Filling Nitrogen in tyres instead of Air

I guess it will be debatable always...as on similar lines manufacturers dont mention/say any thing about usage of branded fuels like SPEED, Xtra-Premium and so on...but still they exist in the market. Further, no where they even mentioned not to use these fuels. And it is selling good.

So is the case with nitrogen, not sure if really they get rid of 22% of non-N2 gas, but they sell it saying its pure N2 gas. And they are selling good. Even if manufacturers dont say anything about it. I did feel difference in using N2 when I used to have Lancer but did not feel much difference while using N2 in Safari. Not sure of the reason, but this is the case.

Further, talking about expansion of air and it being the reason of smoother drive while using N2, then I generally get my tyres filled with 32 psi in front and 35 at rear, irrespective of if its normal air or N2. And I do feel the difference each time N2 is filled. I dont think that expansion would be very fast that I filled the tyres with N2 and the moment I am on the road it expands.... as the moment you hit the road after filling N2 you feel the difference. And obviously the difference is not huge, but there is enough to feel it. And it remains for atleast 2-3 months. You dont feel the smaller potholes that much with N2.

Recently, I got one of my front tyre repaired for puncture. And there was no availability of N2 in the area so I had no option but to get it filled with normal air. Other tyres are having N2 filled sometime last week of december at Pune-Mumbai Express Highway HP pump. Now after getting the puncture fixed, I can feel the small pot holes on the side tyre having normal air where as I cant feel the pot holes much on the side with N2. Also, the noise of the tyres are different with N2 and normal air.

Still I am not sure if really N2 is worth its price or good for tyres, but yes it does makes a difference, small, but it does. Did not try to check the heat thing though

Anshu - check the tyre pressure when they fill with air against when they fill with N2. I am sure there will be a difference - which in turn is what you are experiencing. Argument for extra-premium petrol: manufacturers will not recommend something if it is not in their favour in one way or other (even if if does no harm to the car), but if it enhances they will like to get brownie points for it. Don't get me wrong - but if someone fills air telling you that its N2 and charges you accordingly you probably would not know - yet feel the improvement thinking it is N2.

Dr. Rohit is absolutely right! (Afterall, that long post is worthy of a PhD, isn't it? )

For more amusement, go have a look at this table of specific heat for gases - there is verrry verrry small difference between figures of air and Nitrogen, and Oxygen too.

So, the morale of the story is, don't get yourself in knots over N2. You already have 78% N2 in your tyres.

Thank you Jahaanpanaah!!

Anshu, look at the chart Krishna linked to - you will see that air and N2 have almost the same values - and why not? Air IS 78% N2.

Well, the list does say correct and I dont deny that. And yes manufacturers would try to get something out of anything favouring them.

But I would disagree on the front that because someone told me its N2 and I have paid for it, I will feel the difference. If such was the case, I wont have mentioned the difference was very easily felt when I used to have Lancer but not much in Safari, probably, the size of tyres and the weight of car + shock-ups to do the trick, still the difference was felt, very small though. And yes I do check the pressure and I am very specific about it, as I tend to drive fast and so I feel for me having correct tyre pressue is really important.

Probably really its not worth spending on N2 when you already have 78% N2 in normal air, still the first hand experience says something else. I do not doubt both of yours knowledge, but then I cant ignore what I have experienced myself

Sorry Rohit, PhD rectracted - the longer post I was referring to was Anshu's.

Anshu - can you please check up 'Placebo effect' for the explanation of your ride comfort improvement on N2 at the same pressure? 

Oh - too bad, reality mein to bahut door ki baat hai, ab mazaak mein bhi PhD nahin milta...

To get back to the topic, yes placebo could very well be the explanation...

Thanks Krishna but this "Placebo Effect" talks about inert substances/gas when given as drug or doze to patients, which then reacts on the brain. Its about human reaction to the inert gas. And I guess here we are giving this inert gas to Car tyres and not me... he he he

Anshu - placebo can be for anything (the human mind is the common factor here - without it there would be no placebo). The greatest example (and this is temprarily OT) is the audiophile community. They buy the most expensive cables to connect equipment and always feel that they are better than ordinary (or standard) company recommended cables, never mind the fact that the expensive cables will measure as good (or worse, in many cases) than the ordinary ones. I mean the examples are so numerous that it makes me wonder how there can be so many who are so easily parted from their monies - and it makes me wonder even more as to why am I not the one doing it (parting them from their money, that is)!!

hmm.... then there are really n number of cases realted to that. And as I said in the beginning..it will be like debatable for ever.

And the actual facts most of the time would require a rigourous experiments which obviously we wont be doing in our day to day activity and we are least bothered about it till its really going to make a huge difference.

I am not a promoter of N2 and also am not regular user of N2...I am fine even with normal air but it was just the experience which I felt I should share. Now you call it placebo effect or something else I do not think much into scientific details too, unless untill it really matters. But yes I do look into the practical aspects, which sometimes are quite different from theories.