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There’s one big problem with using atmospheric air to fill your tires.

Atmospheric air is a composition of about 78 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen and the rest made up of CO2 and trace gases. The problem here is that oxygen molecules are unstable and can expand when hot or contract when cold. Oxygen can also migrate through the porous rubber walls of the tire, causing a very slow and gradual loss of air pressure.

In the winter, this can be a real problem as your vehicle’s TPMS sensors can be triggered by these fluctuations in pressure.

The solution? Nitrogen fills.

Nitrogen fills have been used for years in applications where consistent air pressure and tire inflation is a must, such as aircraft landing gear tires or racing applications. Nitrogen is more stable at the molecular level, and less prone to expand or contract according to temperature.

Tire shops use equipment that filters atmospheric air, separating the nitrogen and storing it in a separate tank until it can be used. In most cases, it’s necessary to purge all the atmospheric air from the tires; there’s a machine that’s designed for this purpose, and it may take several purge/fill cycles before the tires can be filled with pure nitrogen.

If you’re tired of seeing that pesky TPMS light on your dashboard, filling your tires with nitrogen might be just the thing. Nitrogen fills are just one of the services we offer at Road-Mart Inc – give us a call or make an appointment and let’s talk about nitrogen for your tires!