[wireless]

Has anyone used Nitrogen in their tires? My dealer told me it's included in the add on's from dealer. I heard about nitrogen giving better mileage and better performace, but wanted to ask here.

 

[ggccg]

Has anyone used Nitrogen in their tires? My dealer told me it's included in the add on's from dealer. I heard about nitrogen giving better mileage and better performace, but wanted to ask here.

I have always used a mixture of 78% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen and a smathering of other gasses. Works great. It's called AIR.

 

[MRSSKY]

..............hehe........funny!

 

[IndySkys]

From an article by James Burchill

Here are a few benefits of using Nitrogen in tires:

[1] Nitrogen is denser than Oxygen: This means the larger molecules escape less easily from tires resulting in a more gradual loss of pressure over time. According to the Michelin Tire Manual, a tire that is inflated with Nitrogen loses its pressure 3 times slower than if it were inflated with air.

[2] Nitrogen is moisture free: Pure Nitrogen inflated tires experience less steel belt and rubber degradation. Nitrogen use also reduces valve and wheel corrosion.

[3] Nitrogen provides longer tire life: Nitrogen inflated tire run cooler and require less maintenance according to the Goodyear application bulletin.

[4] Nitrogen is non-flammable: Nitrogen technology has been used in aircraft, military and race car technology for over thirty years.

 

[ggccg]

Here are comments from automotive, aerospace, industrial, etc. engineers on the topic: http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=120996&page=1

 

[KappaMan]

http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20595&highlight=nitrogen

http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18795&highlight=nitrogen

http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15002

Pretty much hype. Undetectable. Come september 15 or so, I'll be posting what I found out with my experiences (haven't checked my tire pressures yet, but filled with Nitrogen around mid-july and haven't touched them since).

So far, I'm getting the same mileage I always have - right around 15 with the normal driving I do.

 

[wireless]

Thanks for the update!

Sounds like Nitrogen is the way to go for Skys, being its a roadster-n-all. My dealer said Nitrogen filled tires, mop&glo protection pkg are required dealer add on and would cost an additional $600. I find it difficult to believe filling tires with nitrogen, good coat of wax and rain-x on windshield would cost this much. Sales person said if I wanted the car the add-on and $295 paperwork fee are required. And guess what?, I had to pay the additional $1000 price increase. Go figure!!!

 

[Rick Tinley Park]

OK -- let me get this straight.

I'm gonna PAY to have Nitrogen (which is almost 80% what I breathe) put into my tires, so that while it may make stops to refill my tires less frequent, I can't use the air pump in my SKY when I get a flat and when I need air in my tires I get to pay them again...

No thanks

 

[DARZSKY]

What will they think of next????? How about a little helium so it'll seem like we're floating instead of driving????

 

[ggccg]

There is probably a good business reason why Costco uses Nitrogen to inflate their tires that has nothing to do with it being good for the tires or giving better gas mileage (a very specius claim). I bet that they save a pile of money every year by not having to insure against the risk of an exploding air compressor in every store.

 

[vstar]

I think Costco puts Nitrogen in when you purchase tires

 

[Pitcom]

I fill my work truck tires with nitrogen since i always have a tank in my truck.

 

[Inwo]

If your tires have been filled with air previously then all the benefits of nitrogen go out the window because moisture has already been introduced. If you buy them new and they're filled right from the start with nitrogen then yea there are some benefits.

 

[JohnWR]

Using nitrogen in tires comes from racing tech, where it does have benefits, primarily with racing tires. Racing tires are very sensitive to heat, and the heat that a tire develops across its surface is very sensitive to tire pressure. One psi is a lot of error in a racing application. Because nitrogen is dry, it gives the tire a smaller, and more predictable pressure change with changing temperature, which makes it easier to optimize the performance of the tire. The nitrogen is also always the same, wheras the moisture content of air changes from day to day, and throughout the day.

Nitrogen is generally considered to be overkill for street applications. Granted, the lower moisture will prevent, or at least inhibit, internal corrosion, etc, but who has ever had a tire rust, or rot, from the inside ? I haven't, and no one I know has.

If your tires were filled with nitrogen, you can still use air, but you will reduce the original benefits by introducing some moisture. Likewise, if you refill an air-filled tire with nitrogen, you will be decreasing the relative amount of moisture in the tire. Both changes are proportional to the relative amounts of nitrogen and air in the tire, and, of course, to the relative humidity of the air with which the tire was filled. Arizona and Florida will see different results.