TPMS -- Which way to go

Anything relating to Wheels, Tires, and Brake options and upgrades...

Moderator: volvite

allisojh
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 6:43 pm

TPMS -- Which way to go

Postby allisojh » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:00 am

These little bastards are starting to run out of battery.

1 is bad, 2 are low battery and one is reading fine.

How the F can a 2007 with 57k on it have sensors that the battereis wear out? I would think they would have more than a 5 year lifespan? Federal Law requires them but how about how long they are supposed to last?

They want around 500 to replace them.

I was thinking about using a 3 cent piece of black tape and saying F it.

Honestly I don't need a light, I have been driving for 30 years without sensors and know when to check and fill. Tis so damn annoying to see it blink for a minute then go solid. It doesn't help my OCD either.
Last edited by allisojh on Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:59 am, edited 2 times in total.


User avatar
deermjd
Posts: 459
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:24 pm
Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Postby deermjd » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:14 am

That's exactly what I would do. Nothing.

User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:38 pm

I just had one go on my 06. They seem to last about 5-7 years. Dorman Products makes them on the aftermarket and work just as good as OEM. If you search around, you can find them for $50 each and I believe they have a lifetime warranty.

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:13 pm

I had one of mine replaced recently at no charge by the dealer, '07 w/53k. The battery on it wasn't bad, but it kept sending out a fault code. I personally hate the things.

User avatar
Clay350
Posts: 140
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:14 pm
Location: Minnesota

Postby Clay350 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:48 am

On my other cars I use the tire pressure caps. They have a preset rating. If your tires have good pressure you see green when you glance at them. If your tires are low you dont see green. There are no batteries or sensors to fail. Just a easy way to tell if your tires are low. $30 for a set of four



http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Pressure-PS ... B004C4WK44

User avatar
hfrez
Posts: 220
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:33 am
Location: PSL, Florida

Postby hfrez » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:55 am

My new 2011 SV came with the TPMS but they also gave me Nitrogen in my tires and free services for one year on the Nitrogen. I have almost 6000 miles on it now and had it since September. I have not lost any pressure nor did I have to bring it to the dealer for refill since I have the truck.

User avatar
Tech
Posts: 395
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:46 pm

Postby Tech » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:18 pm

FYI - at the beginning of winter, a customer comes in - tire light
tells me how much we're rippping him off, scam scam scam etc etc.

He's on the way back home form vaca, lives in the mountains - snowy as F*** already. Tells me his wife (sure...) popped a tire and had it replaced, he's guessing tire shop damaged sensor or something. They checked it out, replaced the tire, got half way home - light comes on.

I check it out - whole time he's nagging me.

long story short - he had a cracked rim, had spread (i'm guessing partially due to getting wet and freezing) 2/3 of the way around the rim. F'n hub center was gonna fall out if he kept driving.

TPMS prob saved his whole fam from driving off the moutain road.

allisojh
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 6:43 pm

Postby allisojh » Sat Jan 12, 2013 11:57 am

How common are cracked rims on Pathfinder's?

User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Mon Jan 14, 2013 7:41 am

Not very common, but it can happen. The TPMS is a good system it's just that they should have had serviceable batteries in the sensors. You can check your tire pressure everyday but that doesn't gaurantee you against picking up something in the road and have a fast loss of pressure in one of your tires. Most of us remember the Firestone tire problems on the Ford Explorers years back. This system is a direct result of those problems.

User avatar
disallow
Site Admin
Posts: 2820
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:02 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Postby disallow » Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:39 am

I've noticed mine are getting a little more sensitive with age, but all of them still seem to work great. 05 with over 140000mi on it. I've never replaced any of them in the 5 years I've had the truck.

I prefer to have a fully functioning TPMS system, I'd replace the sensors. I've managed to save 2 tires because of this system, where it warned me of pressure loss before the tire was damaged from running with no air in it. System pays for itself.

User avatar
ShipFixer
Posts: 769
Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 9:52 am
Location: San Diego, CA

Postby ShipFixer » Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:43 am

I'm thinking of replacing all of mine sometime in the next year when my LTX's finally give up. Well...if they give up!

What's the current best price? I see $50/unit from Tire Rack and elsewhere.

User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:53 pm

Rockauto.com has had the best prices on TPMS sensors that I've found. Of course, once you get the new sensors and have them installed, they need to be "woke up" and ID registered. To wake them up, you'll need a TPMS activation tool. I've been thinking about this one for $80:

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/det ... %2BSystems

I already have a scantool that'll work on the TPMS system. I've also looked at this one for a bit more money, but more features:

http://www.auto-repair-manuals.com/KTI- ... 4AodZG0Aww

User avatar
ShipFixer
Posts: 769
Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 9:52 am
Location: San Diego, CA

Postby ShipFixer » Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:23 pm

Score! Thanks! They had a couple on close out for $25. I bought both, I'll have the one replaced and just hold the other for the next time. B-)

Dunno if my scan tool will work with TPMS, but definitely worth checking out...

User avatar
oreogaborio
Posts: 197
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:13 pm

Postby oreogaborio » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:07 pm

Thanks for the tip on where to get inexpensive TPMS units... I just snapped TWO trying to take off my metal valve stem caps that had just enough corrosion on them to freeze them on there a little too hard. :evil: It was like they were made of butter. The first one I admittedly forced but the second one I hardly even twisted.

I was hoping they were a two piece type design where the stem just snaps into the TPMS to secure it to the rim but apparently not. :?



Uhg... shops just love it when you bring them parts & say "Install this, please".

User avatar
volvite
Sponsored Member
Posts: 2180
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:06 pm
Location: Hill AFB, Utah West Point UT

Postby volvite » Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:21 am

Are there other ways of waking up new TPMS without buying a tool?


Return to “R51 Brakes, Tires, and Wheels”