A popular service today is replacing the plain, old air in your tires with pure nitrogen.It has been touted as a means to increase fuel mileage to many consumers, but what are the real benefits?
Why Nitrogen?
Air used to inflate your tires is made up of a number of gases, and moisture.Pure nitrogen, on the other hand, is a dry gas.
The Benefits
One factor that affects tires is heat.Heat causes increased wear and rolling resistance, which adds to fuel usage.But gaining fuel mileage is NOT the main reason for considering the expense of having your tires air replaced with nitrogen.
Nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules, so nitrogen is less likely to permeate through your tire?s rubber inner liner and escape.That means tire pressures remain more constant with less need to check them.The fact is that few car owners routinely check their tire pressures.Underinflated tires run hotter, wear faster, and have a higher rolling resistance than properly inflated tires.
Nitrogen is also less affected by temperature change than air alone, so tires run cooler overall.That means they last longer and that saves you money by requiring replacement less often.
Nitrogen also results in a better ride in many cases, for the same reasons as we?ve already discussed.
Actual fuel mileage change varies significantly from one car to the next.Even so, don?t expect a large increase in fuel use.
Changing Over To Nitrogen
This service is becoming more and more available, especially at facilities that specialize in tire services. One key is to look for a service that includes periodic inspection and addition of nitrogen if pressures get below specification.Many offer this follow-up service at no additional charge. And be sure that the shop is actually using the proper equipment. While it is not possible to replace the air in your tires with 100% pure nitrogen,there have been reports of shops using standard air for inflation and charging for the nitrogen service. Not sure of where to go? See the article on Choosing A Mechanic right here on AutoServiceTech.com!
If you do make the switch, your valve stem caps (where the air goes in on your tires) will be replaced with one of a different color, usually green.This indicates to other techs that your tires have nitrogen, and air should not be added.Even the smallest addition of air will negate the benefits of using nitrogen and should only be added if absolutely necessary.
If your vehicle is equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System that uses sensors in each wheel, you will need to make sure that the original valve stem caps are retained... On many of these systems, the cap is part of the internal transmitter?s antenna, and replacing this with a rubber cap may affect the operation of this system.A plus, however, is that the use of nitrogen removes moisture from inside the tire and helps these sensors last a lot longer.
Now that you have the facts, it?s up to you to decide.Is nitrogen right for you?
