1080iAddict

Well, here is the latest craze in these parts of the world...

In Baltimore, several automotive service shops are starting to fill tires with Nitrogen. These shops use blue valve stem caps to warn drivers and service shops only to re-fill with Nitrogen and not to refill with air.

I did some searching. Here are some of the benefits I found:

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Better air pressure retention. The single biggest reason for tire failure is lack of maintenance of tire pressure. In fact, 54 percent of all vehicles on the road have low tire pressure. Oxygen in compressed air can permeate the tire wall reducing tire pressure. With nitrogen, diffusion is 30 to 40 percent slower than oxygen. As a result, nitrogen maintains tire pressure longer than ambient air.


Enhanced fuel economy. Maintaining tire pressure can boost fuel economy by as much as 6 percent. Nitrogen disperses heat more quickly than ambient air. By restraining the heat in the tire and reducing rolling resistance, you get better fuel economy.


Longer tread life. With quicker heat dispersion, you get a cooler running tire which helps extend tread life and reduce tire failure. Nitrogen also prevents oxidation which can not only lead to tread separation and belt failure but, when combined with moisture, corrode rims. In fact, moisture can result in rust flakes that can fall into the valve stem, block the valve and cause under-pressurization. It can even cause the valve stem itself to rust.


Slow chemical aging. Filling a tire with nitrogen also significantly slows the chemical aging process of the tire's rubber components. This leads to fewer catastrophic failures like blowouts. Slower aging lengthens tire core life, which yields extra retreads and lower fleet costs.

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I am curious how nitrogen filled tires will affect the TPMS in my 997. There is a temperature / pressure calculation used by TPMS for real time readings and air and ntrogen characteristics are not exactly equal. Does this affect temperature? Also, it seems to me that filling with nitrogen will be a pain in the **** because few places have the tanks so far - I am **** and I like my air compressor when I need a pound or two. I am insane, but not yet insane enough that I am installing nitrogen feeder tanks in my garage (well, not this year ). Besides, Porsche does not make blue valve stem caps I can add as a mod - - not yet at least.

But it is a craze now. Any of you folks tempted to try it?

jhunt@huntinter

Not really considering normal air is 80% nitrogen already.

SrfCity

Interesting. They're full of hot air then

gota911

How about filling your tires with helium? It could make the car lighter, and you would really "float" through the corners!

JFScheck

We used Nitro in the tires while I was in the Navy... For auto's it sounds a little over kill. Just fill with water free air and all should be good!

texas911

My local Costco does it for free. 100% pure Nitrogen is the way to go.

VikDiddy

Do you have to purchase your tires from them?

texas911

No, but you have to be a member.

Leader

jhunt is correct. With "air" being 78% Nitrogen to begin with, upping it to 100% for your tires is at best a gimmick, and at worst a major inconvenience when it comes time to "top 'em off a little."

Low profile tires (such as those on 997s) should hold pressure quite well, if the tires have been properly mounted on the rims...and if the air used to inflate them was moisture free.

Still waiting...

Riad

I filled my tires with Hydrogen, oh the humanity.

1080iAddict

Be careful! I seem to remember that the last German machine that was filled with Hydrogen developed a critical mechanical problem!!

OCBen

Ah yes, the mighty Hindenburg.

http://www.vidicom-tv.com/tohiburg.htm

"The 'infallible' German engineers had designed a flying bomb just waiting to explode."

Just don't let Al Qaida get wind of this or they'll try to hijack a Goodyear Blimp.

bhensarl

Many, if not most, long-haul truck tires are filled with nitrogen. As noted above, the benefits of filling tires with Nitrogen are significant, but only depending upon the use of the auto. Nitrogen filled tires are certainly not a "gimmick" or a "waste of money", although the relative merits of nitrogen vs. normal compressed air certainly depend heavily on they type of use the tires will see. Is it cost effective or worth the extra effort for a normal, daily driven car? That's up to you.
Brian

Marv

Better air retention: You should be routinely checking tire pressure anyway.

Enhanced Fuel Economy: You bought a 997 and worry about fuel economy?

Longer Tread Life: On a 911? Nothing scrubs rubber off a tire faster than a 997, except maybe my 993. Rust? Did you get the steel wheel option for your car?

I can't get a year's driving out of my tires 6-8K miles. Nitrogen will have no significant effect.

Slow chemical aging: If your tires ever show signs of dry rotting it is because you are not driving your car. Again, your normal tread wear will exhaust the tires long before oxidation even begins to set up camp.


Now I suspect that you are not driving your car enough. How else do you find time for these activities?

OCBen

I believe he was directly quoting a source and just failed to cite proper attribution for the referenced source.