Driving Niagara

Nitrogen vs Air in Tires

Mark Kawabe - Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I called a few places today to get my tires switched from winter to all-season. In November I got a new van that came with winter tires installed and the all-seasons were in the cargo area. Only one set of rims for two sets of tires. Oh well.

No complaints though. The winter tires were great, but it's time to get them switched.

So, I called a few places to get some idea of how much it will cost for a "strip and flip".

Prices were close between the three places I called - between $70 and $80, including balancing. However, one wrinkle: my tires are filled with nitrogen.

Uh oh.

Now, to be honest, I didn't know much about the topic until doing some research online. Apparently nitrogen is good because it's more dense than air so slow leaks will leak more slowly. There's no moisture in the nitrogen gas so outside temperature fluctuations don't affect the internal pressure of the nitrogen. The lack of moisture also supposedly reduces corrosion on the rims and problems with the tire's inside wall.

On the other hand, the benefits are said to be so small that it's not really worth using nitrogen.

One shop I called said this flat out. "Nitrogen's useless - it's a cash grab." Short. Blunt. Educational - sort of.

Another shop said they don't carry nitrogen, but would be happy to do my tires anyway.

The third shop said they didn't have nitrogen either, but suggested some places that do carry nitrogen - and then got into the huge additional cost those places charge.

The takeaway? You likely won't find places in Niagara that will fill your tires with nitrogen inexpensively, and the added cost makes using nitrogen uneconomical.

Stick with air - it's 78% nitrogen anyway.






NEW! - Niagara Gas Price Finder

Vehicle Dealers | Classifieds | Parts & Accessories | Services | Trucks | Motorcycles
Driving Niagara Blog | Advertise | Contact Us | Niagara Auto Guide Home





Sign up for our RSS Feed! |  Read the Blog! | Visit our Forums! |  List Your Business! Log In

Search The Niagara Guide!

 

For more information about local shopping opportunities, click on the links below.

Find a Niagara Business Updates & Specials! More Guide Websites!

 

OR, See All Shopping Categories

OR, See All Advertisers

Can't find what you're looking for?
Let us know!

Access Specials and Promotions Online!

Accommodation Health
Arts Heritage
Attractions Home
Auto Kids
Business Nightlife
Community Pets
Cycling Recreation
Dining Style
Events Weddings
Golf Wineries
See All Shopping Advertisers!

Should your business be listed on this site? Click here to get started!

Visit some of the other websites in The Niagara Guide Network!

Arts | Attractions | Automotive | Bed & Breakfasts | Bridal | Business
Conferences | Cycling | Dining | Events | Golf | Health | Heritage
Home Improvement | Hotels | Kids | Money | Motels | Nightlife | Non-Profits
Pets | Recreation | Shopping | Style | Wineries
Contact The Niagara Guide | Niagara Guide Home



This website is part of  The Niagara Guide Network

All contents © 2001-2011 by The Niagara Guide Inc.

Disclaimer