Not sure if anyone has done this yet but a friend of mine told me on wednesday that he bought new tires from Costco and he was given the option of regular air, or NITROUS. He asked whats up with the Nitro and the guy said that it makes the tires last longer, less wear, softer ride and better gas milage. I didnt think twice about it, but was going to ask tioday when i went to get my oil change. I sit down with the service rep, and theres a piece of paper that says they are doing it now at my dealership for 39.95 or 49.95 with 1 year tire warranty package. I already have the wheel protection package so i just had them filled, and man is there a incredible difference. I was driving home on I-95 in florida and i felt like i was drivin on balloons. the ride was much softer, and smoother then it was before and at 1 point, i looked down and was doing like 110 without even realizing it. Everyone should check it out, because if it keeps our tires in better condition, then we all will be much better off being them cant be rotated and they cost a small forture. ANyone have any ?s about it, let me know. My dealership was COconut Creek Infiniti in SOuth FLorida.
Wg

 

do you think there are any traction/handeling advantages/disadvantages to this? My cousin has this in his s600 and he swears buy it.

 

It's probably Nitrogen, not Nitrous. Nitrogen gas molecules are larger than regular air so it does not seep out. Thus, tire pressure remains constant. It also does not hold moisture so no tire rot. As far as mileage and ride, I think it's all placebo. Tire presssure should be the same and I don't think you are going to feel any weight difference over a little gas swap.

 

yeh i guess it is Nitrogen, here is what i clipped from a website/

Nitrogen In Tires

Here are a few other benefits of using Nitrogen in tires:

[1] Nitrogen is denser than Oxygen: This means the larger molecules escape less easily from tires resulting in a more gradual loss of pressure over time. According to the Michelin Tire Manual, a tire that is inflated with Nitrogen loses its pressure 3 times slower than if it were inflated with air.

[2] Nitrogen is moisture free: Pure Nitrogen inflated tires experience less steel belt and rubber degradation. Nitrogen use also reduces valve and wheel corrosion.

[3] Nitrogen provides longer tire life: Nitrogen inflated tire run cooler and require less maintenance according to the Goodyear application bulletin.

[4] Nitrogen is non-flammable: Nitrogen technology has been used in aircraft, military and race car technology for over thirty years.

I guess driving a few days will tell the difference, but driving it 2 diff times after getting it done, i could totally feel a difference in the ride quality.
wg

 

It won't make a huge difference. But it's free at CostCo, so it's in my tires.

 

Yeah, I'd think PSI is PSI unless the way the tires contract with impact might change due to the molecule size...??
I'll be getting this done too on my next service...

 

when nitrogen filled tires heat up they do not expand like air filled tires do.
so the psi stays pretty constant

 

I'll probably try this

 

sounds worth it. i would do it

 

Makes sense...

 

you just gonna take there word that they put the nitrogen in there? what happens when you have low air and you have to mix? air has worked good fofr the past hundred years.... just my 2 cents!!

 

haha nitros filled tires!!!!

 

I wonder if there are really any true benefits to this, because when you fill up your tires with compressed air, 78% of that is nitrogen.

Ever see that episode on Mythbusters with the football being filled with air versus helium? At least that seems plausible enough to make a difference due to the differences of helium and a nitrogen/oxygen mix - but there was none.

So, if it costs nothing, I'd probably do the switch - but it's not like we're going from 100% of some gas to 100% of something else. It's a 28% difference in nitrogen content (which might provide some tangible benefits).

Filling it with nitrous might be more fun though...

 

Uh, "regular air" is 78% Nitrogen already, so it's not like some magical gas that's going to make your car perform differently.

The reason Nitrogen ("dry air") is used in race cars is because pure nitrogen will respond to temperature changes nearly like an "ideal gas" and so they know exactly what the tire pressure will do as all the tires heat up. With regular air, moisture can condense out (or re-evaporate) and causes the pressure to change unpredictably during the race.

For passenger cars, the removal of moisture may help with corrosion on steel wheels over a long period of time, but there's not going to be any difference the ride. Nitrogen still expands/contracts with temperature.

I am suspect of any claim that Nitrogen leaks slower than regular air.

Regardless, if you have your own compressor, put a moisture trap on it so you don't get any condensation in your tires. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of my way to get 100% nitrogen. If it's free, what the hell, but definitely don't drive on a low tire because you don't want to pump it up with "regular" air.

/any legal, medical, or physics advice from this message is meant for entertainment purposes only.

 

This guy has it right. pv = nrt. pressure * volume = amount of substance * ideal gas constant * temp. So whether you fill it with pure O2 or N2, it's all the same.

The myth that N2 is better than regular air comes from race cars where moisture inside of a race tire (which can get to temps above boiling) will affect pressures dramatically. Since pure N2 is processed and thus has no moisture in it, makes it ideal for race environments. But you have to realize that N2 has no moisture in it is because it's been processed that way. In a street app, it probably doesn't make that much of a difference since tire temps don't go that high.

DOMO