Got new tires, but no Nitrogen.

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Originally Posted by Pelican
I thought so too, but my Lexus came with nitrogen and the PSI remained constant for 2 yrs +- 2 psi depending on temperature and never needed to top up.

This spring I put new tires on and now that the weather is cooler I see fluctuations of 2 degrees and the weather isn't cold yet. One should lose 1 psi every 6 degrees centigrade. I think I'm going back to nitrogen.


According to the Ideal gas law, nitrogen and air expand and contract with temperature virtually identically. So, your observation is somehow in error.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
the nitrogen seemed to help seal the tires
How exactly does it do that?


I was told it seals the pores in the rubber and lessens pressure loss. It solved my problem then, that's all I can say.
I was happy to have it and not have to spend so much time finding air pumps and checking my tire pressure.
 
Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
I bought a set of 4 new Nankang NS20s and the guy at the new local tore store told me he doesn't think I need nitrogen in them. I used to run nitrogen. I used to seem to have tires that needed be be topped off with air every 1-2 months and the nitrogen seemed to help seal the tires and lessen my need to top them off so often. These tires have been on for 6 or 7 weeks and I don't think I've lost one pound yet.

Thanks to this place I saved $100 on these tires and will spare myself of the $25 for nitrogen.
As long as they hold their pressure, I'm fine with dry compressed air.



There are so many more important things to be concerned about when maintaining your car, other than if you have nitrogen in the tires or not. Air molecules escape from tires. Although at a reduced rate, nitrogen molecules escape from tires. You should be checking tire pressure on your tires regularly, regardless of whether they are filled with air or nitrogen. If you find your air filled tires are low, you can pump them up with your air compressor, or at any gas station that have air. When your tires that are filled with nitrogen get low, you can also fill them up anywhere. Unless you are OCD over the subject, and worry that the small amount of oxygen you just pumped into your tires is going to throw the entire balance of the ecosystem into chaos.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
the nitrogen seemed to help seal the tires
How exactly does it do that?

with magic nitrogen sealant

the only place to benefit is from places that hit like in the negative temperatures might end up with 4 vacuumed sealed tires when you wake up
 
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the tire shop` I've been going to for the last 30 years never did have nitrogen..the owner thought it was a scam he said that since the nitrogen in tires thing came out he had maybe 2 people ask about it
 
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….I was happy to have it and not have to spend so much time finding air pumps and checking my tire pressure.....
Strokes for folks I suppose. Imo, having an air pump of some sort an integral part of car ownership and maintenance. And it doesn't need to be an expensive one. Same goes for occasionally checking tire pressure.

And if one is really lazy and cheap (no air pump), Discount Tire provides drive up air pressure checks and fill, FOC for all.

Nitrogen is one those things the quote often attributed to PT Barnum would be referencing. In fact, imo that quote should be on a sign for all customers to read as they pay for nitrogen fill.
 
Originally Posted by splinter
Yeah those sexy green caps notify other motoring enthusiasts that guy didn't do too well in chemistry courses.


lol.gif
 
I have this amazing thing called a tire pressure gauge. And my cars even tell me what the tire pressure is right on the dash. If it drops a few PSI, I add some air. Maybe every other month or so I have to add a few PSI. For ME, nitrogen and "any" benefit of it, would be a total scam, waste of money, waste of time. Call me old fashioned.
 
Originally Posted by Sayjac
Strokes for folks I suppose. Imo, having an air pump of some sort an integral part of car ownership and maintenance. And it doesn't need to be an expensive one. Same goes for occasionally checking tire pressure.

And if one is really lazy and cheap (no air pump), Discount Tire provides drive up air pressure checks and fill, FOC for all.

Nitrogen is one those things the quote often attributed to PT Barnum would be referencing. In fact, imo that quote should be on a sign for all customers to read as they pay for nitrogen fill.


The place I bought my new tires at will check my PSI and top them off just about as often as I'd want them to, FYI. Most tire stores offer this to new tire buyers for the life of the tires, and in the case of my last car, I owned it for over 10 years with the same Hankook tires and put 40,000 miles on them in 10 yrs. They were rated at 40k IIRR.

