Nitrogen filled tires

[drmoose]

thing is there is no way of telling what is in the tires, especially since no one told me and it's not in any paperwork. Doesn't really matter, I am not gonna search for nitrogen, although I suppose I'll top off with it if I see it, and perhaps the dealer will too when i take it in. Supposedly it is near 100%, and since Nitrogen is a bigger molecule, and dry, it's better for the tires...

 

[bill1013]

Personally I believe it's just an upsell. I know the aircraft industry fills the struts and tire of aircraft with nitrogen because it doesn't support combustion and they do process it extensively to remove water and other impurities. That being said, I really can't see why you would want to used nitrogen in cars or SUVs.

 

[Denali Brad]

Costco - Free nitrogen at their tire service centers.

 

[Sparksalot]

Nitrogen was a thing 20+ years ago. I didn’t know it was still around.

 

[gooffeyguy]

I use helium in my tires. Gives better gas mileage.

The theory behind nitrogen is that it's an innert gas, doesn't hold moisture, and is not effected by temperature. So when used in tires the pressure stays constant and doesn't fluctuate with temp.

 

[Sparksalot]

I use helium in my tires. Gives better gas mileage.

The theory behind nitrogen is that it's an innert gas, doesn't hold moisture, and is not effected by temperature. So when used in tires the pressure stays constant and doesn't fluctuate with temp.

Gives you a little lift too!

 

[wjburken]

So here’s my take on the whole nitrogen issue. The size of a nitrogen molecule is 300 picometers compared to the oxygen molecule that is 292 picometers. That is a difference 0.000000008 millimeters. Have a hard time believing that this makes much of a difference in trying to keep the gas of either from escaping the tire.

Add to that the fact that air is 70% nitrogen to begin with, and I’m not so sure it’s a step function change even if the particle size did make a difference.

Yes, removing moisture from the air is important, but not seeing a big occurrence of vehicles having noticeable moisture build up in the tires either.

 

[Stbentoak]

Don't ever pay for this. Not necessary and a complete waste of money. If a dealer tries to charge you, tell them please remove it and put normal air in at N/C. what a scam..!

 

[ChemEng]

I use helium in my tires. Gives better gas mileage.

The theory behind nitrogen is that it's an innert gas, doesn't hold moisture, and is not effected by temperature. So when used in tires the pressure stays constant and doesn't fluctuate with te

It is a myth that nitrogen isn't effected by temperature. It follows the ideal gas law like every other gas. PV=nRT temperature goes up, pressure goes up.

The "R" value is a correction factor (since no gas is actually ideal).

R for Air = 0.287 kJ/kg.K
R for N2 = 0.297 kJ/kg.K

so very small difference if any when it comes to pressure change due to temperature. If you filled 2 of your tires with N2 and 2 with air (clean and dry) you wouldn't be able to tell the difference by looking at the pressures on your dash display.

Nitrogen also holds moisture just fine, but is typically delivered "dry" in cylinders (or generated on-site), so you don't need to worry as much about the oily wet air from a poorly maintained and abused shop compressor (this is probably the biggest advantage to N2 fill-ups).

Finally, just think about this, if O2 does leak out faster than N2, then wouldn't you essentially be left with just N2 after refilling your tires a few times since the O2 will leak out faster leaving the N2 behind? So don't pay for what will happen naturally.

 

[wjburken]

It is a myth that nitrogen isn't effected by temperature. It follows the ideal gas law like every other gas. PV=nRT temperature goes up, pressure goes up.

The "R" value is a correction factor (since no gas is actually ideal).

R for Air = 0.287 kJ/kg.K
R for N2 = 0.297 kJ/kg.K

so very small difference if any when it comes to pressure change due to temperature. If you filled 2 of your tires with N2 and 2 with air (clean and dry) you wouldn't be able to tell the difference by looking at the pressures on your dash display.

Nitrogen also holds moisture just fine, but is typically delivered "dry" in cylinders (or generated on-site), so you don't need to worry as much about the oily wet air from a poorly maintained and abused shop compressor (this is probably the biggest advantage to N2 fill-ups).

Finally, just think about this, if O2 does leak out faster than N2, then wouldn't you essentially be left with just N2 after refilling your tires a few times since the O2 will leak out faster leaving the N2 behind? So don't pay for what will happen naturally.