Searched this forum but did not find any post on this subject. My 2009 Ford F-150 Platinum came with the tires filled with nitrogen. I told dealer I would NOT pay for this after-market dealer option.....take it out.

The dealer wanted to sell the truck that night so they left the nitrogen in the tires and removed that option price. You can tell if the tires have nitrogen in them as the valve stem caps are "green" in color.

If I have a flat or have a tire taken off........are there many places that re-fill with nitrogen? Can you buy small bottles of nitrogen for this situation?

I have read about nitrogen being a more stable fill for tires and that the pressure variance is minimal. What experiences have others had?

 

Costco and one of our local chains fill tires with nitrogen for free. I've got the nitrogen in my E150 because the tires are from Costco, and would not pay extra for the option. Actually, I remember that my Ford dealer, when I'd take the van there for an oil change, would top off for free with nitrogen as well.

If you have a local Costco, they might top you off with nitrogen as well without charging.

I believe it's a more stable fill, holds less moisture so it may prevent rim corrosion and rim leaks over the years, etc. But again, I would not pay a premium for it.

George

 

Nitrogen in tires is one of those things that makes you feel good because you feel like you are different and doing that something extra special for your car/truck.

But, it really does not make your life any better in any measurable way.

So, save your money, but like the others said, if it comes for free (like real air) no big deal to accept it - just don't pay for it.

Good luck.

 

I agree about saving the $$$$$$...nitrogen holds less h2o and more stable pressures. but the reason we use nitrogen in airliners tires is for fire...if the high pressure tires blow with (reg air with o2) in the tires adds to the fire...the brakes have magnesium...so mag o2 and fire is bad...sounds like an airplane mech figured out a way to make some money sellin nitrogen

 

The regular air we breath and put in our tires now is mostly nitrogen anyways.

 

Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air- nitrogen is popular in racing and other specialized applications for all the reasons stated and 1 more.....it is very reluctant to chnge density as temps change. In a racing (or specialized or environment) that could very well mean loss of traction due to increased pressure 9ie the tread is not laying as flat to the surface as it could). For street vehicles IMHO, it is a waste.

 

Go to the Brakes, steering, suspension,tires and wheels forum and type in nitrogen in tires, and you will overdose on the info given. Good reading!

 

I was curious to the benefit of this myself.I've been seeing it advertised more & more over this way.

 

only problem is that nitrogen is a lot heavier that air.

 

Wow, what's up with all the science fail in this forum the last few days? Look out folks, here comes the science.

The major components of air are:
78% Nitrogen
20% Oxygen
1% Argon
And other trace junk (roughly 1%)

Nitrogen is N2... atomic weight for N is 14.0067g/mol... 28.0134 g/mol N2
Oxygen is O2... 15.9994g/mol... 31.9988g/mol O2.
Argon is Ar... 39.948g/mol.

So, for 1 mol of "air", we have (28.0134*.78) + (31.9988*.20) + (39.948*.01) + trace crap (let's say 20g/mol * .01) = 28.850g/mol

Pure nitrogen weighs 28.0134g/mol. So, nitrogen is actually a bit lighter... and if you think the difference in weight between nitrogen and air in your tires is going to make a sodding bit of difference in your vehicle's gas mileage, performance, etc... well, I've got a bridge you might be interested in.

 

Hey...if you're a scientist type, can you answer any of the following?
1. How much water/humidity can air hold? I have had rim leaks from oxidation on some cars (way back when) and have been led to think that nitrogen is "dry". Is that true?

2. How much would air vs nitrogen expand between, say 0 degrees F and 100 degrees F? I'm guessing that air will change more in pressure.

3. Would pure nitrogen bleed less thru tire sidewalls than air? (Like are the molecules bigger?) As a bicyclist, I've had thin race type tires that will lost 10% of their pressure in a couple days. Are the oxygen molecules, for instance, going to seep thru the rubber tire more than nitrogen?

Just asking. As I said up above, I'm 100% for pure nitrogen IF IT IS FREE, otherwise air is fine, thanks... But I do use distilled water, not tap water, in radiators these days (when I was a kid, you just used a hose). Probably not much % of crap in tap water either, but enough to make some crust in your radiator.

ps if I was in school this would be a fun science project....

George

 

idk anything about that up there but i do know that a c130 aircraft main langing gear tire is a lot heavier filled with nit than it is filled with air. and i would know because i built up 2000+ in iraq last year.

 

It does vary less in different temps and hold less water, but I check my tires monthly and I'm pretty sure that my aluminum wheels will not rust, so I refuse to pay for it.

 

The real reason it has been marketed is because there is a sucker born every minute. Tires are less permeable to N2 so you can maintain pressures a bit longer. However, for this same reason, you also increase the percent N2 everytime you refill with simple air. N2 is also reactive. Argon is a better gas because it is inert. Helium is even better as your truck will just float down the road. In this one-time offer, just send me $49.99 and I'll fill your tires with this wonder gas today! And if you call in the next 15 minutes, we'll double the offer!

 

From; http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7a.html
http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/AtWt/
Table 7a-1: Average composition of the atmosphere up to an altitude of 25 km.

Gas Name
Chemical Formula
Percent Volume
Atomic Weight

Nitrogen
N2
78.08%
Nitrogen 14.0067

Oxygen
O2
20.95%
Oxygen 15.9994

*Water
H2O
0 to 4%

Argon
Ar
0.93%

*Carbon Dioxide
CO2
0.0360%

Neon
Ne
0.0018%

Helium
He
0.0005%

*Methane
CH4
0.00017%

Hydrogen
H2
0.00005%

*Nitrous Oxide
N2O
0.00003%

*Ozone
O3
0.000004%

* variable gases


"idk anything about that up there but i do know that a c130 aircraft main landing gear tire is a lot heavier filled with nit than it is filled with air. and i would know because i built up 2000+ in iraq last year."

I know of the seat of the pants dynos now we have a seat of the pants weight scales.