Nitrogen vs. Air in tires

I recently learned my ES-350 has Nitrogen in the tires. Is this a dealer service or is this a factory installed product? I'm told that Nitrogen eliminates tire pressure fluctuations and adds to tire life by reducing the amount of moisture caused by condensation due to temperature differential. Any comments pro or con? Many thank.

Alan

Reply to
AlanW
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Molecular nitrogen is inert. So, it may prevent unnecessary chemical reaction inside the tires. However, its pressure and temperature can be easily changed. I don't see any benefit of using nitrogen in the tires.

Reply to
KlausK

The nitrogen is not a factory installed product, so it was probably installed by the dealer or a tire shop.

Nitrogen is used in applications where tire temperature control is important like in some aircraft and race tires.

Nitrogen offers several theoretical advantages but on a practical level, its benefits are going to be difficult to measure. The disadvantages to using nitrogen are the added cost of installing it and the lack of nitrogen filling stations.

Reply to
Ray O

Graybeard

Reply to
Graybeard

Tires filled with nitrogen generally have green valve stem covers.

Reply to
Ray O

For a car, there is no advantage in filling the tires with nitrogen. Here are the differences...

  1. When you fill with nitrogen, it has been liquified and hence is dry

-- when you fill from a garage air pump, it it is merely normal air that has been compressed. So there will be less water vapor in the nitrogen, but that is inconsequential in auto tires. In aircraft, there is a MUCH greater temperature variation, and eliminating condensation is a benefit there -- you don't want ice to imbalance the tire when it spins up on landing.

  1. Nitrogen will leak a little more slowly through the tire sidewalls, but the difference is again negligible for automotive applications.

  1. The other reason it is used in aircraft tires is that it is inert, and will not react with the tires. Aircraft tires get much hotter than car tires, and they will last longer with nitrogen than air. They are also much more expensive realtive to the cost of nitrogen, so the economics makes sense there, but not for a car.

Reply to
Jay Somerset

The Valve Caps were a bright blue. I asked the dealer at my first service and was told the tires were filled with Nitrogen. He also told me I could add air if needed.

Alan

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Reply to
AlanW

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