Ask car owners what they fill their tires with, and you’ll probably get a litany on why nitrogen vs air is much better than the other. Some people claim one is better than the other, and they swear their life on it. Some claim one option is much safer than the other. But let’s separate the chaff from the wheat, shall we? Let’s try to find out the truth behind using nitrogen or good ‘ol air in your tires. Lastly, let’s try to find out if there is indeed any reason why you should choose nitrogen over air. Ready? Let’s start filling!
Why should you even bother?
Before we go and discuss what to fill your tires with, let’s try to talk about why you should be inflating your car’s tires. Well, you need your tires to be inflated to be able to drive the thing, but we’re talking about proper inflation. If you are wondering why we are talking about this now, then just hold your breath. We’ll get there.
Any car owner knows that if you want a smoother drive with better fuel economy, then you should always inflate your tires properly. Not only that, a properly inflated tire helps in ensuring your tire wears evenly and slowly. Lastly, a properly inflated tire provides a much safer drive.
How special is nitrogen in tires?
Since time immemorial, car owners have filled their tires with regular air. There’s no real reason why you would think to fill it up with anything else. But some “specialty” vehicles like airplanes and race cars use nitrogen to fill their tires.
Why use nitrogen vs air? It’s due to several things that can be attributed to the natural properties of nitrogen. However, do these unique attributes mean anything to Michael, who owns a 2003 Honda Accord? Let’s talk about the many claims and the natural world implications of these claims to your average car owner.
Claim #1: Nitrogen does not leak as fast as compressed air and will help keep your tire pressure at a safe level for a longer time.
- Truth: No regular car tire is ever “leakproof,” and tiny molecules of air (or nitrogen, for that matter) still escape over time. The amount you lose is almost close to negligible (in the event you notice you are losing more pressure than usual with zero punctures or valve damage, then you need to replace your tire), and it does not matter if you use compressed air or nitrogen. Also, when you do get a valve malfunction or puncture, compressed air and nitrogen escape at a similar rate.
Claim #2: Nitrogen does not get affected by temperature changes and will be a better choice in keeping consistent tire pressure regardless of climate.
- Truth: While it is true that nitrogen inflated tires can maintain pressure longer than regular compressed air-filled tires, you can only feel the difference when the change is severe. This is the reason why airplanes use nitrogen in their tires, as the temperature can change significantly between landing and takeoff. You can’t expect to experience these dramatic temperature changes in normal driving conditions, so this quality has little to no benefit to a regular car owner.
Claim #3: Using nitrogen will make your tire maintenance-free as you do not need to check the pressure as much.
- Truth: Nothing is truly “maintenance-free” if you want a safe ride. Whether you put nitrogen or compressed air in your tires, it is still good practice to check the pressure from time to time to check for slow leaks.
Claim #4: Compressed air is full of oxygen and moisture that can damage your tire’s inner linings, which can damage your wheel.
- Truth: Most modern compressed air systems you can find in tire shops already have moisture separators in place that remove water vapor from the air supply. Not only does this protect the tires and wheels of their customers, but also their very own tools. Also, the chances of your tires suffering damage solely from oxygen and moisture are rare if not unheard of.
So when should I use nitrogen vs air?
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with choosing nitrogen over compressed air, but there’s nothing too special either. You can always fill your tires with nitrogen, but be wary that places that offer such services can be sparse in certain areas. This means that if you need to refill in an unfamiliar location, then you might have a hard time doing so.
Compressed air is still the best if you are looking for a no-nonsense solution. There are no studies showing nitrogen to be superior to compressed air, so plain air is just fine if you don’t feel like changing.
Fast And Friendly Auto Repair At T3 Atlanta
After filling up your tires with nitrogen or compressed air from your favorite tire shop, you can then head down to T3 Atlanta to get everything else checked up. We are one of the most trusted auto repair shops in the Atlanta Metro Area. We service Lexus, Infiniti, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Give us a call today, and let us handle all your auto repair needs.
To understand why you might need a brake bleed or flush, you first need to have a basic understanding about how your brake system works.
Now that you know how your brake system works and how brake fluid is a part of it, what does a brake bleed or brake flush have to do with it?
A brake bleed is often all your vehicle needs to top off the fluids in your brake system and make sure that your brakes respond like they should when you press the pedal.
Tune ups as we know them today are completely different than they were when the term was first coined. A tune up in an early car was routine maintenance work on the vehicle’s ignition system to ensure that ignition and fueling worked in perfect tandem with each other.
Every modern vehicle comes with what’s known as a ‘maintenance schedule’. This schedule consists of routine work that is required after a certain amount of miles have been driven. A modern tune up is another way to refer to this routine maintenance.
Back in the day, old vehicles might need a tune up every 10,000 miles or so. Newer vehicles are designed to last longer and may go 20 – 30,000 miles between maintenance items. Depending on the condition of your vehicle and driving habits, you may need to get a car tune up earlier than this.
