Visit any gas station, and you can get your car’s tires filled with air at no cost. But a new trend has taken over this simple practice which is said to improve car performance. Filling your tires with nitrogen instead of normal air is now the latest alternative that’s sending car owners to auto shops for a handful of different benefits. But is it really as advantageous as they make it seem? Read on to find out.
List of Pros of Nitrogen Filled Tires
1. Increased Tire Pressure
Nitrogen is structurally larger than oxygen. This means that you won’t need as much to completely fill out your tires. What’s more, because the particles aren’t as small as normal air, nitrogen is less likely to seep through small cracks and gaps in your wheels.
2. Decreased Wear and Tear
When you fill your tires with oxygen, the chances of rust development becomes greater. This is because oxygen can turn into water when exposed to certain temperatures. This change in composition could also decrease the pressure in your tires prematurely.
3. Safer
Everyone knows that it’s not unlikely for a car to combust, especially in the event of a crash. Because oxygen feeds fire, having your tires filled with normal air could make it that much more dangerous in the event of a flame. Nitrogen is not combustible, making it a much safer alternative than the usual air used.
List of Cons of Nitrogen Filled Tires
1. Expensive
Go to any gas station, and the workers would gladly fill your tires for no extra charge, but getting your tires filled with nitrogen could set you back a few extra dollars. Typically, getting nitrogen filled tires will cost you around $5 USD per tire, which is significantly more expensive than any other tire filling service you’re bound to find.
2. Less Accessible
Not a lot of shops offer nitrogen air for tires, which means you’ll have to search far and wide to find one near you. If you get your tires filled with nitrogen elsewhere, and later find the need for just a small amount of air, you might instead use regular air to fill up what’s lacking, thus eliminating the purpose of nitrogen filled tires all together.
3. Marginal Changes
Some say that nitrogen filled tires are less prone to damage, decreased pressure, and gas consumption, but the changes can be so minimal and marginal that they’re hardly felt at all.