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The Myth That Using Nitrogen Increases Fuel Economy

A popular idea, using nitrogen in order to save gas seems to be gaining supporters. It is used as a substitute for air when filling tires . Even retailers like Costco are now offering nitrogen fills. The cost of nitrogen is about $10 per tire. Is nitrogen worth the additional dollars? The answer is no!

Let's start with the most basic principle of all. Take a deep breath. Now let it out. You realize that the breath you took was 78% nitrogen. I'll bet you couldn't tell. Therein lies the biggest problem with the theory that nitrogen is better than air. Air is already 78% nitrogen!

The big claim made by nitrogen believers is that nitrogen will save gas by keeping your tires at the optimum pressure level. They suggest that nitrogen permeates from your tires slower than oxygen. The pressure loss of the tire is less over time because the nitrogen is staying in the tire longer.

This supposition is false. You merely need to know something about physics to realize this. The rate a gas can permeate through a porous substance depends on the mass and the size of it's molecules. Oxygen and nitrogen are literally the same size. As far as the mass or weight is concerned, nitrogen is actually lighter than oxygen. If a gas is going to escape through the tire the nitrogen would do so faster.

Think about this for a minute. If oxygen actually permeated out of a tire faster than nitrogen, then as the tire deflated what would be left in the tire would be mostly nitrogen. Let's say there was 90% nitrogen left in the tire.

You then go to the station and top your tires off with air to bring them back to the proper pressure. Now you have almost all nitrogen in the tire that you added a small amount of air to. At that point you would have much less oxygen in the tire than you did when you first inflated it.

Continuing this scenario, as it is claimed, the oxygen continues to dissipate from the tire and the nitrogen remains behind. Now you have an even higher amount of nitrogen in your tire. Maybe 95%. As you repeat this process again and again your tire would eventually end up being full of only nitrogen.

The question is, if eventually you would end up with nitrogen filled tires by just repeatedly filling them with air, why would you fill them with nitrogen to begin with and spend the more money? It just doesn't make sense.

This is just a plain logical example as to how false the nitrogen claims are. There of course are a myriad of specific scientific answers showing why the nitrogen claims are based on myths and not scientific facts. Each one would require a separate article in itself to explain. In the end it seems you are seeing the single law of behavior that seems to play itself over and over.

Once again there are those who are taking advantage of a situation to make a buck. Who finds an advantage to filling tires up with nitrogen? Those selling the equipment and those retailing the nitrogen. They earn more profits. Who gets the short end of the stick? That' right, it's the consumer.

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