Like all stories, there’s a reason that letting your car come to operating temperature became common knowledge.
Modern vehicles are equipped with complex electronic systems that monitor how much air and fuel can enter the combustion chambers and make adjustments as needed. These sensors are as fast as they are accurate, and they ensure that your engine gets the correct amount of fuel regardless of whether you immediately put your car into ‘drive’ or not.
The general advice goes that you should change your oil every 3,000 miles. In fact, the exact frequency 
Your belts and hoses can be easy to forget about, but it’s important to check them when your car hasn’t been driven for a while. These vehicle components naturally degrade over time, but disuse can accelerate this degradation. For example, rubber hoses can dry out and crack when fluids aren’t regularly flowing through them.
Your car battery relies on the engine being run to recharge it. When your car isn’t being driven, the battery doesn’t have the chance to regain any power lost while your car has been sitting idle. A car battery tester can help you quickly identify how much charge your battery currently has, helping you eliminate the chance of getting stranded on the road.
Your tires likely won’t need a rotation if your car hasn’t been driven much, but it’s still important to make sure that they are properly inflated since your tires naturally lose air over time. This can impact the tread wear when you do take your vehicle out.
A less frequently considered part of car maintenance during the pandemic has to do with ‘new residents’. When your car is sitting idle and unused, it suddenly becomes prime real estate for certain rodents, such as mice and chipmunks. This is especially true for cars that are parked outdoors.
Drive-ins don’t just operate in perfect weather; they’ll be open rain or shine. All the same, it’s a good idea to look at the weather report before you go and plan accordingly.
You can get concessions at the drive-in, but to save costs and also enjoy your favorite treats, you can also bring your own. Since you can’t have your car’s cabin lights on during the show, it’s best to pack food and drink that you can easily grab in the dark.
You and your fellow drivers are at the drive-in for one purpose: to enjoy a movie. Since you’re in your car and not in a theatre, it’s important to practice drive-in etiquette and not distract others from their viewing experience.
The reasoning behind this myth is that there are fewer impurities in premium gas, so your car can run cleaner and more efficiently with a tank full of the expensive stuff.
The train of thinking here is that you already have all the tools you need on hand to wash your car – assuming you have dish or laundry soap, of course. You save yourself cash and a trip to the auto supply store, all while getting the same results as a specially-formulated car washing solution, right?
Whether your car’s air conditioning wastes gas
The idea behind this myth is that gasoline, like other liquids, expands in warmer temperatures so pumping warm gas in the middle of the day means you’re getting less – literally – bang for your buck.
One of the most common car maintenance myths is that you need to get all of your tires replaced at the same time. This isn’t necessarily true. For front and rear-wheel drive vehicles, you can replace one, two, or even three tires at once. Just make sure they’re the same type as the remaining tires on your vehicle.
Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of your engine’s operations, and the designers of your vehicle have gone to great lengths to make sure your exhaust system keeps harmful fumes out of the cabin.
Carbon monoxide is odorless, invisible, and tasteless, so you may not know there’s a problem until you start to notice lightheadedness, dizziness, or headaches when you’re on the road. In worst case scenarios, you can even pass out while driving.
Aside from noticing the symptoms mentioned above, there are two ways to detect a carbon monoxide leak in your vehicle.
As we’ve discussed previously
There’s nothing quite like the surprise of hearing your engine struggle to turn over when your battery doesn’t have enough juice to get it started. Car batteries can last anywhere from 2 – 5 years, depending on your driving habits, the temperature of where you live (batteries drain faster in very hot and very cold climates), and other factors.
Flat tires are, unfortunately, one of those car problems that always seems to happen at the most inconvenient time. It’s also very difficult to completely prevent a flat tire, as there’s simply no way to know when and where there are nails or other sharp debris on the road.
Overheating is among the common car problems that can be the most dangerous for your vehicle. Your car can overheat for several reasons, including low coolant levels, problems in the water pumping system, a broken thermostat, and fan problems, to name a few. Getting your car checked regularly can help ensure that all of these components are in working order.
Failed emissions tests are one of the most common car problems, and it can be a frustrating problem to address since there are many 
Your steering wheel is designed to return back to a neutral, level center when you let go of the wheel. When your car is aligned properly, your steering wheel should be sitting evenly, and the emblem in the center of your steering wheel should be level whether you’re parked or in motion.
A car that pulls to one side or the other on a straight road very likely has an alignment problem. Your vehicle is designed to coast down straight roads with minimal input from the driver.
Your wheel alignment doesn’t just impact how your car rides or the way your tires wear down; it also changes the way your vehicle handles. Misaligned wheels can cause your vehicle to handle in a ‘loose’ or ‘sloppy’ way.
