Toyota servicing could have killed me. Can I get a refund?

Larger than the 78% of nitrogen molecules natrally present in normal compressed air.....

SteveH ( snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH)) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Fine, so only 22% of the pressure in the tyres will leak out - so pump 'em up to 22% over the intended pressure, then leave until they drop back to the target figure - and you've got pure nitrogen...

(Ferrari F1 use CO2, btw. But I didn't tell you that.)

The OP probably thinks that the article implies that nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules because they don't migrate through the rubber so quickly.

I would have thought that O2 was a larger molecule than N2, as it has both a higher atomic weight and a higher atomic number, BICBW.

I had been told ages ago that N2 filling was advantageous because it prevented the rubber from oxidising - but I've never given it a lot of thought. I doubt that it has any effect on the life of the tyre, unless perhaps the tyre is very seldom used so that it degrades before it wears out.

Cynic (Cynic ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Even then, you'd have to have the outside of the tyre protected from oxygen, too. Which - I'd suggest - is kinda difficult...

apparently an oxygen molecule is about 3 percent smaller than a nitrogen molecule. nitrogen leaks more slowly than plain air according to all the experts.

Mrcheerful

I suspect the biggest advantage is it means there's no water vapour in there.

The question is, how much is "more slowly". The answer is that two or three times "bugger all" is still "bugger all".

N2 is used by Costco as a marketing exercise for car tyres.

In other applications, filling with N2 has advantages when things get hot - ie there's nothing to burn. But that doesn't apply to car tyres.

cheers, clive

these:

ooops

it must have been a bad day - sorry

How would that be an advantage? When it gets really cold, it doesn't matter if there is black ice *inside* the tyre!

You're not confused. Or at least, you weren't.

Martin is, though.

A torque wrench is for tightening nuts *up* to specified torque settings. You shouldn't undo nuts with them, although apparently some can withstand such abuse better than others.

No, but when it gets hot it disproportionatly increases your tyre pressure.

Got any numbers for that? I suspect the answer is "pretty small".

cheers, clive

Ooh

People in Rhodesia who drove on the dirt roads used to fill their tyres with water - it gives a higher probability of surviving a landmine. It certainly reduced the tyre life *significantly*.

I always thought the majority of air loss was through the rather cheaply made schrader valve. BICBW

Not on it's own they don't. They use CO2 in a mix with HCFC's