Nitrogen or Plain Old Air

[MAZZ77X]

What is in the tires of my 2010 SS? I thought I read somewhere it was Nitrogen but not sure.
Anyway I need to put something in the tires to bring them back to 36PSI cause right now with the cold I'm at 29/30 and I'm sure I'll get a warning light soon.

Should I just add some air or do I have to get Nitrogen? Sorry if this has been discussed before but I did a search with no results.

[OldScoolCamaro]

Originally Posted by MAZZ77X

What is in the tires of my 2010 SS? I thought I read somewhere it was Nitrogen but not sure.
Anyway I need to put something in the tires to bring them back to 36PSI cause right now with the cold I'm at 29/30 and I'm sure I'll get a warning light soon.

Should I just add some air or do I have to get Nitrogen? Sorry if this has been discussed before but I did a search with no results.

Hi, being you are from Jersey I'll field this one. WE get enough abuse...LOL. Always check AND and adds air to your tire when they are cold, irregardless of the outside temperature. Check your owners manual for proper inflation instructions, AND make sure you look in the drivers side door jam for your proper factory installed tire pressure recommendation. It's on a decal. That's where the tire decal is located on almost every car. I don't have a 2010, am waiting for the 2012 Z28, so if thats wrong guys help him out.

[Moose]

Personally, I'll stick with using air.

In my SS, (which I store) I prefer air as it allows me to adjust the tire pressure accordingly, ie; for storage.

When I had new tires put on my Jeep, the place doing the install used nitrogen. I've checked the tire pressures weekly via the tire pressure monitoring system, and they've been staying at a constant pressure.

IMO, either way is fine. I've just been suing air, as it allows me to adjust as stated above, plus it's free!

[R6P]

I think the op was asking if the tires are filled with nitrogen or plain ol air from the factory.

Well...Air is the name given to atmosphere used in breathing and photosynthesis. Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1%. While air content and atmospheric pressure varies at different layers, air suitable for the survival of terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals is currently known only to be found in Earth's troposphere and artificial atmospheres.

That said, you have 78.09% nitrogen in your tires from the factory (otherwise known as plain 'ol air)

[heRS]

If the dealer put nitrogen in your tires they would also have put green valve stem caps on it.

[SuperH]

My dealer fills with nitrogen, and I prefer it. Reason being? On my truck, the tire pressures remain stable throughout all weather fluctuations. They are BF Goodrich All Terrain TA/KOs, filled with nitrogen. While my truck tires were filled with air, they'd fluctuate about 5 PSI between cold and warm moments.

My 20s, therefore, came filled with nitrogen, and the pressure didn't fluctuate much with the environment at all. I purchased the 21s at another dealer (in Indiana) as take-offs. These wheels had the factory air-fill in them. The dealer I got them from had no nitrogen filling station. Thus, when I left their heated shop with 38 psi of tire pressure, when I got 3/4 of the way to my destination, they were at 28psi, and throwing off the TPMS (it was just above ten degrees that day). Aside from that, Pirelli P-Zeros + 10 degree weather don't mix well.

I got them filled at my dealership with nitrogen, and they now have minimal fluctuation. They stay at 37psi max, and have never dropped below 35psi.

That's my vouch for nitrogen.

Over time, the oxygen component of air will aspirate out of the tires anyway, and they'll be left with nitrogen. It is for this reason the tire pressures fluctuate. Oxygen expands, contracts, and transfers via aspiration. Tires with thicker/more plys will take longer. This process will take a long time. The only way to get "all nitrogen" in your tires without a nitrogen filling station is to overinflate them by the percentage component of oxygen (21%) in a heated environment, and watch the pressure decrease in the cold over time. It may take a year or so, but eventually you should be at your proper pressure. Overinflating the tires is, of course, NOT recommended!

[Moose]

Originally Posted by ChevyTech

I think the op was asking if the tires are filled with nitrogen or plain ol air from the factory.

Well...Air is the name given to atmosphere used in breathing and photosynthesis. Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1%. While air content and atmospheric pressure varies at different layers, air suitable for the survival of terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals is currently known only to be found in Earth's troposphere and artificial atmospheres.

That said, you have 78.09% nitrogen in your tires from the factory (otherwise known as plain 'ol air)

Good info.!

And thanks for clearing that up...you can see, I didn't read to original question slowly enough.

[MAZZ77X]

No green caps so I guess I have plain old air.

Thanks for the info............... I think

[Stex]

A good gauge...

From tirerack. A long read but here is the conclusion:

So what should drivers do?

Overall, inflating tires with nitrogen won't hurt them and may provide some minimal benefits.

Is it worth it? If you go someplace that provides free nitrogen with new tires, why not? Additionally we’ve seen some service providers offering reasonable prices of about $5 per tire (including periodic adjustments for the life of the tire) to a less reasonable $10 per tire (with additional costs for subsequent pressure adjustments) or more as part of a service contract, which we believe exceeds the value of nitrogen’s benefit.

Rather than pay extra for nitrogen, most drivers would be better off buying an accurate tire pressure gauge and checking and adjusting their tire pressures regularly.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...sp?techid=191&

[shroomjohn]

I got air in my SUV and nitrogen in my camaro and guess what they both fluctuate. It doesnt matter they both suck when your in Mo. New Years Eve it was almost 70 during the day by midnight in the teens. I look like Im on a caution lap trying to warm my tires up lol

[Rock-It Man]

I'm always amazed by these discussions of nitrogen in tires.

All gas behaves according to the gas law PV=RT. Therefore, all gas changes pressure with temperature at the same rate.

The only reason nitrogen may slightly reduce the pressure change over temperature is that is doesn't include any water vapor, which may condense out at low temps, thereby causing a greater drop in pressure than dry air. This effect is very small!

Putting nitrogen in your tires is an utter waste of money, particularly if you live in a climate with seasonal temp changes. In that case, you need to adjust the pressure seasonally by adding or removing air, which is easily done at home, where there is no lack of free air.

Besides, tires lose pressure because air permeates out, and air needs to be added on a regular basis even if the temperature doesn't change. So, unless you plan to visit your tire store every month for a nitrogen boost, use air!

The only reasonable use for nitrogen in tires is at the race track, where it's important to get a repeatable pressure increase as tires change temperature, regardless of humidity that day, and where each team is looking for even the slightest advantage.

[jshaf]

what if there is a blue cap? seen SS wheels with a blue cap on the valve stem