The Good and the Bad of Nitrogen-Inflated Tires

Could nitrogen-inflated tires be the solution to all your tire problems? Probably not, but nitrogen is the newest tire trend for the average consumer. Should you listen to all the hype and immediately fill your tires with nitrogen? What's fact and what's fiction? Understanding the pros and cons of nitrogen-inflated tires is as easy as reading this article.

~A Little History

Contrary to popular belief, nitrogen has been used to inflate tires for years. NASCAR and airline companies have been using nitrogen-inflated tires successfully for a while now. However, the cost of new equipment has prevented nitrogen from replacing air at most gas stations. Also, planes and high-performance race cars are completely different from passenger vehicles.

As more tests are done and equipment becomes cheaper, nitrogen will become more widely available for the average consumer. It is comforting to know; though, that passenger vehicles aren't the first to use nitrogen-inflated tires.

~Cons

Instead of trying to convince you how wonderful nitrogen-inflated tires are, let's look at the downside first. Since nitrogen is still fairly new for normal automobiles, tires aren't necessarily made for nitrogen. Tire manufacturers base tire information in their manuals on air, not nitrogen.

Nitrogen doesn't expand with temperature changes like air does. This could result in your tire being over- or under-inflated depending on who filled your tires. Stabilized pressure may be a pro, but until tires are made specifically to hold nitrogen, this pro may actually be a con.

Filling up your tires with nitrogen requires a little research on your part to determine the best possible tire pressure. As time goes by, tire manufacturers will know the correct pressures, but for now, it's a guessing game.

The only other con to nitrogen-inflated tires is cost. You can fill your tires for free at home with an air-compressor or at most gas stations. Even gas stations that charge for air are extremely cheap. Since nitrogen is still a new concept for passenger vehicles, most gas stations have yet to install a nitrogen fill up station. Stations carrying nitrogen charge any where from $3 to $10 per tire. Compare $12 to $40 for a complete nitrogen fill up with free or almost free for air.

~Pros

Since NASCAR and airplanes are using nitrogen-inflated tires, nitrogen can't be all bad, right? One of the biggest pros is increased fuel efficiency. The percentage has yet to be determined; however, any increase in fuel efficiency is an automatic pro.

Air causes tire pressure to fluctuate, which results in quicker tire wear. Nitrogen isn't affected by temperature, so tire pressure stays the same. The benefit for consumers - longer tire life. Temperature itself can cause quite a bit of tire wear. The cooler tire temperatures of nitrogen-inflated tires will also lend months and years to the life of your tires.

You'll find tires inflated with nitrogen require fewer fill ups. Air leaks much faster than nitrogen. Since nitrogen costs more, you obviously want it to remain in your tires as long as possible. With tire pressure staying the same, monitoring your tire pressure is easier. You should still monitor tire pressure, but don't expect much of a change.

Making the change to nitrogen isn't a decision to be taken lightly. There are many pros, but there is still much that isn't known about nitrogen-inflated tires on passenger vehicles. Ask questions before you fill up and monitor your tire pressure consistently for the first few months to be sure your tires aren't over- or under-inflated. The next time you need air, consider using nitrogen instead.