My service manager is pushing the 'Nitrogen' fill package for my TCH -- for the 1st service.

Claims: a) 1 or 2 mpg improvement.

b) Constant pressure vs temp changes

c) less/or no leackage over time.

As a former sirline pilot, I know the 'goodyears' were all nitrogenated.

Anyone buying this?

 

Claims: a) 1 or 2 mpg improvement.

Get it in writing.

Seriously, just having nitrogen will do that??? OR is he refering to overinflating the tires and then the nitrogen is less affected by temperature change.

Your tire pressure will change by 1+ psig for every 10 degrees up or down from the cold setting.

I don't see nitrogen leaking less than air (a large %'age is N2), again perhaps he's talking about the pressures from temp change?

Then again I'm no expert on this and he is a "service manager".

 

It depends. If you are the kind of person who rarely checks tire pressure, then Nitrogen filled tires lose air pressure more slowly than with regular air and should result in your tires being less likely to be under-inflated. That seems to be the main advantage because under-inflation is the biggest no-no for: tire wear; MPG efficiency; and road failure.

If on the other hand, you check your pressure regularly, then the advantage mostly disappears. And at $8 to $10 per tire, that is an expensive cost. Especially every time your tire does lose pressure(may take longer) you will have to go to the trouble to top off with Nitrogen. Will your Nitrogen vendor top off for free?

Other supposed advantages: no oxidation of the interior tire walls; cooler running; etc. is pure hype.

Here is an article that makes the claims for nitrogen:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/news/nationa...tro-tires.html

 

Costco fills all the tires they sell with nitrogen at no extra cost. Then they put green caps on the valve stems to indicate this. Our two older vehicles have Michelin tires filled with nitrogen. I understand that it's supposed to keep the tires cooler than regular air.
JoAnn
Overeager in Maryland

 

Thanks to all who responded.

We are all learning this new tech.

 

I am one of the skeptics when it comes to the whole nitrogen thing, because normal everyday air contains approx. 78% nitrogen by volume.

 

Not the only skeptic. Air is mostly nitrogen. Both air and pure nitrogen have almost identical expansion (hence pressure change) as a function of temperature. Both have almost identical thermal conductivity. It's hard to see how a difference in leak rate or operating temperature could be achieved this way. The only claim I would have even considered is the internal oxidation one, since there would be a (partial) lack of oxygen, but I don't know how important this is as a degradation mode for modern tires and I doubt if it's a factor.

Now, there COULD be one difference, but it really has nothing to do with it being air vs. nitrogen, but rather how they're made and stored. Typical compressed air has a pretty high moisture level, since it's just pressurized from the surrounding air. Tanks of nitrogen from a typical industrial gas plant are very, very dry (dewpoints well below -50F usually). That difference in moisture content could mean something, but I'd have to see the data on thermal conductivity and expansion coefficients before I'd believe it's significant.

Pure hype without the supporting data, IMHO.

 

Nitrogen-YIKES! What if you had a blowout?!

 

While I understand the theoritical advantages I question their advantages in reality. I have been anl about tire pressure for years and check it regularly and other than when temperatures chaneg outside radically I rarely see a chaneg in pressure, when winter cold hits I notice a slight drop. I run my tires at 36 PSI to account for any variation and slow discharge, but honestly I can go months without adding air. I don't let anyone else check it I do it myself before the car moves on what ever day I checked it. I do miss my TL it had a direct readout TPMS that gave me the exact pressure in each tire an over 8 months I think I added air once.

 

Again.... if all of modern airliners use 'N2' tires -- Has to be an economic and safety reason.