Nitrogem

Splatt

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Our local garage , a well respected and long established engineering establishment offer to fill your tyres with Nitrogen. They state that this will give longer tyre wear and improve miles per gallon.
Now two things puzzle me, first air is 78% nitrogen anyway and I am puzzled how taking the oxygen and co2 out makes any difference, secondly if it does make a difference why are the car manufacturers who are wringing every small MPG improvement they can find, not telling us to do this ?
The thing is it`s in black and white on the glossy flyer just posted to me.
 

100%Bitch

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Isn't it supposed to be more temperature stable than air?
 
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roadhog

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Don't believe everything you read on glossy flyers. Filling your tyres with Nitrogen won't make any difference you or any other mere mortal will be able to notice. I have access to it through work and some years ago tried it. It doesn't do any harm but that's about it.
Race teams use it as it gives a more predictable behaviour with changing temperatures but it's only when you go to those sort of extremes that it will have any benefits.
Out of interest, how much are they charging for this little scam? :)
 

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I have never been able to notice any difference from the driving point of view
 

merc7

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It is a gimmick ,N2 used on large jets tyres as precaution/ does not sustain fire( no oxygen)
 

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It is a gimmick ,N2 used on large jets tyres as precaution/ does not sustain fire( no oxygen)

On military aircraft too.
 

bigasotonuk

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The new(ish) super fandango Honda has its tyres filled with nitrogen when you buy it new. Its the one that Clarkson raced across Japan in an effort to beat MaY and Hamster who were using Japanese public transport.
If you feel tyre pressures can have a significant effect on fuel consumption Nitrogen filled tyres elleviates any tyre pressure variance with temperature, as air filled tyres can vary quite dramatically with temperature.
 

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Nitrogen is used in aircraft tyres because it is inert.Aircraft brakes get very hot and can catch fire in extreme situations,eg an aborted takeoff.
So any gas that has O2 in it is not adviseable.
As for car tyres I think someone is taking the pi$$.
 

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Nitrogen is used in aircraft tyres because it is inert.Aircraft brakes get very hot and can catch fire in extreme situations,eg an aborted takeoff.
So any gas that has O2 in it is not adviseable

The only flaw with that argument is that tyres contain very little gas. Whereas they are surrounded at all times, when landing, by air. Which contains lots of oxygen...

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk
 

roadhog

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There's no flaw in coxhog's post, that really is the reason why Nitrogen is used in aircraft tyres. Consider that those tyres run at a much higher pressure than your car tyres, typically something like 100 - 200 psi, you wouldn't want that lot feeding a fire with Oxygen. Nitrogen simply reduces the fire risk, not much you can do about the air surrounding the tyres though.
 

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The new(ish) super fandango Honda has its tyres filled with nitrogen when you buy it new. Its the one that Clarkson raced across Japan in an effort to beat MaY and Hamster who were using Japanese public transport.

That would be the Nissan Skyline, but Costco fill new tyres with nitrogen too I believe.

Russ
 

brandwooddixon

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Pressure stability is the main reason, so in theory your tyres would remain at a more efficient pressure for longer.

I gather that they also maintain their pressure in the long term better due to the lack of oxygen, which I've been told interacts with the graphite content of the tyre.

Other than that the biggest difference is that the nitrogen fill is dry, whereas your standard fill will include water vapour which has the biggest effect on pressure variance.

Unless your someone that feels the need for ceramic brake discs I wouldn't have thought that you'd notice any difference.

As for tyres exploding at altitude on jets, think again, after all even in a vacuum that's only an extra 15psi trying to expand the tyre. Water vapour freezing within the tyre and remaining so would definitely cause problems.
 

jberks

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it seems to be on offer everywhere. I normally refuse.
The only convincing argument I've heard is that as there is no moisture or oxygen the inside of your rims can't corrode.
I've also been told that as the molecules are larger, there is less potential for slow leaks. That one sounds like cobblers to me. If the leak is down to a molecular level, I'm in trouble anyway.

As for pressure increases. 100 miles at 80mph may increase the pressures by at most 1-2psi I'd imagine. Now take into account that at load/speed you are supposed to increase your pressures slightly but most of us do a mix of driving so set our pressures at a compromise level, and a bit of an increase under load/speed is actually a good thing!

I refuse as I like to play with the pressures to adjust for wear, so paying for nitrogen then plugging my air compressor onto a nitrogen filled tyre is counter productive.
 
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S80

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So do they also mount the tyres to the rims by remote-control in a nitrogen-filled workshop - having first baked all components to drive off any residual moisture?

Or are the tyres fitted, then evacuated with a vacuum pump before filling with nitrogen?
 

Alex M Grieve

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So do they also mount the tyres to the rims by remote-control in a nitrogen-filled workshop - having first baked all components to drive off any residual moisture?

Or are the tyres fitted, then evacuated with a vacuum pump before filling with nitrogen?

If you have met a typical selection of the technicians involved, I think you will already know the answer to your question!? :rolleyes:
 

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Is not it the heat build up , rather than the speed, speed alone cannot increase the pressure
 

jberks

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Is not it the heat build up , rather than the speed, speed alone cannot increase the pressure

I was thinking of heat build up from speed in terms of friction. They are generally a bit warmer after a long run. I assume that ambient temperature wouldn't make any difference if the air temp inside the tyre is the same as the air outside, hence the pressure difference will remain unchanged.
 

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I was thinking of heat build up from speed in terms of friction. They are generally a bit warmer after a long run. I assume that ambient temperature wouldn't make any difference if the air temp inside the tyre is the same as the air outside, hence the pressure difference will remain unchanged.

Yes this is the case and friction,, just feel a under inflated tyre that has been on a fast run.
 

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