aftermarket tpms sensors.

[JustinH]

All,

I put a set of 18 inch Veloster OEM wheels on my sonata with new tires from discount tire.

The guys strongly advised me to get new TPMS sensors because the OEM sensors are from 2011 and they typically only last 5 years, and the batteries are non replaceable.

I said nah no thanks, and then he said it would almost cost the same in labor to rebuild sensors, and remount them than to just purchase new ones.

So I went with the new sensors, purchased 4 new tires for $495. He cut me a deal on everything and they were fair about it.

Anyways I have had to take the car back three times so far for TPMS light blinking, then staying lit.

First time the guy said oh well you may have some interference from the old wheel tire assembly being inside the car when we scanned. So I gave him that, and he reprogrammed the TPMS again, and the code came back 1 hour later.

So today I go back, and the guy says yeah must be interference, let us try it again, and if not we will replace all 4 sensors.

Sure enough it lasted about an hour and the light came back on.

So I'll drop the car off next week.

My question is this, has anyone had troubles with aftermarket VDO brand sensors. Also do they have to be programmed to a certain tire pressure, or is one vehicle setup for one tire pressure only?

The 16 inch factory wheels were about 36psi, and the new 18 inch wheels are the same, so the pressure is not low.

Anyways car looks great, but the weather has been terrible, will post photos when i get it cleaned up.

 

[eljefino]

It sounds like the VDO sensors were programmed to "clone" the IDs of the OE ones. You could indeed have interference.

I would put them on notice that you expect perfection, and will charge-back your card and have the dealer fix it if they can't.

My 06 prius is seeing a decline in the factory sensors; have replaced 2/4 and possibly the PO may have done some. I think 5 years is a little soon to replace but you never know. I went with the factory part, despite the expense, and am happy.

 

[JLTD]

The way I understand it, if they are programmed correctly in the car will recognize them. I had the same situation when I had a flat fixed at big O tires in Denver, they damaged one of the sensors and replaced it. Then my TPMS light was on after that… Took it back and they reprogrammed it and all is working properly now or seems to be.

To my understanding there are only two manufacturers of sensors so you get pretty much the same product no matter what.

 

[Hall]

Wouldn't be surprised if the VDO sensors are in fact the same as the OEM sensors. I bought VDO SE10001HP sensors for my Infiniti and had them installed by Discount Tire with zero issues. When I was looking, it appears that many companies, even ones that appear to be manufacturers, are re-branding sensors from others as their own so I suspect there's a limited number of actual manufacturers out there.

Problem with Discount Tire is, they probably can't tell you exactly which sensor they used. When mine were starting to fail (corrosion related), they 'serviced' them but it didn't work. Well, it was better, instead of leaking enough over ~3 weeks to trip the sensors, it took 2x that, so I knew I needed to replace them soon enough. One was worse than the others so I asked them to check again, including cleaning up the wheel's bead edge, etc, etc. In the process, they broke the sensor*. Obviously I had to buy one at that point and their receipt had a jumbled part # that was a combination of jargon from VDO sensors and another supplier that I remembered from when I was looking for sensors.

* When I say they broke one, after 10 years in the rust belt / salt zone (winter), they don't come out easily. When they replaced the remaining (3), as I sat in the waiting area, someone was banging away on metal out in their work area. I walked to the window and saw it was one of my wheels ! They had to do the same on all 3 in fact and I jokingly asked why he was mad at my wheels. The tech laughed and said "that's normal and yours weren't as bad as some".

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by JLTD
The way I understand it, if they are programmed correctly in the car will recognize them. I had the same situation when I had a flat fixed at big O tires in Denver, they damaged one of the sensors and replaced it. Then my TPMS light was on after that… Took it back and they reprogrammed it and all is working properly now or seems to be.

To my understanding there are only two manufacturers of sensors so you get pretty much the same product no matter what.


Your OE Sensor might ping, every minute, and say "I am serial number 90210-0001 and my pressure is 33.4 PSI!" The car next to you will say "I am 4077-0002 at 27 PSI" but because your computer doesn't read 4077, it ignores them.

But your clone sensor pings "I, too, am serial number 90210-0001 and my pressure is 37.5 PSI" while the other one is in the garage sending a mixed message simultaneously.