Used to be that, when it came to inflating your car’s tires, you were rather limited in terms of what you could inflate them with. "Regular old air" was your only choice. But since August of 2010, Mountain View Tire has been offering nitrogen tire inflation as a smart alternative.

Why should you inflate your tires with nitrogen? There are three good reasons. Take a look.

1) Nitrogen Tire Inflation Improves Fuel Economy

Your tires are designed to be inflated to a specific pressure. When they’re filled to that ideal pressure, your tires cause less rolling resistance and create less friction against the surface of the road. That means your engine operates more efficiently and doesn’t have to work as hard to propel your car forward, and a more efficient engine uses less fuel.

Nitrogen molecules are larger than the air molecules that typically are found in tires. Those larger molecules can’t pass through the surface area of tires as easily, so they stay within the tires a lot longer - up to four times longer, in fact! Because your tires stay properly inflated, your vehicle’s fuel economy improves, or at the very least, doesn’t decrease.

2) Nitrogen Tire Inflation Helps Your Tires Last Longer

We love oxygen. You love oxygen. Let’s hear it for oxygen! But let’s not put any more in our tires. Oxygen reacts with metal at high temperatures and pressures. And guess what your car’s wheels are made of? Yep, metal.

Nitrogen, on the other hand, is a dry, inert gas. It runs cooler, doesn’t produce condensation, and doesn’t oxidize. So, when you inflate your tires with nitrogen you don’t have to worry about rusty rims or damage to the belts and inner lining of your tires.

And tires inflated with nitrogen are less likely to fail prematurely. In fact, nitrogen can actually increase tire life by 20%. That means nitrogen-filled tires are safer and provide better value.

3) Nitrogen Tire Inflation Saves You Money

Between the tires’ extended service life and the improved fuel economy, the average driver can save between $150 and $300 each year just by using nitrogen in their tires.

By the way, nitrogen tire inflation is standard on NASCAR, Formula 1, and Indy 500 cars and at NASA. The Federal Aviation Administration also requires that nitrogen be used in all aircraft tires.

You can have your tires filled with nitrogen at most Mountain View Tire stores. (Check our Locations page here.) Only our Chino and Montebello locations do not offer nitrogen service.