- Nitrogen filled tyres need to be filled once in 2-3 months. Weekly checks recommended.
- Require less maintenance, improved fuel economy, increased tyre life
- Cost can vary from 250-400 rupees for four tyres and subsequent check for each tyre also chargeable (Approx 10Rs) .
A nitrogen inflated tyre loses about 60% lesser pressure in comparison to a tyre with normal air. This is due to its larger molecule size which makes it extremely hard for nitrogen to leak out of the tyre. In comparison, air filled tyres have smaller molecules of oxygen, inert gases and water vapour that leak out easily and hence require to be refilled more frequently. Usually, a tyre loses approximately 1.5 psi of pressure every month on normal air which can be expected across 2-3 months on a nitrogen filled tyre. So, ideally, you should refill your tyres every 2 -3 months if they're nitrogen inflated.
This timeline though does not imply that you should stop regular checks of your tyres for obvious safety reasons. A weekly inspection is highly recommended wherein your tyres are checked for any small leaks or any abnormal loss of pressure.
Also Read : What Does Tyre Size Mean? We Decode The Numbers
Advantages of Nitrogen filled tyres.
- Lesser maintenance and fewer visits to the petrol pump - Nitrogen helps in maintaining your tyre pressure for a longer period of time. The average loss of pressure in a nitrogen-filled tyre is significantly less as compared to tyres filled with normal air.
- Less moisture inside your tyres - Since a majority of the water vapour and oxygen are removed, there is less moisture inside your tyres which means less corrosion. Hence, tyre and wheel life is prolonged.
- Improved fuel economy - It's a well-known fact that underinflated tyres can easily lower your fuel economy. The car mileage suffers an approximate 0.3 percent drop for every 1 psi drop in tyre pressure for all four tyres. Since nitrogen-filled tyres maintain more stable pressure for longer periods of time, you are likely to experience a slightly improved and stable fuel economy without any extra effort on maintenance.
How much will a nitrogen upgrade cost you?
The cost of filling nitrogen varies significantly from different shops and fuel stations. In general, you can expect it to cost about 300-400 rupees for a full nitrogen upgrade for all four tyres. Filling a tyre from scratch requires multiple cycles of inflation and deflation in order to fully fill the tyre with nitrogen. The tyre must contain a concentration of at least 95 percent nitrogen to be effective enough.
Cost of a top up though will be significantly lesser than filling the tyre from scratch. It might cost you just about 10-20 rupees for topping up each tyre.
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