How to purge air for nitrogen

[joeuser]

I just got new tires. They were not inflated with Nitrogen.
I have Costco membership and will be stopping by to inflate with nitrogen.
I keep reading that I should purge tires until 3psi and then inflate with nitrogen. I'm not feeling exactly confident about purging nearly 37 PSI out of the tire. Any risk doing any significant damage to the tire in the process if the car is parked and resting its full weight on the wheels/tires ?
Little scared about doing it this way.
EDIT: FYI, Costco in my area have installed tire inflation stations outside for everyone's access. So this doesn't require me asking them to do anything (I suspect they've gotten tons of inflation requests that they simply decided to put these up outside so that it becomes DIY).
Any suggestions ?

 

[ucmndd]

Any risk doing any significant damage to the tire in the process if the car is parked and resting its full weight on the wheels/tires ?

No.

 

[Krisja]

Take the wheel of to purge and fill with Nitrogen...
But why should you pay for Nitrogen.
Normal air consists of 78% of Nitrogen. Do you really think those 22% extra will make a difference?
The first thing that escapes from your tires is oxygen, so if this 22% has escaped, and you pump regular air back in with 78% nitrogen (that you get for free), your nitrogen content is already above 90% and so on...

 

[The Other Dan]

For 99.99% of the people, including you, it makes absolutely no real difference if it's air or nitrogen.
That being said if you feel you need to fill with Nitrogen, just deflate your tires all the way and refill them. It's best if you take them off the car, but you won't hurt them if you don't.

 

[RayK]

If the nitrogen fill doesn't cost any extra, then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't use it. The (very slight) benefits from using N2 over regular air shouldn't hurt anything. If, on the other hand, filling your tires with N2 costs $$$ then I'd seriously reconsider. Air is 78% N2 and 21% O2 (these percentages are slightly lower in CA).

You would have good reason to use N2 if you are racing your car (high temps of tires) but for regular day-to-day commuting, I don't think it really matters. What's more important is keeping a good check of inflation pressures and that's what the TPMS is for.

 

[joeuser]

To everyone asking if this will cost me anything: NO, the nitrogen inflation is free and it will be DIY. I just want to make sure I don't damage the tires if I purge them down to that amount. Seems like it shouldn't so I will go ahead and do this today.

 

[GtiMart]

The more "air" you remove, the higher the concentration in "pure" nitrogen. If you're uncomfortable with going to 3psi, you can stop at 10... Even at 3psi, there's still a significant amount of "air" in the tire that has 70% nitrogen. The only way to be close to 100% nitrogen would be to get complete vacuum on the tires, which won't happen Just go down to what you feel like and refill with your free nitrogen. You'll have augmented the concentration of nitrogen somewhat, that's all.

 

[skygraff]

Yup. Advice above is good and your call if you want to do the purge.

There’s nothing wrong with mixing and oxygen (other trace elements) will leak before nitrogen or, at least, the concentration will always favor nitrogen. Remember, Costco doesn’t install tires in a vacuum so there’s always ambient air inside before they start inflating with nitrogen.

I had mine installed at Costco and use the nitrogen but pressure still deviates with temperature as much as regular air and I have no illusions that the higher nitrogen concentration will reduce corrosion of the inner wheel. I don’t think there’s much real benefit except for the fact that Costco has those free machines and I don’t have to go to a gas station or hook up my compressor for a top off any more.

 

[rwiegand]

Agree that it's almost certainly not necessary, in that it will make no difference. Serial dilution is probably the most efficient way to accomplish what you want. If you let out 80% of the air and refill three times in a row you'll be left with less than 1% of whatever the original gas content was. Doing it just twice will replace 96% of the original gas, getting you to something like 99% nitrogen in the tire, three times to maybe 99.8% (in the very unlikely event that Costco nitrogen starts at 100%).

 

[MikeRTX]

IMO, the whole notion of nitrogen in tires is for people looking for something to worry about.

