Jump to content

Nitrogen filled tires????? I call BS


sw6416

Recommended Posts

I noticed today on my wifes almost new car purchased with just of 1k miles it has green valve stems. I also noticed while browsing around the showroom while finishing our deal (which was a Nissan dealer) a few of the cars have a dealer add on on the sticker for $99.99 for nitrogen filled tires! I understand that pressures may not vary as much or have less bleed out but $99.99 ????? GET REAL !!! this has to be another deal myth to inflate the bottom line right? like how DOC fees have gone from $49 to $499 in the past 10 years to go towards what is descrided as clerical fees..... once again BS. Its a way to make more money on what I bet isnt even shared by percentage with a commision based sales person, like a DOC fee! Sorry for the rant but I think its a total rip off, whats next a dollar a pound at the dealer to inflate my tires to propper PSI when getting a service? Btw speaking of what happens when I have to add PSI can I add regular air? or deflate and fill with all air? and isnt regular air filled with nitrogen in the first place?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Air is 78% nitrogen, the nitrogen that they fill tires with is almost always 95% nitrogen. The benefit is from reduced oxygen not increased nitrogen. You can mix them, I think ford did a test that showed 93% nitrogen had all of the benefits of higher concentrations. Some people buy into it, I have had it, did not really make a difference in a car driven on the road. If you had a car on a race track where the tires get hot then it would be the better choice for keeping tires pressures from going to much past their cold value.

 

Interestingly enough nascar pit crew use nitrogen in their air guns to supposedly avoid the guns running at slightly different speeds in different temps and humidity. Formula 1 teams used helium for a few years as the guns span slightly faster with that than nitrogen but it was banned as a cost cutting measure this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen a few with the green caps... I don't think the small change in pressure due to temp change makes near as much of a difference as the change in the tire rubber compound itself at extreme hot or cold temps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The individual gas constant for N2 is actually larger than for DRY air so this indicates that the pressure of N2 actually changes more with temperature than for dry air. Dry is the key word here. If there is a chemist onboard, correct me if wrong and explain.

 

N2 in street tires is just a money maker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If someone would pay $100 for low, low grade nitrogen in their tires then I'll start charging for filling tires with high purity helium! It will increase MPG because helium is lighter and will therefore reduce unsprung weight which also will improve handling! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info. Funny when my dad bought his dodge I dont think he had a choice it came with it and he was probely charge for it . When i got my winter tires at costco I did not remember asking for it but I got it . Have the green valve stems was prob put in hidden costs and does not show up on the bill as a separate item .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some places do it for free with new tires. There is no overhead beyond the nitrogen generator machine, it's a profit generator.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The truck came with nitrogen. I had a blow out on the road and the tire shop that replaced it didn't have nitrogen. Now this was summer time, 95+ degrees towing the trailer. I watched PSI, nitrogen tires went up by 2-3 psi on the road, air tire went up 4-5. After tire rotations, I lost track of which was air, which was nitrogen, I don't notice any difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The individual gas constant for N2 is actually larger than for DRY air so this indicates that the pressure of N2 actually changes more with temperature than for dry air. Dry is the key word here. If there is a chemist onboard, correct me if wrong and explain.

 

N2 in street tires is just a money maker.

 

 

Not a chemist, but, the main advantage to nitrogen is having the ability to predict tire pressure accuretely. It is the water that is in regular compressed air that causes pressures to be unstable or unpredictable. Any time a company can put something green on a product, they will jump at it to appeas the tree huggers. There is no relation between nitrogen and conservation, but, put that green valve cap on and people will think they are doing less damage to the planet. They must figure tire companies and auto manufactors have some special area in the world that they can get the nitrogen from, maybe a nitrogen tree?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dude what on earth are you talking about? The green stem caps are just green to indicate the tire has N2 in it, not because it's a "green" thing to do.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.