Free Nitrogen around Silverstone
Free Nitrogen around Silverstone
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Discussion

Paul James

Original Poster:

5 posts

207 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Hi,

Just seen this. Might be worth checking out if your going to the GP this weekend - think I will. Always up for an freebie!

http://www.newspress.co.uk/DAILY_LINKS/arc_jun_200...

GO, GO NITRO! KWIK-FIT'S GREAT GRAND PRIX GAS GIVEAWAY
Kwik-Fit gives away £130 million of nitrogen!

With thousands of GP fans making the final pilgrimage to Silverstone, Kwik-Fit is marking the occasion by offering any motorist in the area over the weekend the chance to give their car tyres the F1 treatment for free.*

The company has set up its own circuit of dedicated tyre pit stops in centres surrounding Silverstone, where it will inflate any motorists’ tyres with the same nitrogen tyre inflation technology used in Jenson Button’s race winning car – for free. And with Kwik-Fit's brand new Nitrogen Filled Tyres service set to cost £1 per tyre, that’s a potential £130 million of free air if all of the country’s motorists were to take it up!

While Jensen might be under pressure this weekend, Kwik-Fit’s Nitrogen Filled Tyres service helps to ensure that your tyres aren’t. That’s because one of the biggest benefits of having your tyres filled with nitrogen – compared to standard compressed air – is that they will retain their pressure for far greater lengths of time. Which experts believe helps to improve road handling and reduce road accidents.

Indeed, current police figures show that 73% of tyres are inflated to the incorrect pressure and that 86% of cars involved in traffic accidents had tyres with incorrect pressures.**

And just as the right tyre pressure can be the difference between being at the front or back of the grid in Formula One, it can pay performance dividends for motorists too. Research shows that correctly inflated tyres can last for up to 25% longer, and also improve fuel economy by up to 5%.***

David White, Kwik-Fit customer services director commented: “We wanted to do something to mark the final British Grand Prix to be held at Silverstone, so setting up our own circuit of pit stops around the area seemed like a fitting tribute. Many of the technologies we take for granted in our cars today were developed initially for Formula One teams and nitrogen filled tyres is no exception. We hope that motorists in and around the area take this chance to improve their car safety and performance for free.”

He continued: “Those that miss the chance this weekend can benefit from our new Nitrogen Filled Tyres service at any one of Kwik-Fit's centres nationwide. And at one pound per tyre it has to be the quickest and most cost effective way of improving your car's safety and performance.”

Participating centres can be found in Northampton, Banbury, Bletchley, Wolverton, Bicester, and Rugby, covering all the major routes into Silverstone (full address details in further information).


Ends

Further information
Nitro giveaway - Participating centres

Northampton: 123-133 Bridge Street, Northampton, NN1 1QF, 01604 633485
Northampton: 11/13 Ruskin Road, Northampton, NN2 7SY, 01604 791183
Banbury: Bridge Street/Cherwell Street, Banbury, OX16 5PH
Bletchley: Saxon Street, Bletchley, MK2 2JU, 01908 375581
Wolverton: Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, MK12 5LJ, 01908 321868
Bicester: Queens Ave, Bicester, OX6 7DR, 01869 322444
Rugby: 2 Bilton Road, Rugby, CV22 7AB

beez

217 posts

252 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
So does using nitrogen mean the pressures don't change as the tyres heat up? In that case what would you set your tyres to with this stuff if your going out on track since you normally drop the pressures a bit to compensate?!?!

Paul James

Original Poster:

5 posts

207 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Yes i think it does mean presssure stays constant with heat as there's hardly any 02 or water vapour in nitrogoen tyres - so the pressure literally cant evaporate. Also it measn you dont have to check your tyres as osten. No idea what you'd set your tyres to on a track to compensate though!! I do know f1 cars use nitro/ I'm gonna try my car on it see if it works.

Milky Joe

3,851 posts

233 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Paul James said:
Yes i think it does mean presssure stays constant with heat as there's hardly any 02 or water vapour in nitrogoen tyres - so the pressure literally cant evaporate.
rofl

crofty1984

17,064 posts

233 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
I thought air was about 80% nitrogen anyway?

Munter

31,331 posts

270 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
crofty1984 said:
I thought air was about 80% nitrogen anyway?
I was thinking 70% but either way. You are better off checking your tyre pressures regularly (and there for spotting a real puncture) then filling with nitrogen because it's dry. Unless you ARE Jenson Button then you need every thing you can.

