Auto Maintenance: Benefits of Keeping the Car in Shape

Tire Shop Or Chemistry Lab: Why Tire Shops Are Offering Nitrogen

12 January 2015 by Brent Porter

In recent years, nitrogen has gained popularity among the consumer market for tire maintenance, but its use isn't as new as you might think. Nitrogen has been used for many years in the racing circuits, airlines, and some scientific applications. If you've been wondering if it's worth having your tires swapped from traditional compressed air to nitrogen, here's a look at some of the benefits of the conversion.

More Consistent Tire Pressure

Proper air pressure is an important part of your car's handling and tire wear. Since tires naturally seep a small amount of air, the pressure isn't always consistent. Nitrogen's a denser gas, which makes it harder for its larger molecules to seep from the small pores. This leads to much slower pressure loss, allowing you to maintain tire pressure more consistently for longer periods of time.

Drier Rims and Tires

When you compress air, some of it creates condensation and water. That moisture will sit inside your tire and wheel, and it may cause oxidation on your rims. Over time, this oxidation can lead to tire failure. Nitrogen doesn't produce water when it's compressed, eliminating this as a concern.

Balanced Tire Temperature

Tires filled with nitrogen typically run cooler than air-filled tires, because nitrogen disperses heat more effectively than air. This can extend the life of your tires, which are constantly experiencing a heating and cooling cycle from friction and use.

Improved Fuel Economy

Since nitrogen produces more consistent pressure and balanced wear, it can improve your car's fuel economy. The balance of tire pressure keeps rolling resistance at a minimum, so there's less drag on the tires. And, since the nitrogen doesn't heat up as much as air, the tires won't soften as much under the heat. Softer tires produce more drag on the road, which can also burn more fuel.

The Freedom to Mix It Up

If your nitrogen-filled tire is a little bit low, you'll need to be able to fill it up. Since nitrogen exists naturally in the air, it can coexist with air in any environment. This means that if you need to top off a tire and there's no nitrogen station nearby, you can use compressed air if you need to. You'll reduce the benefits of the nitrogen by introducing air, but if you use it as a temporary solution, your tire shop can purge the air and replace it later.

As you can see, nitrogen has many beneficial qualities. If you've been wondering about all the hype, the information here can help you see why many people are making the switch. Talk to your tire shop, one like Down East Tire & Service LLC, about whether nitrogen is a good investment for your car.

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