Filling Tires with Nitrogen

While reading the recent flyers, there was one for a local Auto Shop stating how it's safer and more economical to fill your car tires with Nitrogen. I've not heard of this before, but after doing some Google research, it seems it's a practice being done by professionals for a long time. Can anyone provide some experiences about this and if it is in fact worth it.

Thanks!

I haven't had it done on any of my cars yet, but I do know that Costco does this. Well they advertise it atleast... so it's worth a bit to check it out. I definitely wouldn't mind trying it out.

I fill mine with Helium. Car becomes lighter, saves gas.

This has become popular with the fart-can car kids, but it's a complete scam, just meant to part fools and their money. It's true that professional races cars use this technique, but it's impossible that a street car would ever benefit from such a thing, the tires just don't even get hot enough.

An auto writer in the Toronto Star wrote an article about this a while back, but it's dropped off their website, apparently.

Originally Posted by Shifty

An auto writer in the Toronto Star wrote an article about this a while back, but it's dropped off their website, apparently.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...=1026296450133

It's worth noting that the air we breath is already 78% Nitrogen. So, pumping pure Nitrogen into your tires only gets rid of that 21% Oxygen and small % other gases. How much benefit it'll have on your street car is highly debatable.

If you really want to have fun, pump Hydrogen into your tires.

Thanks for that, Rehan! I was looking in the wrong area, obviously.

Originally Posted by Captain X

While reading the recent flyers, there was one for a local Auto Shop stating how it's safer and more economical to fill your car tires with Nitrogen. I've not heard of this before, but after doing some Google research, it seems it's a practice being done by professionals for a long time. Can anyone provide some experiences about this and if it is in fact worth it.

Thanks!

How is it more economical? I can fill up with air for free. Do they pay you to fill up your tires or something?

And I fail to see how its any safer. Is air dangerous?

Complete waste of time.

You'd be far better off keeping a closer eye on your tire pressures than by inflating your tires with nitrogen.

Originally Posted by eelfliw

It's worth noting that the air we breath is already 78% Nitrogen. So, pumping pure Nitrogen into your tires only gets rid of that 21% Oxygen and small % other gases. How much benefit it'll have on your street car is highly debatable.

If you really want to have fun, pump Hydrogen into your tires.

what would happen with helium? really im serious. would it actually float?

Originally Posted by radeonboy

what would happen with helium? really im serious. would it actually float?

Nope, you'd fly!

Originally Posted by baymoe

Nope, you'd fly!

sorry I did really mean fly. helium rises.

Originally Posted by Shifty

This has become popular with the fart-can car kids, but it's a complete scam, just meant to part fools and their money. It's true that professional races cars use this technique, but it's impossible that a street car would ever benefit from such a thing, the tires just don't even get hot enough.

An auto writer in the Toronto Star wrote an article about this a while back, but it's dropped off their website, apparently.

I wouldn't say it's a complete scam...Costco uses nitrogen when you get tires there, there's no extra charge so how can this be a scam?

Nitrogen isn't affected by outside air temperature as much as normal compressed air..also, nitrogen should be cleaner, ie less moisture, as most places have their own compressors which always will induce moisture, nitrogen usually has to be trucked in = higher controls.

I would recommend nitrogen not for the 'heat' but for the extreme cold temps in the winter so you don't lose pressure during cold spells.

Originally Posted by rc51

Nitrogen isn't affected by outside air temperature as much as normal compressed air..also, nitrogen should be cleaner, ie less moisture, as most places have their own compressors which always will induce moisture, nitrogen usually has to be trucked in = higher controls.

I would recommend nitrogen not for the 'heat' but for the extreme cold temps in the winter so you don't lose pressure during cold spells.

The "moisture in your tires" comment is certainly valid, but pure N2 isn't less affected by temperature than our 78% N2 air (except under extreme conditions never experienced by your tires) so the whole pressure argument is bogus.

If it's free, fine....just don't think anyone is doing you any great favours by using N2 as opposed to "mostly-N2".

Originally Posted by Captain X

While reading the recent flyers, there was one for a local Auto Shop stating how it's safer and more economical to fill your car tires with Nitrogen. I've not heard of this before, but after doing some Google research, it seems it's a practice being done by professionals for a long time. Can anyone provide some experiences about this and if it is in fact worth it.

Thanks!

Just fill it with air. What if one of your tires need air, are you going to run around and look for some garage that pumps nitrogen?