How do you tell if wheels have TPMS sensors when tires are mounted?

I'm looking at a set of 16" Trd wheels on craigslist, but tires are mounted, and the person selling them does not know if they have TPMS sensors... He says they are off a 2007 Tacoma...

Is there any way to tell if the sensors are present w/o dismounting the tires?

I'm would like to have an additional set of wheels/tires for my '09 DC TRD Offroad for the winter months...

thanks in advance

 

You can try mounting them on your truck, make sure they are properly aired up, drive around for couple blocks and if the TPMS light comes on then you know they won't have them.

 

post up a pic..I deal with alot of tpms daily..I may be able to tell you

 

Yeah...

A 45 min drive each way, though... Plus the time to put them on my truck...

Do they work in sets? Or could I just put one on my truck and make sure the pressure is the same?

 

The pics on craigslist are not very good, but it appears to have the metal valve stems with the hex nut... I think they look the same as the ones on my '09... Is that what I'm looking for?

 

If he took them off his truck, then how did he handle the dash light???

If you add a different set of sensors to your truck then you need to have them flashed to your truck everytime you switch rims. The sensors are uniquely numbered. This can be expensive if the dealer does it.

Back to your question, the outside valve stem has the aluminum sleeve. But that does not mean the sensor body inside is not damaged. I say this because yesterday the tire technician snapped the body of my sensor off and you cannot tell from the outside of the rim.

The last option is the black tape mod that I had to perform yesterday to cover my dash warning light.

 

They did not come off his truck...

I did not realize the sensors were matched sets and flashed to the truck...

I guess the sensors are not that important...

Black tape mod would be fine for the winter months...

 

They have to be programmed into the ECU first for that to work.
Simplest way to tell is look at the valve stem. Rubber stem= no TPMS.

 

If I were to purchase the wheels...

When I mount new tires is there # I need to get off each sensor?

How does the dealer reflash the ecu? and how much does it cost?

I would only do it twice per year... once in the Fall and once in the Spring...

If some or all of the sensors are broken, how much $ are they?

 

thats not true. When myself, or a coworker breaks a sensor, we ususally order one from a local place and it works no problems.

I even learned that costco sells sensors now

 

I had heard people on the forums pay $90 to have the dealer flash the sensors. Seemed high, but what are the options.

From my readings only Toyota requires the special flashing. Some other car brands are flashed by a reset procedure. But not Toyotas.

The black tape mod took me 10 minutes and I wish I had done it day one.