Should You Fill Your Car’s Tires with

Nitrogen?

Should your tires be inflated with nitrogen instead of good old regular air? According to the Get Nitrogen Institute, using nitrogen in tires will provide improvements in a vehicle’s tire life, fuel efficiency, handling and safety. I wonder if nitrogen-filled tires would be considered as a safety factor to lower car insurance rates?

A Consumer Reports study in 2006 showed nitrogen reduced pressure loss over time, by a 1.3 psi difference from air-filled tires.

The Get Nitrogen Institute states these benefits can be realized through three key areas:

1. Better tire-pressure retention1. Better tire-pressure retention

EPA says that under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3% for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires.

The Get Nitrogen Institute states these benefits can be realized through three key areas:

2. Improved fuel economy2. Improved fuel economy

Pressurized air in gas station air storage tanks contain humidity which condenses to a liquid. When this compressed air is added to tires, the tires heat up during driving and increase tire pressure.

The Get Nitrogen Institute states these benefits can be realized through three key areas:

3. Cooler-running tire temperatures3. Cooler-running tire temperatures

Using compressed nitrogen instead of compressed air isn’t a new concept. Race cars, commercial airplanes and the military have used it for years.

It’s estimated that 86% - 91% of American cars have under-inflated tires. In fuel costs alone, this under-inflation wastes drains fuel economy by up to 3%. This loss translates into some 2.8 billion gallons of fuel wasted out of 134 billion gallons burned annually.

• Besides saving gas and money, properly inflated tires are less likely to fail at high speeds.• Under-inflated tires contribute to increased stopping distances on both wet and dry surfaces.• Under-inflated tires are factors in many SUV rollover accidents.• Properly inflated tires also wear more evenly and will last longer.

Fully Inflated Tires are Safer

Finding a nitrogen “filling station” at a tire shop can be a hassle… and costly. Although nitrogen is free at Costco and at

some car dealerships, in general, filling a tire with nitrogen may set you back up to $10 per tire. In addition, the purity of

nitrogen available from nitrogen generators can be inconsistent, generally ranging from 95% (low purity) to 99.9% (high purity).

Based on cost, convenience and actual performance benefit, nitrogen-filled tires don’t give you enough bang for your buck. The answer? Invest your money wisely and buy a quality tire-pressure gauge and check your tires regularly

Are Nitrogen Tires Worth It?

The low pressure warning lights aren’t required to come on until you tire has less than 25% of the recommended tire pressure. Maintaining the correct tire pressure by frequently checking them with a tire gauge will ensure that your tires last longer, give you better fuel efficiency, handling and safety.

What if your car has a tire-pressure monitoring system?