The world of cars is full of fads that come and go. But one of them that has lasted quite a long time is nitrogen-filled tyres. Some say it’s a little over-the-top and unnecessary, while others swear by the benefits it brings. So, is it worth using nitrogen for your tyres?
Yes, filling your car tyres with nitrogen offers plenty of benefits. Nitrogen-filled tyres suffer less pressure loss and rolling resistance, resulting in better fuel efficiency and safety. However, nitrogen costs money and can be hard to find in your location. Plus, you must continually top up with more nitrogen to enjoy the same benefits.
Let’s look more closely whether it’s worth spending extra on nitrogen for your car tyres.
Why Do People Fill Tyres with Nitrogen Instead of Air?
If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance that you’re not entirely familiar with the idea of using nitrogen for air. Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
So, let’s start with the main question here: why use nitrogen for tyres, is it good? Petrol stations in Australia and the rest of the world let you fill up your tyres with air for free. So what’s the big deal about nitrogen?
Well, you’ve heard the sales pitch about nitrogen for tyres, but we’ll be honest about it. There are real benefits in filling your tyres with nitrogen instead of air. Here they are.
- Reduced air loss: Tyres gradually lose the air that’s filled into them. That’s why you find yourself pumping them with air once in a while. Whatever volume of air comes out of tyres in one month, it takes 3 months for the same amount of nitrogen to do the same.
- Reduced rolling resistance: Since nitrogen-filled tyres lose nitrogen at a much lower rate than regular air, they maintain the pressure much longer. That also means rolling resistance is kept to a minimum. Simply put, when your tyre loses pressure, it experiences more resistance in rolling your car forward. Nitrogen delays that from happening.
- Better fuel economy: On the road, what comes with less resistance? That’s right! You also get better fuel economy. Reduced air loss leads to less rolling resistance, which means your engine doesn’t have to work so hard to push your car forward. As a result, it burns less fuel to do its job.
- Improved safety: Your tyres are the contact point between your car and the road. Nitrogen keeps them at the correct pressure for much longer, which means you’ll have maximum traction or grip to keep your car firmly on the ground, even at high speeds and around tight corners.
Of course, when it comes to cars, it’s not all about performance benefits.
With nitrogen-filled tyres, there is some degree of bragging rights to be enjoyed. For instance, some drivers love sporting green-coloured caps on their tyre valve stems to let everyone around know that they’ve gone the extra mile by having nitrogen-filled tyres.
Remember These Numbers about Nitrogen Filled Tyres: 93%-95%
Here’s a fun fact about your plain and regular air-filled tyres: They already have nitrogen in them. That’s right! You’ve been driving around with nitrogen in your tyres all along.
Try to remember what we all learned in science class back in school. Plain air isn’t plain at all, and it doesn’t just contain 100% oxygen. Instead, it’s got a whole mix of different gasses, and nitrogen is one of them.
However, for a tyre to be considered nitrogen-filled and offer all the above benefits, it must contain at least 93% nitrogen and never more than 95%.
Pros & Cons of Using Nitrogen for Tyres
At this point, we’ve already explored the many benefits or pros of using nitrogen in tyres. To recap: Nitrogen in tyres offers reduced air loss and reduced rolling resistance, both of which lead to better fuel efficiency. Plus, they make your tyres and the vehicle safer, and you get to enjoy telling or showing people that you have nitrogen-filled tyres.
But what are the drawbacks or cons of nitrogen-filled tyres? Well, they include:
- Added Cost: Unlike regular air that you get free at the petrol station, nitrogen for tyres cost money. You can expect to pay $5-$10 to fill each tyre with nitrogen in Australia.
- Availability: Another issue is finding a location to fill up nitrogen in the first place. Sadly, depending on where you live, nitrogen pumping options could be scarce. So, it’s no surprise that ‘nitrogen for tyres near me’ is a popular search term online pretty much anywhere in Australia and worldwide.
- Complexity: Even with access to nitrogen, filling up your tyres with it isn't as straightforward as one might imagine. Remember what I said earlier: You must fill the tyre with 93%-95% nitrogen and not more. So, it's not a matter of finding pure nitrogen to transfer to your tyres but making sure they've prepared the correct concentration.
Plus, the tyre must be void of all air before it can be filled with nitrogen to ensure the correct concentration. That could mean bleeding the tyre and refilling it several times unless the workshop has specialised equipment to remove all oxygen first.
And in the automotive world, what does specialised equipment or skills mean? Yeah, it means higher costs overall.
- Maintenance: Besides that, a nitrogen-filled tyre can’t be topped up with regular air. Doing that will lower the nitrogen concentration, removing the benefits that it’s supposed to bring.
Remember: a tyre with less than 93% nitrogen isn’t a nitrogen-filled tyre anymore.
Bottom line, that means ‘maintaining’ your nitrogen-filled tyres requires regular topping up. That might not be a problem at all for some drivers unless there’s only one nitrogen source in town.
Can I Put Air in A Tyre Previously Filled with Nitrogen?
Yes, you can refill a nitrogen-filled tyre with regular air. Doing so will not cause any damage or adverse effects, but it will reduce the concentration of nitrogen inside and negate the benefits of having nitrogen-filled tyres in the first place.
How Long Do Tyres Filled with Nitrogen Last?
A nitrogen-filled tyre will last 3-4 times longer than an air-filled tyre before it loses pressure.
To put that into context, a regular air-filled tyre loses about 1.5 PSI per month. A nitrogen-filled tyre takes 3-4 months to lose that same amount of pressure.
Typing in ‘nitrogen for tyres near me’ is one way to find a workshop that can provide it to you. Another excellent way is to use the Directory over at Carpart.com.au. There, you can find all sorts of different automotive service providers in your area, wherever you are in Australia.
By Ray Hasbollah