The subject of using nitrogen to inflate car tyres has received considerable publicity over the past few years; particularly since some tyre retailers have been promoting its supposed benefits. It is well known that nitrogen gas has been used to inflate the tyres of racing cars, aircraft and heavy commercial vehicles for some time. However it is only a few years ago that it has come into use in normal passenger cars with shops advertising it actively.
So what is nitrogen?
Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, and non-toxic gas that forms about 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere. The benefits claimed for using nitrogen over compressed air for inflating tyres are that it:
- Reduces the tyre’s running temperature
- Improves the ride quality
- Keeps tyre pressures more constant
- Slows the rate of pressure loss
- Doesn’t react with the tyre and rim materials
Disadvantages of nitrogen
Nitrogen also has a few disadvantages that should be taken into account. These include:
- Cost
- Maintenance
- Availability
What Does It Cost
The typical charge for nitrogen is between RM5 and RM10 per tyre for a passenger car. The decision is ultimately yours but we rather stick to plain old compressed air from the petrol station which is free and easily available anytime.