Paul James

Original Poster:

5 posts

207 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
It is. But air also contains upto 5% water vapour (which evaporates when heated and permetes the tyre wall) whereas pure nitrogen doesn't.

dirty boy

14,859 posts

238 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
I read this a while back

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/fillin...

The air we breath (and the normal compressed air used to inflate tyres) contains 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% other gases.

Purified nitrogen has been used to inflate tyres on aircraft and racing cars for many years, but now some tyre specialists are offering nitrogen inflation for ordinary car and van tyres.

The advantages of using nitrogen in specialist applications are clear

* Planes fly at heights where temperatures may be as low as -40C. Any moisture in the tyres can freeze causing vibration and balance problems when landing. Pure nitrogen is dry so eliminates this problem (as would using dried compressed air)
* In motor sport the smallest fraction of a second can make the difference between winning and losing. Filling with nitrogen can reduce tyre pressure variation caused by changes in tyre temperature.

For passenger car applications the main claims seem to be

* Reduced corrosion – because unlike air there's no moisture in pure nitrogen
* Slower rate of pressure loss – because nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules (which make up 21% of compressed air)

Leakage can occur through the tyre's inner liner but can also occur through the valve, punctures, or failure of the seal between tyre and wheel rim. Pure nitrogen might leak more slowly through the liner, but regular checks of tyre condition and pressures will still be essential.

Corrosion of the tyre through use of normal compressed air alone is most unlikely because only the outer tread band of a car tyre contains steel – the amount of moisture reaching it from the inside is minimal.

Changing to nitrogen involves removing all the air which is already in the tyres and then re-inflating them with purified compressed nitrogen. There will be a one-off charge per tyre but once filled with nitrogen any future top-ups would also have to be with nitrogen if any advantages are to be maintained.

Overall, while accepting the possibility of purified nitrogen being of benefit in certain applications, we don't think that the cost and possible inconvenience are justified for normal passenger car use.

elster

17,517 posts

239 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
dirty boy said:
Overall, while accepting the possibility of purified nitrogen being of benefit in certain applications, we don't think that the cost and possible inconvenience are justified for normal passenger car use.
Couldn't have said it better myself.

Paul James

Original Poster:

5 posts

207 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
it's free!

elster

17,517 posts

239 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Paul James said:
it's free!
You do realise how a marketting exercise works, don't you?

Dave^

7,895 posts

282 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
are they gonna take off the wheels, deflate tyres, then reinflate with nitrogen? or just top them up with Nitrogen?

hehe

Paul James

Original Poster:

5 posts

207 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
it's free!

BigBen

12,155 posts

259 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Paul James said:
I do know f1 cars use nitro
Except the ones that don't of course. And I do know that some teams don't.

Munter

31,331 posts

270 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Paul James said:
it's free!
No it's not. You have to drive there. Then watch them damage your car somehow. Then pay them to repair it. Then wish you'd never thought of going while drinking yourself to an early grave.

So...basically I challenge your idea of free.

elster

17,517 posts

239 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Paul James said:
it's free!
I believe you can get free sample tampons. Would you like me to find out the details for you?

It is free after all. Must have it if it is free.

Dave^

7,895 posts

282 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
elster said:
Paul James said:
it's free!
You do realise how a marketting exercise works, don't you?
haha

sukka: can i have some free st please

kwik fat man: yeah sure, ten pounds please...

sukka: eh? but it's free aint it?

kwik fat man: but you have a puncture....

sukka: where?

kwik fat man: [stabstyre]there[/stabstyre]

sukka: oh... [getswalletout]there you go[/getswalletout]

laugh

s3fella

10,524 posts

216 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
I hear they play pianos and hypnotise young boys there, too....!laugh

eliot

11,995 posts

283 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
Dave said:
haha

sukka: can i have some free st please

kwik fat man: yeah sure, ten pounds please...

sukka: eh? but it's free aint it?

kwik fat man: but you have a puncture....

sukka: where?

kwik fat man: [stabstyre]there[/stabstyre]

sukka: oh... [getswalletout]there you go[/getswalletout]

laugh
More like "there you go sir all topped up with your free Nitrogen.....but Couldn't help noticing that you need a new set of disk & pads though..."

Michael Thurston

703 posts

210 months

Thursday 18th June 2009
quotequote all
It's all a bit of a waste of time anyway unless you can purge all of the normal air out of the tyre first which isn't easy..