d6500k

Just got a newsletter from the dealer regarding nitrogen replacing standard air for filling up tires.

Anyone had been using nitrogen and want to share their experience?

Thanks.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Please try the forum search feature I searched for the keyword 'nitrogen' in thread titles and found these informative threads among many others.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=102677

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=239597

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=145918

mandyfig

Costco started using nitrogen years ago. Do you need to bleed all the air and replace with nitrogen to get the full benefit?

jfelbab

An issue I have with nitrogen is that you need to adjust tire pressures to compensate for changes in temperature fairly routinely. Tire pressure changes 1 pound for every 10 degrees in temperature change. Unless you have a nitrogen tank in your garage how are you going to add pressure to your tires.

The purpose of using nitrogen over air (oxygen) in an auto is to make the tire casing last longer. Unfortunately, I wear out the thread on my tires long before the sidewall begin to wear out.

IMO, if you check your tire pressure regularly and wear out your tires in 5 years or less, compressed air is fine. (BTW, compressed air is 78% nitrogen anyway.)

Grumpa72

Hmm, relying on old memory here, but N is an inert substance and is less prone to temperature change than standard atmosphere, isn't it? One of the beneifts of N as a tire inflation substance is its inate stabilitly and larger molecule size that air. Thus, it means that it is less likely to leak out than air. Am I correct in this thought process? Fwiw, airlines use N as a tire inflation gas as opposed to air. One of the reasons is that N is less likely to support combustion with an overheated tire than is standard air.

Gary
ps, I am an airline pilot and I support the use of N in your tires but my car still has its original Michelins. With new tires I will be going to N.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

You're right, but it's really not a big enough of a difference for you to tell in your car.

If you can get it for free, sweet, if you can't, don't worry about it.

Grumpa72

To me, the biggest issue with using nitrogen is how to adjust for these swings in pressure, no matter how small. I routinely check my tire pressures on all of my cars and I have a small pancake air compressor just for that reason. A couple of the local tire shops use nitrogen but again, the idea of hopping in the car and driving 10 minutes or more to get the tires filled seems counter-productive.

Gary

mandyfig

Gary's comment makes a whole lot of sense. Question is who's making the money on the nitrogen thing.....

harleydjce

I have had my tires filled with Nitrogen on my past 2 Lexus. The benefits I have observed are:

a)Better Fuel economy (minor improvements only);
b)Better ride quality
c)Not having to check tire pressures.

My last RX lost approx 1 PSI in a year on Nitrogen. My tire dealer (who filled my tires with Nitrogen) checks my tires as often as I like.

Overall, not having to check my tire pressures was worth the minor $$.

salimshah

My $0.02

If you notice how the tires sit on the rim, you will realize, that to start with you have air in it, The coice of nitogen or not is simply the volume injected to get to the pressure you want. [For a nitogen only in the tire, you will have to suck the air out and that will release the tire from the rim.

The motivation is to have moisture free gas. [With aluminum and some alloy rims its not too bad, but the steel ones rust.] Comercially available cheap gas would be nitrogen. Compressed moisture free air would be as good [other than inert nature of nitogen and coversely the unwanted oxidation prpoperty of Oxygen]. Economy of scale makes makes the nitrogen a winner,

Salim

mandyfig

Makes a whole lot sense to me...

The G Man

Wow, you guys talk me into it, I have to get me some of that designer air.

mandyfig

Riding on Nitro.....sounds like ready....to rock!