I was never sorry I spent $25 for the nitrogen in the Hankook tires and not once in 10 years did I get on my knees to check the PSI.
I can tell by looking at them if they need more PSI and if not, by the way they feel on the road.
The guy at the new tire store talked me out of getting nitrogen in these tires and like I said, my PSI is holding up well and that's all that matters to me.

Why is it here that seasoned members like you insult others?

"Strokes for folks I suppose", then referencing PT Barnum sends mixed signals from you.

So what if someone wants to spend $25 for nitrogen if they think it helps? Do they deserve to be insulted?
All of your helpful and well meaning replies are not worth dealing with the occasional insult thrown in.
You didn't have to end your otherwise helpful comments by insulting me.
If some of you cannot speak your opinion without insulting others, you shouldn't reply to others in the first place.
That's why I'm going to ignore your comments from now on.
 
Originally Posted by splinter
Yeah those sexy green caps notify other motoring enthusiasts that guy didn't do too well in chemistry courses.


I never even took chemistry and I wouldn't need to take chemistry to notice the benefits I got when I ran nitrogen in my tires. The tires lasted me 10 years and about 40,000 miles. I'd say I did well with them. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
 
Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
Why is it here that seasoned members like you insult others?


Some* like to talk down on others and act as if they're always right. But like others have said, if you don't have a vacuum to pull out everything in the tire first, the Nitrogen won't help. It's the moisture that expands/contracts with temperature (although O2 does too, just not as much.)
 
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No mixed signals. Strokes for folks , 'I suppose'. The latter two words being operative. As in 'to each thier own however I don't have to agree'. And obviously I don't. So no mixed signals, rather option left open for another opinion which was then expressed. An opinion with basis as shown in member CB posted with links this thread.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...ot-new-tires-but-no-nitrogen#Post5225791

It should be noted, my first comment 'on topic' says, right call made.
 
I shouldn't care what people put in their tires, or what pressure, but no matter how you slice it Oxygen, and water will NEVER be better than N2. Although not much of a difference, N2 is still better, especially if it's free. I have a N2 generator, but I still have to pay money just to produce dry compressed air too.
Did anyone read the article posted earlier?
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cb3d/83c8f72cfd80ca72bf9fcebe2656782baa4a.pdf
 
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The linked article* by sub forum regular CapriRacer covers the many aspects of N vs air fill in his findings. It's fairly technical in places, however the bottom line findings, easily read.

www.barrystiretech.com/nitrogeninflation.html

Tire Rack and Discount Tire both reached similar conclusions. DT says, "Rather than spending extra money to have your tires serviced with nitrogen, we recommend using regular air and checking your tire air pressure once a month." They also note the need purge tires several times before a level of N reached to achieve any benefits.

TR says, "Rather than pay extra for nitrogen, most drivers would be better off buying an accurate tire pressure gauge and checking and adjusting their tire pressures regularly."
 
I took the guy's advice and am running dry air and not N2. He saved me about $100 on the set of 4 Nankang NS20s and I'm pleased with it.

If they ever seem to need topping off more often, I'll ask him what can be done about it but I have a feeling this will not happen with this car and these wheels.
why it seemed to happen before I do not now. It's been 6 or 7 weeks and my tires are still nice and solid.
Perhaps I'll check the PSI more often now and will try running 38-40 PSI as others here have mentioned.
Thanks for all of your replies.
 
It can make a HUGE difference if people would seek out really dry compressed air, instead of just using a cheap little compressor that condenses a lot of water. The humidity/moisture level can reach 100%, and shooting water into the tire. A high pressure compressed air system with a dryer can get the humidity down to 5%. N2 is zero to start with though.
If I didn't use N2 I would at least try and find a shop with really dry compressed air, which are hard to find. I've check mine with a psychrometer which measures humidity/dew point/temperature, and it's 5% humidity.
 
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What would the humidity do?
Does it damage the wheels and create PSI loss?

My Fiesta has alloy wheels.
 
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