Green Tire Caps == Nitrogen?

[sephirothpp]

Hello guys!

Today I thought I had a tire with a leak and took the car to a tire shop (Discount Tires) to get it check. Gladly wasn't a leak but somehow that tire was almost 8 lbs lower that the rest, a little bit of air fixed the issue. The funny part is that at the dealership they told me that my tires where filled with nitrogen, something that in opinion is unnecessary but they had it like that before I purchased the car, and they "throw it to the deal" (they didn't charged me for that).

BUT, and here's the curious part, at the tire shop they where not sure if my tire had nitrogen on them because usually the tire cap is bright green to indicate that the content is not aire but nitrogen. I even checked online and is a best practice to put them green, not just something they usually do at that tire shop. So now I'm not sure if they lied to me at the dealership or they just fill them with nitrogen and put the original caps on.

I'm not concerned that they probably lied to me because at the end I didn't pay for that extra but is kinda annoying that they tell you they did something and just be a**holes about it.

Anyone has a similar experience?

 

[SEA Stinger]

I bought my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires at Costco. Costco fills tires with nitrogen at no extra charge, and they use green valve caps.

If any tire shop tries to charge you more than a small fee for using nitrogen to inflate your tires, that's a good indication they will also try other ways to rip you off.

That said, the real-world advantages of nitrogen over air (which is already 78 percent nitrogen), appear to pretty minimal.

 

[JustThatPenguin]

Less fluctuation in psi when the weather changes. And you can go longer before having to fill up air.

 

[NS_Stinger]

Yes most places use a green cap so its evident the tires have nitrogen in them. The dealer acting like they're doing you a big favour throwing it in for free is pretty funny. 8lbs lower could mean you have a slow leak, definitely keep an eye on it.

 

[PHL Mike]

I was on vacation visiting my daughter in Nashville several years ago and needed service on my Optima at the time. As I was waiting /strolling around the showroom I saw an over MSRP window sticker for $900 for nitrogen and mud -splash guards! If the buyer was asleep, it would have been added right onto the sell price. Greedy dealers will rip off unknowing consumers all day long.

 

[eflyguy]

It's a scam, the differences from using it are negligible for street cars (and marginal for racers). I also don't want stupid green caps on my valve stems (I actually have aftermarket steel caps)..

Top 10 Reasons Nitrogen Filled Tyres Are a Scam

 

[Ozstung]

Now Helium filed tyres would be the go

 

[eflyguy]

Now Helium filed tyres would be the go

Go for it! You would save about 5oz/150g per wheel.

(~40 gallons gas in a tire under pressure, helium would weigh about .9oz/22g vs regular air 6.4oz/180g)

 

[eljay]

Mine have green caps, but when I bought it, I wasn't told that they were filled with nitrogen, nor was I charged for it.

In December, I had a "flat" evidently (but never proven) to have been caused by a rock I picked up between the tire and the rim during a downpour on the freeway. No one mentioned nitrogen—not the guys Kia sent out to rescue me (first time for air, two hours later to put on the spare); not the Michelin dealer who examined the tire, found it perfect, reinstalled it, and told me it was probably the rock.

The day after I got the tire put back on, I noticed they'd filled the tires unevenly, but wasn't going to be driving for the next several days and, rather than mess with it myself, decided to have my dealer correct that when I went in for an oil change at the end of the week. At the dealer, my service rep asked if I wanted nitrogen. I asked, "Do I have it now?" "No." "Is there a charge?" "Yes." "Does it really make a difference?" "Not really." "Just use regular air." Again, no mention of the green caps, and other than after the flat, my dealer's service dept. is the only place that has ever put air in my tires, so they should know what's in them.

My point being, gee, I thought the caps were green just because it's pretty.