"Purging" your tires and adding nitrogen will maybe increase the nitrogen content of the air in those tires by about 3-5% at best. Why? Because you won't be getting the existing air out of the tire unless you put it in a vacuum chamber or pressurized nitrogen enclosure, which nobody does.

I've had several new cars with nitrogen fill from dealers, and I saw no difference in pressure fluctuations because of weather or driving. For 99% of us, I consider it a waste of time and money. Worry about something that matters.

 

[afadeev]

I just got new tires. They were not inflated with Nitrogen.

Sure they were.
Earth’s atmosphere is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. Air also has small amounts of other gases, too, such as carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen.

I keep reading that I should purge tires until 3psi and then inflate with nitrogen. I'm not feeling exactly confident about purging nearly 37 PSI out of the tire. Any risk doing any significant damage to the tire in the process if the car is parked and resting its full weight on the wheels/tires ?

Sure.

Little scared about doing it this way.

As you should be.
I would not attempt this procedure without carefully lubing the muffler bearings first!

Any suggestions ?

Have a drink. And a good meal.
Go to movies. Try hiking. Try craft beer brewing.
Once you get good at beer brewing, you will find an application where nitrogen actually matters.

Until then, take it easy!

HTH,
a

 

[oreobbq]

Placebo effect. On you that is, the car is inanimate lol. Maybe you'll gain some range with Helium instead.

 

[KenC]

I just got new tires. They were not inflated with Nitrogen.
I have Costco membership and will be stopping by to inflate with nitrogen.
I keep reading that I should purge tires until 3psi and then inflate with nitrogen. I'm not feeling exactly confident about purging nearly 37 PSI out of the tire. Any risk doing any significant damage to the tire in the process if the car is parked and resting its full weight on the wheels/tires ?
Little scared about doing it this way.
EDIT: FYI, Costco in my area have installed tire inflation stations outside for everyone's access. So this doesn't require me asking them to do anything (I suspect they've gotten tons of inflation requests that they simply decided to put these up outside so that it becomes DIY).
Any suggestions ?

Interesting. If you feel like lowering your pressures is somehow going to damage your sidewalls in the short amount of time it takes, you can always jack up that side of the car, while you fill the tires. No load, no harm to the sidewalls.

 

[RayK]

But if that's done, the interior volume of the tire(s) will not change (lower) so you wouldn't evacuate all of the air possible. You might get 0 psi differential when compared to the outside pressure but there's still air inside.

 

[Gumball]

In car tires, pure nonsense to use nitrogen. But if it’s free, why not if it makes you feel better.

 

[RonB]

The question is WHY??????????

 

[beachsideev]

EDIT: FYI, Costco in my area have installed tire inflation stations outside for everyone's access. So this doesn't require me asking them to do anything (I suspect they've gotten tons of inflation requests that they simply decided to put these up outside so that it becomes DIY).

Is there an actual nitrogen tank next to these inflation stations? How do you know if it is anything other than regular air?

 

[ucmndd]

Is there an actual nitrogen tank next to these inflation stations? How do you know if it is anything other than regular air?

The hose is green, duh

 

[beachsideev]

Duh! I should have known.

 

[Big Dog]

I just got new tires. They were not inflated with Nitrogen.
I have Costco membership and will be stopping by to inflate with nitrogen.
I keep reading that I should purge tires until 3psi and then inflate with nitrogen. I'm not feeling exactly confident about purging nearly 37 PSI out of the tire. Any risk doing any significant damage to the tire in the process if the car is parked and resting its full weight on the wheels/tires ?
Little scared about doing it this way.
EDIT: FYI, Costco in my area have installed tire inflation stations outside for everyone's access. So this doesn't require me asking them to do anything (I suspect they've gotten tons of inflation requests that they simply decided to put these up outside so that it becomes DIY).
Any suggestions ?

Please post an article or two. Are they specific to running at a track?

Beyond a track, what value do you see in adding more N2?