New question for you folks. I had heard that Nitrogen filled tires will help improve MPG. Has anyone else heard that? And does anyone have nitrogen filled tires? And have you seen any improvement? thanks Bob V.
I'm no chemist but given that plain old regular air is 78% nitrogen, this seems like a big fat ripoff for those who pay $5-10 and sometimes more per tire to me. I bought a new car about a year ago. It came with green valve stem caps. I asked the dealer to take them off as I didn't like the idea of being seen as falling for a scam. Anyway, to each his own, but I really doubt that there are any advantages to keeping your tires properly inflated with nitrogen compared to free regular air.
Well the Nitrogen keeps a more stabilized air pressure than reg air.. So they say which in effect could lead to a slight increase in mpg.
This is my understanding as well. Proper tire pressure is one of the items always listed by experts as a way to get better mileage.There is no direct gain in MPG, but it could help some because it helps to maintain a constant PSI.
Nitrogen has been shown to maintain a tire pressure longer than air, however that difference is not significant especially in comparison to the added cost and/or special actions associated with the N2. The better solution is a regular monitoring of the pressure in the tires and actively maintaining the optimal pressure. You will have the benefits of any improved gas mileage without any increase in cost or special actions to follow.
I bought a new vehicle in 2012 and the tires were filled with nitrogen at the dealer. The MPG is consistent with what was advertised---not better. The only difference I have seen is the tire pressure has not fluctuated.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=191 What are the effects of using pure nitrogen to inflate tires? Nitrogen is a gas and is still affected by changes in ambient temperature (about one psi for every 10° Fahrenheit). Nitrogen filled tires will require pressure be added during the fall/winter months as ambient temperatures and tire pressures drop. Nitrogen is good but can't change the laws of physics. Nitrogen reduces the loss of tire pressure due to permeation through rubber over time by about 1/3. This helps maintain the vehicle's required tire pressures a little longer, but doesn’t eliminate the need for monthly tire pressure checks. This is good for people who don’t maintain their vehicles well. Nitrogen is non-corrosive and will reduce oxidation and rust due to the absence of oxygen and moisture. This will help minimize wheel corrosion to promote better bead sealing. Tires that are used routinely will be replaced long before any life benefit would be received by using Nitrogen. This is most beneficial for drivers who drive their vehicles infrequently (car collectors, track drivers, snow tire users, motor home owners, etc). Nitrogen is a dry gas and will not support moisture that could contribute to corrosion of the tire’s steel components (bead, sidewall reinforcement and belts) due to the absence of moisture over extended periods of time. However it’s important to remember that atmospheric pressure is constantly pushing oxygen and moisture into the rubber from the outside of the tire. This is especially good for low mileage drivers who don't wear out their tires quickly or those that run average annual mileages but use long wearing radial (60K and 80K warranted) tires. Nitrogen assures more consistent pressure increases due to increases in operating temperatures in a racing environment because of the absence of moisture. This is especially good for participants in track days, high-performance drivers education schools and road racing. Drivers should use standard air if pressure adjustments are required when a local source of nitrogen can’t be found during a trip. While this reduces the benefit of higher nitrogen content, it is far better than running the tires underinflated in search of a source. Often the original nitrogen provider will refill the tires for free or a nominal cost when the driver returns to his hometown.
I'm pretty sure any new car you buy nowadays has it. My last 3 Hyundais all had it and when we were at a Kia dealer last week, every car on the lot had it.
After what I read on the board and what I read online I decided it was not worth the extra $ to have my tires filled with nitrogen. I figured it is not going to save on gas mileage to warrant the expense. Thanks everyone for their thoughts on it.
