Nitrogen in Tyres?

Zandoni

Kwik fit were on TV last night, they have been charging people £1.50 to inflate their tyres with Nitrogen instead of air. They took a spare wheel into 10 outlets and a very percentage charged but filled them with air.

If you have been charged recently they are offering to give people their money back.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2fl1W11YJxxZYGFQH1MP8XM/kwikfit-company-response

Nodding_Donkey

Anyone who goes to Kwikfit deserves all they get.

One of the arguments for using nitrogen is that the larger molecules don't leach through the rubber and they maintain pressure better.

If that's true just keep topping up with air (80% nitrogen) and eventually all the other gas will leach out leaving just the nitrogen. Voila!

Joe_Horner

Anyone who fills their tyres with more than 80% nitrogen deserves all they get.


eta: As Nodding Donkey says, even if diffusion is an issue, by the time you've topped up 4 times you'll be at 99.8% nitrogen anyway.

reeac

If the nitrogen used is derived from liquid nitrogen then it will be vey dry ...possible advantage in freezing conditions as no ice can form inside the tyres so nasty rattling.

mcpitman

As said, great for F1 cars, where cariations in pressure will affect performance.

Completely negated as soon as you top with "normal" airlines.

System

Fill with helium, you get a lighter ride

WellKnownSid

!!!!!! wrote: »

Fill with helium, you get a lighter ride

Fill with cream. After a while, you'll find the ride becomes buttery smooth...

pinkteapot

ATS Euromaster also give you the nitrogen fill without asking if you want it, then charge you for it. Tell them you don't want nitrogen when you take your car in.

stator

Thanks for the link. I had an emergency on a Sunday and Kwikfit were the only ones open. They charged me for nitrogen without even asking me if I wanted it. Cheeky gits

I'm not sure how you are supposed to check if your tyres have nitrogen in them so you can get your refund

silvercar

Is that £5 voucher per tyre, per car or per customer?

Keep_pedalling

The hypothesis that nitrogen filled tyres will loose pressure slower than air filled ones is exactly that a hypothesis, I can't find any independent research to say this is true.

If you had a situation where all the pores in tyres that allow gasses to escape the tyre were slightly larger than oxygen molecules but smaller than nitrogen ones then this might hold up, but if some were large enough to let nitrogen molecules through then it will make no difference, and it is highly unlikely that the pores would be of a uniform and precise size.