hell out of Nigeria.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

. . . could I interest any of you gents in a tanker load of "Platformate?"

Super Shell Science Theatre 3000