Air pressure is one of the fundamental pillars of tire maintenance. Keeping properly inflated tires can boost vehicle performance and help tires last longer. Luckily, it’s relatively simple to keep track of your air pressure and maintain it at the right level. If you’re interested in using nitrogen to fill your tires, you’ll want to know where to get nitrogen for tires (because not every fill station has it).
A study by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 50% of American motorists fail to check their tire air pressure. To avoid air pressure problems down the road, tire dealers are now offering nitrogen instead of air.
Get Nitrogen Institute claims when you fill a tire with nitrogen it will wear less, improve gas mileage, and degrade less.
But are these claims legit and is filling your tires with nitrogen vs air something you should be doing? That’s exactly what I’ll reveal here.
Best Places to Fill Your Tires with Nitrogen
Using nitrogen instead of regular air in tires does have some benefits, and it has become more popular in recent years. As a result, more locations are now offering nitrogen filling.
Whether it is a full tire center, a supermarket chain, or a car dealer, you probably won’t have to go far to find your nearest nitrogen filling station.
If you want to use nitrogen, I advise you to go to a proper tire center. There, you’ll have access to professionals who are experts in tire maintenance.
To find a nitrogen tire fill station near you, you can use this tool from NitroFill.com to search your zip code.
How Much Does it Cost to Put Nitrogen in Your Tires?
The cost of filling your tires with nitrogen will vary depending upon if you’re getting the fill done on new tires, draining the compressed air in your tires and refilling with N2, or simply topping off tires that are already filled with nitrogen.
To Get Brand New Tires Filled with Nitrogen
To get your brand new car tires filled with Nitrogen it will typically cost you in the range of $70 to $179 total.
Switching from Compressed Air to N2
If you’re switching from compressed air to N2 for your existing tires (drain and refill) you can expect to pay about $30 per tire for the service.
Already Have Nitrogen in Your Tires and Just Need Top Off
If you already have nitrogen in your tires and you just need the pressure topped up, usually you’ll pay around $5 per tire.
Where Can I Get Free Nitrogen for My Tires?
As the popularity of nitrogen filling grows, the number of locations offering tire pressure maintenance using nitrogen is increasing.
In some cases, you may be able to get your refill for free, although you’ll probably have to make some kind of purchase.
One notable free nitrogen provider is Costco, which offers free nitrogen tire refills for all of its membership program customers.
Below are other common nitrogen refill locations.
Tire Centers
You will find nitrogen refilling stations at many tire centers nationwide. These are arguably the ideal places to top up because they are tire specialists.
However, it is unlikely that you’ll find free nitrogen at a tire center.
Car Dealerships
Many new cars now ship with nitrogen-filled tires. One of the perks of buying a new car is the dealer will usually let you refill your tires with nitrogen for free.
When you eventually replace your tires, you may still be able to refill with the dealer. Used-car dealers are less inclined to offer free nitrogen refills, but it’s possible to find some outliers.
Superstores
If a superstore sells tires, they may allow you to refill purchased tires for free. Other superstores operate automotive shops, and some provide nitrogen tire top-ups.
These locations may or may not be free depending on the brand.
Does Walmart Have Nitrogen for Tires?
While Walmart does operate an Auto Car Center, it’s unclear whether the company provides nitrogen refills. It could be available at some locations and not others.
Certainly, Walmart does have a relationship with nitrogen tires. For example, it has been using Inflation Solutions Group (ISG) to provide a tire inflation network for its fleet service vehicles.
Benefits of Tire Nitrofill
There are several benefits to filling your tires with nitrogen instead of compressed air. These include:
Maintain Pressure
Motorists are often told maintaining air pressure at the optimal level for their vehicle and tire is hugely important.
And that’s true, simply because a properly inflated tire will last longer, be at less risk from failure, and will help your vehicle handle better.
One of the problems with tires is that they cannot stay inflated on their own.
Over time, air naturally leaks from the tire because the rubber compound is porous. It is not a lot, but as air is leaking constantly, the tire slowly deflates over weeks and months.
This is why you need to frequently check your tire inflation and top up the air when needed. It is worth noting the process will happen more quickly during temperature swings.
According to some, nitrogen does not leak through the porous rubber of the tire sidewall as quickly as air.
It actually makes sense too, because the molecules in nitrogen are larger than those in air. The result is a nitrogen-filled tire will stay inflated longer than an air-filled tire.
Fuel Economy
From there you get all the normal benefits of a properly air-inflated tire, but for longer. One of them is improved gas mileage.
When a tire is running at optimal pressure, it is causing less drag on the road surface, allowing your vehicle to perform more efficiently.
Sure, this is true of air too, but because nitrogen tires deflate slower, you will get the benefits for more time.
This theory is backed up by the U.S. Department of Energy, which says every 1 PSI drop in pressure across four tires will cause gas mileage to fall .3%.
For drivers, this means a 3.3% boost in gas mileage, allowing savings of $07 per gallon. It may not be enough, but over thousands of miles and hundreds of gallons, it will make a difference.
Tire Longevity
Most standard tires for passenger vehicles will last around 50,000 to 60,000 miles before they need replacing.
Looking at the average distance motorists in the U.S. cover each year, tires should last between 3 and 5 years. If your tires are wearing out faster, air pressure could be the reason.
When a tire is not inflated properly it will wear down more quickly and need replacing.
Because nitrogen keeps the tire inflated for longer, you may see your tire last more time before you need to change it.
However, you should remember that there are numerous other factors that play a role in tire wear, such as alignment and your driving habits.
While all of these benefits sound appealing, some feel that nitrogen isn’t worth the extra cost, time and effort.
For many drivers, regularly checking your pressure and topping up your tires with regular compressed air is just as good.
Why the Benefits of N2 in Tires May be Overblown
According to AAA, many of the reputed benefits of filling car tires with nitrogen are based on myths that don’t accurately represent the difference between N2 and compressed air in tires.
In a report, AAA detailed the apparent myths around nitrogen tires.
Air Pressure
AAA insists tires will lose pressure over time regardless of whether it is air or nitrogen filling them.
Temperature Control
Proponents of nitrogen claim it isn’t affected by temperature swings, and that it delivers better tire performance.
AAA contends that while this is true, it has little application for drivers if they maintain their tires properly.
Degradation
While it is claimed nitrogen reduces rubber degradation on tires, AAA argues tire shops have tools that prevent moisture vapor (the main cause of degradation) when filling with air.
Why Most People Stick with Compressed Air
Despite the hype, most people love the cost (free) and convenience of using compressed air in their vehicle tires.
And as long as you stay on top of maintenance and check your tire pressure monthly, there isn’t much of a difference between air and N2.
My Take
Despite these qualifications to the benefits of N2 in tires, and the convenience of compressed air, the bottom line is that N2 does offer performance benefits.
So if you have a fill station near you, it may be worthwhile to consider filling your tires with N2 instead of standard compressed air. But it’s a personal decision, and either way you’ll have to stay on top of monitoring your tire pressure.
It may be a viable choice to fill your tires with nitrogen, especially if you can find free filling. However, if not you will need to pay more to fill your tires.
You can avoid most tire problems related to air pressure with monthly checks and good maintenance. Whether you use nitrogen or air is unimportant if you look after your tires.
Now That You Know Where to Get Nitrogen for Tires, Will You?
Which side of the nitrogen vs. air debate do you stand? After reading what I’ve shared here, are you willing to pay a little extra to fill your tires with nitrogen?
Or do you think the claimed benefits are not worth it? Let me know in the comments below.