Costco now using Nitrogen for tires.

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Costco has switched from air to Nitrogen for tire inflation. Pretty amazing that they take the lead in the performance inflation area. Nitrogen is a larger molecule (the process produces relatively very dry gas than normal compressed air with approx. 18% Oxygen) and less reactive which means more stable tire pressure(Nitrogen leaks slower than Oxygen) and longer(less oxidation) tire life.

 

[AlbertFattal]

Thanks for letting us know, this is great news in my intrest.

 

[Ulysses]

Yeah, got new tires for the wife last month at Costco, and they were using nitrogen. Those ugly green caps they use, though. Ugh!

 

[Vintage Racer]

Most of us who race run nitrogen in our tires. A couple things to bear in mind. If you are targeting a certain "hot" temp. in your tires, your starting pressure with nitrogen will be higher in that it does not expand as much as ambient air.

If you switch from air to nitrogen you need to go through three bleed and fill cycles with nitrogen to get most of the air out of the tire (you'll never get all of it but the residual amount is so small as to be insignificant).

Some guys will bake their tires in the sun between nitrogen fills. The idea is that it helps get moisture out of the tires that was introcuded by ambient air. Nitrogen is cheap. A large tank costs about $20-25 and will last you for years on a street driven car.

However, I run my street cars with air since we travel a good bit and top offs always seem to occur out of town with gas station air.

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

SO I guess you can't mix nitorgen and regular air ? Why will the nitrogen last for years? Tires go down from what? I assume very small leaks? Changes from Winter to Summer? Nitrogen reacts that much different? And when Costco fills with nitrogen, do they tell thier customers that they have to keep using nitrogen afterwards, or it doesn't matter.

Sounds like a pain to make a switch to Nitrogen.

AC

 

[Vintage Racer]

You can mix it, and if you aren't doing any "performance' driving, it won't make a major difference. However, if you want to get out on the edge a little at times, you are going to face the issue of unequal expansion rates in your tires. A tire with mostly nitrogen will expand at one rate, the tire with a greater mix of ambient air will expand at a different rate (as they heat up). This effects the shape of the contact patch on your tire. Four tires with different mixes of nitrogen and air will take four different shapes as they heat up. No big deal on a burger run to White Castle. Could be a very big deal if you decide to get a little sporty on your trip home.

Almost forgot. Don't know how nitrogen does in terms of leakdown rates. Race tires are so leaky from day one that we are constanly adding nitrogen, sometimes as much as three or four times a day.

Best bet is either be a nitrogen guy or an air guy.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Nitrogen is a larger molecule (the process produces relatively very dry gas than normal compressed air with approx. 18% Oxygen) and less reactive which means more stable tire pressure(Nitrogen leaks slower than Oxygen) and longer(less oxidation) tire life.

Gases expand at the same rate. The problem with compressed air is the water content. Water when heated converts to a gas increasing the volume of gas in the tire.

Nitrogen production produces a gas that contains very little moisture.

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

Like I said, switchin to nitrogen seems involved, and I am surprised Costco has done this, not knowing what kind of driving people do. Wow, they are confident lawsuits won't come about after accidents? People sue everyone. Why would Costco take a chance like that?

I just read an article about how in the healthcare feild, there are much less research projects going on due to the HIPAA guidelines and laws that went into effect because healthcare professionals do not want to bother putting themselves at risk of lawsuits. It just surprises me that Costco would do this.

AC

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Nitrogen is 80% of air, making the tire fill 99.99% nitrogen provides better pressure life and tire life. No down side for COSTCO using Nitrogen only upside for their customers.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

If you told people ******* on their tires makes them last longer 80% of the public would believe it and 50% would do it - hence, the reason for Costco going to nitrogen. I agree with all the points above but I fail to see any significant advantage to street cars using nitrogen.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

It is called marketing. Longer intervals between tire inflation adjustments.