Nitrogen in tires

[Comrando]

Yes, well worth the cost. $7/tire.

We used to have to add air every few months. That doesn't happen any more. Wife and kids would wait for low pressure warning and then guess who had to correct it. And always in the rain/snow. :(

I haven't had to air in a year. The Camaro checks 33 to 36 from 0-100F.

Just had the mom's car in for oil change/checkup and the dealer changed the air for nitrogen at no cost. Win/Win!

[WheelmanSS]

My brother did it on his AMG Mercedes. His pressure is always consistent. Barely ever see fluctuation.

[zfuzz]

Here is a link to a great article from Power Tank and their testing of Nitrogen / Air / CO2. LINK

[Roll_the_Dice]

I have nitrogen in mine. I had it put in when I bought my new wheels. The tire center said I if I needed to add air add it, but then come in and they would drain it and refill with nitrogen for free. I think it was $6/tire when I had them installed. I have had TPMs on a lot of cars and with nitrogen the pressure is more consistent and I don't have to refill hardly ever. Great--No....nice to have...Yes.

[Fiftydriver]

Originally Posted by 5cents

My dealer puts nitrogen in all of it's new vehicles before delivery. They claim it helps the tires run cooler and it helps to maintain the tire pressure better. Unlike compressed air from a pump, nitrogen contains no water. No water means no corrosion or rust to the inside of the wheel.

It does not do a damn thing to help the tires run cooler. That is determined by the contact of the tire with the road, not whats in the tire.

Nitrogen does not expand as much as it heats up and it does not contract as much when it cools down so you get more consistant tire pressure all around, thats about it.

[Dznyfn]

Originally Posted by 1BADLS3

The TMPS sensor will probably outlive the motor even in air-filled tires.

Actually the sensor will need to be replaced in about 6 years as the batteries will go dead. These are sealed units and unable to change just the batteries. Just changed the ones in my '05 Tahoe.

As for the nitrogen, I have it in all my vehicles. I work for a Fire Dept shop and we made a change 3 yrs ago from reg compressed air to nitrogen and have had wonderful results. Because the nitrogen molecules are larger the pressures in the tires once set maintain themselves much longer thus improving tire wear and fuel mileage is better. Yes it does change due to temperature changes but in a less dramatic amount.

I haven't driven the camaro enough to get a good read on the nitrogen but in both my Tahoe and Silverado I have noticed an improved tread wear and mpg improvement.

I have a nitrogen generator so if I need to top off at any point I can, but also my dealer will top off if necessary at anytime without any further charges. Had my done at delivery and the cost was $59 but was looking at another dealership and they were charging $249 so shop around.

[Mikeb12]

the air you breath is approx 80% nitrogen, 18% oxygen and 2% other.

[TheHorse13]

Originally Posted by Mikeb12

the air you breath is approx 80% nitrogen, 18% oxygen and 2% other.

This.

You're buying into yet another dealer hustle to get you back to the showroom floor on a regular basis. There are no free things at a dealership.

Aviation is the only place nitrogen filled tires make any sense.

[Scalded Dog]

Originally Posted by Mikeb12

the air you breath is approx 80% nitrogen, 18% oxygen and 2% other.

True... the air that I put in down at Jake's Gas 'n' Go is damn close to the closer- to- pure (but not quite) nitrogen at the nitrogen pump. Sure, it is sometimes free (but gets people to wander into dealerships and sometimes buy stuff like accessories or new cars, but sometimes it costs money). Some people stress about wondering if they can mix it with "regular" air in their tires (of course you can... as, again, "air" is 80% nitrogen to start with). Not sure of the claim that it is 3% lighter than regular ol' heavy- A55 air, but I'm almost certain that my tires are not hauling around more than a couple of ounces of air (and a 3% potential reduction in that weight would be negated if I accidentally ate an extra raisin in my oatmeal this morning, or smacked a bug with my high- speed windshield).

Remember "Oxygen Bars" a few years back? People thought they could get a rush from inhaling the stuff... and the GOOD OBs even offered "flavored" oxygen! This was a comical joke to those who know that you can't get high from breathing oxygen... however pure it is. Or, fuel magnets/ tablets that boost your mileage... apparently by magic (which have all been proven utterly worthless under testing, scrutiny, and science)?

All of these things are not necessarily harmful, just sort of pointless. Do it if you want to... or if your horoscope says it's prudent.

[Bodih]

In the environment we drive in, you'll see no appreciable difference in performance or longevity. Even in racing, this wouldn't be the difference between winning and losing. If you have nitrogen readily available for free, use it. It is drier, for what benefits you may see from that. Or you can buy a moisture separator for your air compressor and get the same basic results.

If you're paying to service your tires with nitrogen, I have some snake oil that cures anything for a reasonable price...

[dwinva]

Here is the chemistry lesson for the day....Nitrogen atoms are larger, but lighter, than oxygen atoms. This is why tire pressures tend to be more consistent/you lose air at a much slower rate with nitrogen filled tires as compared to "air" filled tires. (I believe this is called "effusion"). All tires lose whatever they're filled with over time...nitrogen filled tires just take a lot longer. Also, if a tire is truly filled with nitrogen only (don't know how you can keep all air molecules out while filling), then oxidation to the rubber (not just metal oxidizes) would occur much more slowly.

