Selling Nitrogen In Tires - Is It All A Lot Of Hot Air?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Keithnteri @ Jun 5 2007, 01:12 PM) [snapback]455777[/snapback]</div>

Not quite true.

Nitrogen is a gas and therefore behaves just like any other gas. Heat excites the gas molecules which causes an increase in volume. If the volume is held constant (as it is in a tire), then the pressure will increase. For more on this, see Boyle's law, Charles's Law, and Gay-Lussac's Law which together form the combined gas law.

So, while the use of nitrogen will not eliminate changes in pressure, it does minimize them. However, as previously mentioned, this is much ado about nothing unless you are driving on a track at 200 MPH.

 

I think we could probably recycle bubble wrap as a tire filler. This all sounds like b.s. to me. The effort and expense involved offers little benefit to the driver and lots of benefit to the folks selling nitrogen.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Angel Flight Pilot @ Jun 5 2007, 02:45 PM) [snapback]455870[/snapback]</div>

Can we get that bubble wrap filled with nitrogen?

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Jun 5 2007, 06:39 AM) [snapback]455623[/snapback]</div>

Yeah... CA only, I'm afraid. No reason to install there in areas with no EVs! It'll happen. Just not right now.

 

......then one could use snake oil and do oil changes every 30000 miles

 

I can't believe this thread is still going...

Nitrogen is great. It won't do anything for a normal car with a normal driver to improve anything, but it does work great at the drag strip to minimize pressure fluctuations due to heat. On a regular car there is no viable payback, usually tires wear out before they degrade, they gave an outside as well as an inside, and most people, believe it or not, use the pressure gauge at the gas station or tire shop to determine their tire pressure. As such, gauges are only accurate to themselves, and the 42 pounds you may have requested be put into your front tires may read 40 pounds down the road, or 44 pounds, or whatever.

If you like to futz around with nitrogen be my guest. It won't hurt anything and if you feel good about it then congratulations and have a good time.

 

Tire pressure sensors measure pressure. Oxygen or Nitrogen will make no difference. Your post makes sense to me. We don't have a Costo nearby (Maine) but when I visit other states I often go and find someone nice to allow me to use their card. The closest thing we have is a Sam's Club and I think costo is generally much nicer.