But do tires retain their inflation better with nitrogen than with regular air? How We Tested Air Loss Consumer Reports conducted a 12-month study at our Auto Test Center using 31 tire...
Nitrogen-filled tires lost an average of 2.2 psi from the initial setting. Nitrogen won the test but not by a significant margin. Improved fuel economy: The Environmental Protection Agency...
For normal everyday consumer tire service applications, nitrogen tire inflation is not required. However, nitrogen tire inflation does not harm tires and may marginally contribute to reductions in tire inflation loss by permeation. Nevertheless, nitrogen will not prevent any tire inflation loss caused by punctures, tire/rim interface (bead ...
These fluctuations can lead to over-inflation, which expedites pressure loss. According to the study, pure nitrogen-filled tires do not respond as much to temperature fluctuations. That means...
Nitrogen tire inflation can be expensive and high maintenance, but increase gas mileage and tire life, among other advantages. Nitrogen tire inflation is becoming common practice. Using nitrogen rather than air has advantages and disadvantages. This is not a new idea.
The importance of checking tire pressure regularly. To emphasize the point once more, check your tire inflation pressure regularly. If the pressure is below the manufacturer recommendation, the tire must be inflated again – either with air or, if you so choose, with nitrogen – to the proper inflation pressure.
For tire inflation purposes, the nitrogen offered by some tire dealers is typically around 99 percent pure nitrogen. One perceived benefit of using nitrogen in your tires is that nitrogen should theoretically lead to more consistent tire inflation pressure over time, as nitrogen is slower to escape between the tire's structure than oxygen.
Fact: Tires filled with nitrogen maintain inflation pressure longer than compressed air-filled tires in fluctuating temperatures. This is why nitrogen is used to fill airplane tires, as temperatures can change dramatically between takeoff and landing.
Bridgestone does not prefer oxygen or nitrogen—both are acceptable gases for tire inflation. Both air and nitrogen respond similarly to The Ideal Gas Law, which says temperature and pressure are ...
Nitrogen benefits. As you can see in this diagram, nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules. Theoretically, this makes it less likely to escape through the semipermeable tire liner. This means that the tire should lose less pressure over the same time interval as regular air.