Air by the way is about 78% nitrogen, 16-18% oxygen, and rest is "other". (if you care CPR works because with each breath you take the body only uses about half the oxygen you breathe in...the rest is exhaled).

I agree with an earlier post...nitrogen good, not great.

[wirebender]

Originally Posted by SirMike

Nitrogen in mine since day one. My dealer and shop use it all the time. No additional charge. I think it is way more common here in California and other big cities/states.

Well, THAT says alot!!!! LMAO

[Stex]

Originally Posted by zfuzz

Here is a link to a great article from Power Tank and their testing of Nitrogen / Air / CO2. LINK

Yes and this too:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=191

[jadatis]

O2 (oxigen) goes 5 times as fast trough the rubber then N2( nitrogen).
That is what I once read. But if it is because O2 molecule is smaller then N2 Molecule, is not shure.
N2 needs more energy to heat up a degree then O2 , but in the end the tire inside temperature gets yust as high, and the pressure highens up with that the same.
Even if you put 100% N2 in the tires up to 3 bar ( 44psi?) there is still 5 % O2 in the tire, because empty there is 1 bar with 20 % O2 in the tire.
Its all about partial pressure .
Example: and then I give it in Bar because the outside pressure is about 1 bar ( 1013 millibar) rounding it makes it simpler to understand.
If you measure 3 bar , you measure over-pressure over the outside pressure.
So zero bar in the tire is in real 1 bar.
Example goes on: filling tire upto 3bar with 100% N2 then zero bar is 1 bar N2 80% = 0,8 bar partial pressure N2 and 20% O2=0,2 bar partpress O2.
Assuming the tire does not expand, after filling 3 bar there is 4 bar real pressure in the tire. with 0.8+3.0=3.8 bar partial pressure( PP) N2 and 0,2+0=0.2 bar PP O2. Outside the tire 0,2 bar PP O2 and 0.8 bar PP N2.
Diference O2 in out= zero and difference I/O N2 = 3 bar.
Then there will only be going out N2 out of the tire and no O2.
If you nanage , by filling high pressure N2 100% and letting air out ,and again high pressure and letting out, in a few cicles, to get almost 100% N2 in the tire, there will be going O2 into the tire, because outside 0,2 bar PP O2 and inside about zero bar PP O2. So while N2 goes out , almost as fast O2 goes in
until PP O2 is the same in and out.
By this system, if you wait long enaugh, there will be a percentage O2 in the tire . 3 bar /5% 4bar /4% 1 bar / 10%, 9 bar/ 2% regardless if you fill with air or 100% N2. Probably this system goes also for water if it is a gas.
So if you try to fill the tire with no water in it, if you wait long enaug there will be comming water from the outside trough the rubber into the tire, because the PP H2O ( water) is higher outside the tire then inside, same as for O2.

Greatings from Holland from a tire-pressure addict.

[nhbouncer]

Can find some more information about nitrogen here as well.
http://www.getnitrogen.org

[Bodih]

Originally Posted by jadatis

O2 (oxigen) goes 5 times as fast trough the rubber then N2( nitrogen).
That is what I once read. But if it is because O2 molecule is smaller then N2 Molecule, is not shure.
N2 needs more energy to heat up a degree then O2 , but in the end the tire inside temperature gets yust as high, and the pressure highens up with that the same.
Even if you put 100% N2 in the tires up to 3 bar ( 44psi?) there is still 5 % O2 in the tire, because empty there is 1 bar with 20 % O2 in the tire.
Its all about partial pressure .
Example: and then I give it in Bar because the outside pressure is about 1 bar ( 1013 millibar) rounding it makes it simpler to understand.
If you measure 3 bar , you measure over-pressure over the outside pressure.
So zero bar in the tire is in real 1 bar.
Example goes on: filling tire upto 3bar with 100% N2 then zero bar is 1 bar N2 80% = 0,8 bar partial pressure N2 and 20% O2=0,2 bar partpress O2.
Assuming the tire does not expand, after filling 3 bar there is 4 bar real pressure in the tire. with 0.8+3.0=3.8 bar partial pressure( PP) N2 and 0,2+0=0.2 bar PP O2. Outside the tire 0,2 bar PP O2 and 0.8 bar PP N2.
Diference O2 in out= zero and difference I/O N2 = 3 bar.
Then there will only be going out N2 out of the tire and no O2.
If you nanage , by filling high pressure N2 100% and letting air out ,and again high pressure and letting out, in a few cicles, to get almost 100% N2 in the tire, there will be going O2 into the tire, because outside 0,2 bar PP O2 and inside about zero bar PP O2. So while N2 goes out , almost as fast O2 goes in
until PP O2 is the same in and out.
By this system, if you wait long enaugh, there will be a percentage O2 in the tire . 3 bar /5% 4bar /4% 1 bar / 10%, 9 bar/ 2% regardless if you fill with air or 100% N2. Probably this system goes also for water if it is a gas.
So if you try to fill the tire with no water in it, if you wait long enaug there will be comming water from the outside trough the rubber into the tire, because the PP H2O ( water) is higher outside the tire then inside, same as for O2.

Greatings from Holland from a tire-pressure addict.

Yeah, what he almost said!

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