TPMS Options for Multiple Wheel Sets (I.e., Winter/Summer, Street/Off-Road, etc.)

Keep in mind FMVSS No. 138 comes from the TREAD Act, which was passed in response to the Firestone tread separation issues on Ford Explorers. The original intent of TPMS was therefore to prevent tire destruction through prolonged underinflation (i.e. lack of maintenance by the driver), not to detect punctures.

 

Extremely stupid question that is making my brain hurt even after reading the forum and manual.

If I replace my tires do I need to move the chip to the new tire, or does this problem only apply when I change my wheels?

 

This only applies if you replace your wheels as the sensor is mounted to your wheels and not the tires.

When you go to get your new tires put on, the tire shop *should* install a sensor mainenance kit which is pretty much just a new rubber washer to ensure no air leaks.

Note that the sensors have batteries in them that can last anywhere from 3 to 10 years. If you're vehicle is approaching the 10 year mark, it might be wise to replace the sensors as long as you're replacing the tires so you don't end-up doing that a short time down the road. (The batteries are not replaceable, the whole unit must get replaced.)

 

Can we all agree that the government has created a non-solution to a non-problem, and forced us to become experts on a largely useless system to prevent an annoying light from flashing?

 

I'm by no means a fan of"big government" and would like them to leave me alone as much aspossible, but I have mixed feelings about TPMS.

For one, you have toconsider that the vast majority of automobile owners are not automobileenthusiasts. In other words, it's only a small number of automobile owners that spend a lot oftime obsessing about their vehicles and spend a lot of time online learning aboutthem. The average vehicle owner just gets in his car and drives, and doesn'tthink much about maintenance until something actually breaks (hence the wholeFord Explorer tire issue). So while the TPMS may be viewed as pointless by autoenthusiasts who are typically aware of things like tire pressure, the whole point of the system is to be annoying to anon-enthusiast and force him to go get his car looked at because there actuallyis a problem... and in the case of Ford, a life threatening problem.

I'm a computer programmerby trade, and the whole point of computer systems (and technology in general) is to theoretically make ourlives easier by performing tasks we don't want to do. One task I don't want todo is check my tire pressure every day, so I'm pretty content with the ideathat my car can check it's own tire pressure and let me know if something iswrong. However, to your point, if the TPMS only checks tire pressure whenthere's a full moon (or whatever), it's usefulness seems quite limited comparedto what it could be.

I'd like to know how oftenour vehicle's ECU does check the tire pressure. Does it do it each timethe car is started? Or every 5 starts? Or??? The answer is probably on the Interweb somewhere...

 

Does anyone know with any certainty whether TPMS can detect punctures that result in relatively rapid deflation? Perhaps it queries the sensors periodically but if there is a rapid change the sensors send an "emergency" signal?

Because if it can't, then the system is very close to worthless.

 

^http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/tpmsfinalrule.6/tpmsfinalrule.6.html#IV_1
It can't. The regs require the TPMS to detect a tire that has fallen 25% below the doorjamb sticker pressure within 20 minutes.

Hyundai's comments during the rulemaking process suggests TPMS sensor sampling takes 3 minutes, and multiple samples are needed to overcome data errors, so a 20 minute grace period is necessary.

Useless to us. However, most Americans are car-illiterate, don't check tire pressure regularly and don't adjust for temperature variations. The same folks also need a brake interlock to shift out of Park, seatbelt chime, automatic headlights, burnt lightbulb warning... Before you snicker, keep in mind Toyota's business depends on these folks to snap up boatloads of beige Corollas every year.

NHTSA expects TPMS to reduce traffic fatalities by 119-121 each year in the US.

 

Screw That ! I just went with the PIPE BOMB option ...it works great in all kinds of weather...i check my tire pressure all the time since I air down & up while surf fishing the beaches...
I plan on keeping the truck till the wheels fall off.....
It is not DIFFICULT or expensive to make the pipe bomb...

 

If they haven't already, the FBI will surely be tracking this site now, what with all pro-gun talks and pipe bomb instructions.

Might as well add a few more buzzwords...

Al Qaeda
Obama bin Laden
Waco Tacos
Murdered out
Total chaos

 

Cute, real cute! Now I have to wea my tin foil hat while surfing TW....

Good thread though, I have a set of new wheels in my garage for 2 months, and 4 new DuraTrac tires waiting to be mounted on them, but the whole TPMS issue is stalling me.

I will not go the route where I need to visit a dealer or tire shop any time I want to switch to the other set of wheels because in my case the whole issue was a set of wheels for off-road and another set for highway trips and the ability to swap back and forth weekly if I want to. So for Me, if I DO get TPMS sensors for the new wheels they they MUST be programmable to clone the factory TMPS. Thus both sets are ready to run all the time.

 

LOL!

I'm hoping that as more and more people read this thread, they'll start requesting programmable sensors form the various online wheel stores so eventually we can get to the point where the cloned TPMS sensor is easy to get.

I think it's silly that many wheel shops will sell you "OEM sensors" to the tune of $400 (like at CARiD.com) which also means you'll have to spend a bunch more money getting the dealer to reprogram your ECU all the time... something the wheel shop web sites don't mention.

It'd be of great advantage to both the wheel shop and the customer if the wheel shop just stocked a few programmable sensors rather than trying to stock OEM sensors for all various brands. Maybe it's going to take the consumers asking for programmable sensors to get the stores to wise-up!

 

Good thread... got a question. Has anyone here had to get the sensor batteries replaced yet? Just wondering how much we'll have to shell out for that.

 

The batteries are not replaceable, you have to replace the entire sensor. The programmable Schrader EZ-Sensor sensors are

Schrader 33000 EZ-Sensor Programmable TPMS - 315 MHz

$50 each on Amazon.com where as the OEM sensors are typically much more.

What would be really fun is if you get new tires put on and then your sensor batteries dies shortly there after. If you've had your car for more than 5 years and you're putting tires on, you might want to just replace the sensors anyway since the battery life is supposedly anywhere from 3 to 7 years.

 

FYI, I just got a response from CARiD.com and they do not carry programmable TPMS sensors. That's a bummer because they have a lot of nice wheels.

 

Interestingly, I got the Schraeder EZ Sensor with my Konigs. I think the shop chose the EZ Sensor simply so they can carry just one sensor that works with all the car brands.

 

Nope... when my sensors quit working they'll be replaced with a $5.99 tire gauge.

 

My '13 Tacoma came with a full size spare tire on a plain steel wheel. Discount Tire in Austin, TX removed the spare tire from the steel wheel, mounted and balanced it on an aluminum wheel I’d bought from a forum member, and reprogrammed all five wheels for $10. Such a deal!

 

I thought Toyota deleted the spare tire TPMS sensor from 2008 onwards.

 

All 5 wheels on my '12 were stock rims with sensors.

 

Do factory alloy tpms generally fit aftermarket rims?