"Sorry, Lady; We Don't Do Nitrogen!"

If you ask me what kind of car I drive, I will tell you it's a medium-sized, white one. If I have car problems, I drive my car to the dealership and give them my keys. I know my limitations! So when my Significant Other came back from a local gas station here in Las Vegas, Nevada in distress, I shared her pain. When ask to check the tires on her car, she had been told that the tires were filled with nitrogen. "Sorry, Lady, but we don't do nitrogen!"

She stood in front of me in silent bewilderment. Further discussion revealed that the right rear tire on the car had recently been patched at a local Costco. We looked at each other in disbelief. Did this mean every time we needed to top off the tires, we had to find nitrogen? We are simple non-technical folk; we don't need no stinkin' gas in our tires!

It was a Friday; about ten minutes after three. There was still time. We got into her car and headed for Costco for a much-needed explanation. In a very courteous way, the Costco mechanic calmly handed us a multi-colored pamphlet. Costco Tire Center, in order to improve vehicle handling, fuel efficiency, and tire life inflated tires with nitrogen. Unlike compressed air, there is no water vapor in the nitrogen. Consequently there is no expansion or contraction of moisture in the tire. Long-haul truckers and Formula 1 race drivers use nitrogen because it's stable as temperatures rise and fall. Even small changes in tire pressure under high-performance conditions adversely affect traction and handling. Furthermore, nitrogen is less likely to "leak" through the rubber. Thus, pressure in a nitrogen-filled tire is more stable. While these facts are all true, eventually ALL tires lose pressure if not through the rubber than from around the rim and/or valve regardless of whether they are filled with nitrogen or air. Costco further asserts the dryer nitrogen improves tire life by decreasing internal corrosion of rims and rim parts. From my driving experience, the exterior treads wear out long before any corrosive damage occurs to the interior tire.

This leaves a fundamental question: what does one do when tires need to be refilled? The back of the Costco brochure clearly states that topping a nitrogen-filled tire off with regular air will dilute the nitrogen and its benefits. Well, since regular air is basically "diluted" nitrogen (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other "stuff") anyway, what's the big deal? The water vapor? I live in a desert!

My conclusion - Was there reason for concern? No! I praise Costco Tire Center for attempting to improve tire performance and safety BUT, that which is cost-effective for long-haul trucks and race cars might not necessarily be as important for my personal driving in Las Vegas. I intend to pay more attention, in the future, to the gas in the fuel tank rather than the gas in the tires. It's important that tires stay properly inflated; no matter what is in them!

Takeway

Check tire often for proper inflation pressure

Benefits of nitrogen-filled tires are dependent on driving conditions and climate

For more information about using nitrogen in tires, see http://www.getnitrogen.org/