My wife's Nissan Murano has nitrogen-filled tires. Yesterday the Tire Low Pressure Indicators came on. I'm just curious whether anyone is going to the trouble, and cost, to keep nitrogen in their tires. The reasoning behind using nitrogen sounds pretty lame, and since our Nissan is not entered in any Formula-1 or Indy style races, nor is it operating under load conditions similar to a 747, I'm sticking with air, which has a significant amount of nitrogen in it.

Probably not worth the trouble, cost, or the time. For NORMAL vehicles, the only significant reason is that air can have water vapor/water in it that MIGHT over time, corrode the wheel. Personally I would hope my car would last long enough to have that problem. None of mine ever have and I doubt will.

Costco will top them off with nitrogen...

Nitrogen, being an inert gas, expands less under heat.

Whether or not that means anything is to be debated. On a race car, maybe. On a commuter vehicle or a truck with 10" of suspension carrying 30psi? Ummm, Nope. You'll never know the difference.

One more reason is because nitrogen molecules are larger and tires filled with N2 tend not to loose pressure as easily so performance, wear, handling tend to be more consistent and the tires last longer.
I did it for a while but found I wear tires out fast enough most of the time that it doesn't matter. I had a cylinder in my garage. My boys were also using it to charge paintball guns.

Once seen in advertising auto service, among other services, "tire inflation by gas mixture with a nitrogen content of not less than 77%."
Coefficient of thermal expansion coefficient identical to nitrogen and oxygen. To the air it is paradoxically less, but the difference is small, the fourth digit after the decimal point.
So I don't know for what nitrogen in tires. I think it is so called "ponts".

quote:

Originally posted by vashper:
Once seen in advertising auto service, among other services, "tire inflation by gas mixture with a nitrogen content of not less than 77%."

Normal Air is 78% Nitrogen.

That's funny.

The oxygen in the air (~20%)that a tyre has been inflated with eventually permeates or reacts with the rubber of the inside of the tyres carcass, leaving mainly nitrogen behind inside the tyre after a period of time anyway.
Expansion differences between nitrogen and air with temperature change is minimal.
The only real advantage of nitrogen inflation in car tyres that I can see is that it's likely that the nitrogen will be drier than normal compressed air, reducing corrosion of the rims, and that it will not react (oxidise) with the inside of the tyre itself, keeping the carcass more flexible and supple throughout its life.
I think the benefits vs cost would be marginal at best.

If you're driving a BMW you'll need nitrogen from Germany. But seriously folks, I would use nitrogen for tires on a motorcycle that is habitually ridden way over the speed limit. I'd even wear a helmut.

FWIW. Nitrogen is not inert.

makes no noticeable difference.

I have always thought it would be more stable in tires that heat in daytime and cool at night such as they do here in So. Az. where there is such a great day/night temperature spread. I also thought it might be of value in a spare which is rarely in real life checked. I have
no facts to back up this surmise just supposition.

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:
That's funny.

Robert, your avatar is popular. One my friend on autoforum Niva Chevrolet use it too: