We have been told that maintaining the correct tire pressure of your vehicle helps optimize the performance and fuel economy of the car as well as stabilizes the tire’s structure giving better responsiveness, traction and handling. Nitrogen has long been used in aircraft tires and in race cars and has recently become controversial on whether it would be beneficial to be used in tires of the average road cars.

Proponents of nitrogen argue that studies show that less than 60 percent of drivers check the inflation of their tires regularly so the use of nitrogen can offer drivers many benefits.

• Because the nitrogen molecule is larger than oxygen, it will not leak out of the tire as quickly.
• Nitrogen does not expand and contract as much as oxygen, so tire pressure will be maintained at an optimal level.
• Nitrogen contains no water vapor, so it is less likely to degrade the interior rubber of the tires and corrode the rims of the vehicle.

As for the cons of using nitrogen, the air around us is already 78 percent nitrogen, with 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other gases, so going to pure nitrogen reduces the amount of oxygen a small amount.

• A Nitrogen filling station is more difficult to find, and as soon as oxygen is used, all the benefits of nitrogen will be lost.
• The biggest factor, the price. Filling your tires with air is free, so will the price of using nitrogen outweigh the benefits claimed by using it? That could be difficult to prove.
• Finally, the claim that nitrogen reduces the degradation of tires and rims, is questionable, since tires wear from the outside from use and road conditions, so the protection offered by nitrogen from the inside is quite minimal.

Whether nitrogen is better than oxygen is difficult to prove. The best defense in keeping your tire pressure at the right level is to check your tire pressure regularly. Many new vehicles have tire pressure monitoring, and many after market tire monitoring kits are affordable, so monitoring your tire pressure is easier than ever. Regular maintenance and care is usually the best for keeping your vehicle running optimally.