Never had done the Nitro full before. The tires supposedly were bled and filled w/ Nitro at purchase / pick up. I’m told that the pressure drop when going from hot to cold weather is less w/ Nitro filled tires. Now that the weathers changed, I can’t remember what “normal” is. Right before the weather change, I checked and adjusted all tires including spare to 36-7, cold. Now that the weather has changed, they are reading 32. I was expecting less of a change. I’m now wondering if this is acceptable drop for nitro filled tires?? Can anyone with experience on nitro filled tires let me know what’s a normal drop when going from summer to winter weather ?
Nitro Air Fill (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ToyotaTrk
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Air is 78% nitrogen. Filling tires with nitrogen is a scam. Just go to the nearest gas station and use their air hose to pump up your tires.
Hippy air.
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
It’s a waste of money with TPMS and with a clean air source.
Nitrogen’s only benefit is that is speaks out of the tire’s compounds a little slower and that you won’t get any water in your tires from poorly maintained air compressors.
That said, as a guy who has a large tank of nitrogen always on hand. And has done extensive testing with this (because it didn’t cost me anything)...
You will not see a bit of real improvement in any way with running 100% nitrogen. Fuel economy, tire heat, wear... save your money for something that helps.
Nitrogen’s only benefit is that is speaks out of the tire’s compounds a little slower and that you won’t get any water in your tires from poorly maintained air compressors.
That said, as a guy who has a large tank of nitrogen always on hand. And has done extensive testing with this (because it didn’t cost me anything)...
You will not see a bit of real improvement in any way with running 100% nitrogen. Fuel economy, tire heat, wear... save your money for something that helps.
- Thread starter
- #5
I didn’t pay for it, directly anyhow. Don’t really believe in it. Just asking out of curiosity how much of a drop in pressure to expect . I’m a glass is 1/2 mty person and I’m zeroing in on the scam part. Seeing as there no inexpensive way to verify a nitro fill, I had asked re: the pressure drop to the dealer and they said about 0. But, seeing as my spare was never done, or at least it didn’t have the nitro valve cap, I’m thinking all they did was give me the caps and say I’m in the nitro club.
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
From my testing, temperature was the same from cold to hot.
The larger nitrogen molecule is slightly less apt to leak through the tire (it is permeable after all) and nitrogen does not have quite oxygen's affinity for water and it is less affected by temperature change. All that said, I vote for regularly measuring/setting pressures as a good habit. The leak down on some tires (e.g., AVON) is far less than other tires (e.g., Michelin, Toyo, Bridgestone). I think this has to do with rubber compounds but that is merely my guess. Checking tires keeps me involved. A good thing.
Oh, I now see I largely duplicated what Taco2Cruiser said. Not my intention. Apologies.
Oh, I now see I largely duplicated what Taco2Cruiser said. Not my intention. Apologies.
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gaijin
GOLD Star
The ideal gas law applies to Nitrogen or air - both the same:
This means that (dry)air will gain/lose the same amount of pressure in a tire as Nitrogen.
I use Nitrogen (have my own cylinder at home) just because I want to avoid any moisture in the tire - not a big deal for most folks, I know.
You were not scammed per se, just misled about the pressure change with Nitrogen as opposed to air.
Whether one chooses air or Nitrogen, it's still important to regularly check/adjust pressures - especially when seasons change.
HTH
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks - that helps. I guess by them telling me that they would loose less air w/ nitro started it. That, and the fact that they said they did my spare too when they didnt and then lied about it, got me going...... I just dont ever remember having this big a swing between summer and winter pressures. Anyhow, good advise on just check the tires. Tks for the help!!
Markuson
SILVER Star
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
Ugh, sorry, I meant pressure. Tire pressure changes were the same as the tires heated and cooled with both nitrogen and common folk air.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Thought maybe it was some sort of Captain Kirk thing with two universes...where hot and cold are same same temp.
- Thread starter
- #14
Not to beat a dead horse - well, maybe a little — so are you saying that if you have 33lbs in tires during hot months then winter rolls in, the pressure is going to be the same in 20 degree weather?
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
Not beating a dead horse, it’s fun to work through testing of things.
When I was mentioning cold and hot. I was referring to when the tire sat overnight, and then was heated from road driving. Both air and nitrogen went up to the same hot pressure. From 34 up to 38, then back down again (285/75r17 KM2).
But (and this was about a year after the story above)... I did have a whole nitrogen tank that I needed to exchange before it expired, so I filled those tires again from 0 psi up to 34 psi. That was October in west Texas during the day, so around lower 70s. Then drove up to Silverton, CO where it was snowing. When I checked the tires the next morning, I was at 25 psi. Which kinda worked for me, because I was airing down to 15 and going into the alpine loop for some snow wheeling.
That’s where I was completely over nitrogen in auto tires for any real benefit. I do fill my wife’s focus and my daily Jetta with nitrogen, not because it does anything, but because my tank is sooooo much easier to get to than trying to move my 200 around for the air compressor to reach those cars.
Both cars loose around a pound of nitrogen every month or so. Maybe slightly better than air loose.
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