As I have mentioned before, we recently bought a new Ford truck. The salesman told us the tires had been filled with nitrogen which wasn't exactly a selling point since we had no idea why that was a thing. I have been reading about the practice (and the little green caps on the valve stems). Apparently there isn't much to recommend nitrogen in tires, performance wise. Just another little scam for the customer to have to drive back to the dealer when a tire loses some pressure. @Cody Fousnaugh 's thread about the portable air compressor made me think of this. Anyone else have nitrogen in their tires?
I remember coming across something about using nitrogen in tires. The author was recommending it, but since I wasn't planning on switching over to nitrogen-filled tires, I barely skimmed it and don't remember what the selling points were supposed to be.
I’ll have to check with hubs I believe we have @Beth Gallagher we get our tyres from Costco and they do that with all tyres fitted by them ….. and yes ours has green caps
Copied this from a Costco US site as Aussie Costco don’t mention nitrogen Copy Upon the service of your tires we also install new rubber valve stems (Note: TPMS valve stems and accessories will be an additional charge). Additionally, we inflate your tires with nitrogen, not compressed air. Nitrogen retains tire pressure better over time than compressed air, which can positively impact the life of your tires, as well as the fuel economy of your vehicle.
I had heard about filling tires with Nitrogen but never paid any attention to it until now. Come to find out via Google, research says, (dunno who the researchers are) that because Nitrogen molecules are larger than plain ol’ air, there’s less leakage. A regularly filled tire will lose between 1-2# a month whereas the Nitrogen filled tire is only supposed to lose about 1# per year thereby making it a safer and a more fuel efficient tire. The articles I read also said that regular compressed air contains water which supposedly breaks down the interior of the tire. Of course, that doesn’t apply to folks like myself whose compressor has an in-line water filter to prevent water from mixing with whatever when I’m using a spray gun. I think they’d also be great at parties! Folks could bleed some of the Nitrogen into their lungs and make squeaky voices to amuse their friends.
Aren't you thinking of helium, Bobby? I am not sure a hit of nitrogen would be a party favorite except with morticians. Bobby might be on to something big here. Helium in tires might save on tires and highway wear by slightly "floating" the vehicle.
Yeah, it’s a before coffee thing. But now that we have a correction, it’s a weird thing…… https://myvehicletalk.com/can-you-put-helium-in-tires/
At the current price of helium, I can't imagine anyone even trying it to inflate tires. Nitrogen is high enough, but 10 times less cost than helium. The wealthy will do whatever "floats their boat" I suppose. I have to go to my dealership where I bought my car to get regular old everyday air in my tires. They are always so busy, so usually have me waiting in the lobby while they air up tires in order as they arrived. The last time, a few days ago, I pulled around back and went thru the back door when a compressor sits idle and was pulling the hose out the door to my car as a salesman came out telling me I couldn't do that, it was against regulations. I told him to get his boss. I have known the boss for 40 years and bought about six vehicles from him, so he knew who it was before he even saw me. He took the hose from me, told the salesman to go sell some cars, and then he bent down and filled my tires. I insisted I could do it, but he said this was his last day as he was totally retiring this time by orders from his wife and needed this last act of personal customer service so he could tell his wife his years past the first retirement were of value. He had sold the business 10 years earlier, but stayed on as general manager to make sure old loyal customers kept coming back. His wife finally said retire completely or else. He got his suit dirty, I think on purpose just to show his wife. He said it and his other suits were going to the Goodwill the next day. Next time I need air, I guess I am back to my old heavy duty foot pump I have had for 50 years, since I am not a patient waiter for things like air, hot or cold. I have a small compressor, but sold the air tank, so it struggles to inflate to 35 PSI. Maybe I should go to nitrogen filled tires since they lose pressure at a much slower rate and I drive less than 500 miles a year.
That's the most surprising part of your post, Faye. I haven't seen anyone in a suit at a car dealership in years... they are always wearing those knit polo-style shirts in these parts. Usually have the name of the dealership embroidered on them.
I read articles about nitrogen in tires online but I was curious about whether this is common practice now. My husband has an air compressor in the garage so we never needed to drive anywhere to get our tires topped off. Apparently it's OK to mix O2 and nitrogen, but you lose the supposed "benefits". Just something else to annoy me, and a way for dealerships to gouge customers if they charge for the nitrogen.
Air is free; nitrogen isn't. I have one of these. $32.88 at Walmart. I check pressure spring and fall.
All the salesman at this dealership wear the polo shirts and slacks, but this old original owner has always worn a suit and tie. During rodeo season, some of the salesmen dress "cowboy" and wear white Resistol hats and Wrangler jeans with the big W on the backside. They usually have a half dozen great condition Durango's on their used lot they advertise hard during rodeo season. I didn't realize the connection between the Dodge Durango and the hardcore rodeo fan, until Cody mentioned his love of the Durango. The beauty of using helium in your Goodyear tires is being able to call the Goodyear Blimp to fill your tires on the roadside in a remote location.
We always have Michelin Tyres put on our car which is a Nissan SUV We’ve replaced them once since the car was new in 2020 MICHELIN Michelin is one of the world's most iconic tyre brands. Michelin provides you with the right tyres for your vehicle and driving needs, whether you drive a car, van or SUV.
I recall the supposed "leaks down slower" properties of nitrogen. But air is already 78% nitrogen, so you're paying to eliminate the 22% of other gases, some of which may also have larger molecules than oxygen. Bobby's linked article says that helium molecules are smaller than oxygen, so your tires will leak down ever faster than using air. The only thing I have in my tires is some liquid they filled my rear tractor tires with for ballast. Those require a special tire gauge, since the liquid will ruin a standard gauge.
I know that some motorhome owners have some kind of beads put in the tires, I believe to balance them--which has nothing to do with this discussion but just popped into my head.