TPMS an Issue on Winter Wheels?

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
For my VW with actual sensors.... no TPMS programming needed. Yes, I have a set of winter wheels with TPMS sensors...



unfortuneately the system they use on 2008 honda accord, 2010 hyundai accent, 2009 hyundai elantra touring, 2010 hyundai elantra touring
2011 subaru forester
2013 subaru outback

all only register for 1 set of tires. so if you mount winter tires and winter sensors you have to register them at the dealer..
then in the spring re-register your regular ones.

ask me how I know

 

[MI_Roger]

I just went through this with my Saab 9-5. Four new TPMS sensors purchased and installed on my snow tire rims, none worked. Spent an hour at the Dealership having them debug the system only to learn all four inexpensive sensors were dead out of the box. Went back to the store that sold me the four inexpensive sensors and they exchanged them for four new Saab brand sensors - they lost their shorts on that one!

All wheel sensors now work and the system is self learning. The irony is that all Saabs sold in markets other than the US contain software that disables the TPMS alarms if the system cannot detect any sensors. Those lucky Europeans can use winter tires without TPMS sensors and not have the warning light lit.

All because some idiots driving Ford Explorers couldn't be bothered to check or maintain their tire pressure. High CG vehicles driving too fast on under-inflated marginal tires and we all have to be disadvantaged because of it.

I couldn't stand having a dashboard warning light lit all winter. I must have OCD.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: MI_Roger
I couldn't stand having a dashboard warning light lit all winter. I must have OCD.

well if I had a self learning system that held 8 or more sensors I'd run them.

since I dont I just tape the 3 100$ bills I saved over the warning light.
every 6 monthes I can add another 100$

 

[JimPghPA]

Some people carry full size spare and in some areas lack of a full size snow spare can be a bad idea. And there is probably someone who carries full size summer spare in summer and winter in winter.

So a Ultimate smart system should auto recognize up to 5 at a time, and could store the up to 5 not in use (ten total).

While I can understand that there are people like my niece who once came here because someone told her that her tires were low on air, and she did not know how to put air in. (They were just about flat.) Even if that SUV she was driving had TPM (it did not), this is the same girl who drove her previous vehicle for three days with the oil light on, and only asked someone to look at her car when it would not start because the engine had seized up. I told her about oil lights when she started driving. But to her anything mechanical goes in one ear and out the other.

I think that a vehicle with working TPM and working other systems such as the oil light, should treat people like little children and penalize them. It could start of as a ten second delay after the person 1. opened the door, and then 2. put the key in the ignition. The delay would not allow the engine to crank or start until the time out was finished. And the time out would increase each time that person used the vehicle without getting the problem fixed. There might be a maximum time out like 5 minutes. The vehicle would look at two or more things such as the opening of the door, the buckling of the seat belt, and the turning of a key, so that the negligent driver could not by-pass the delay by leaving the key in so as to run through the time out before they wanted to use the vehicle. These self centered people will scream for a repair if the problem cuts into their time.

Perhaps when all vehicles are autonomous such intelligent systems will be required because then anyone authorized to be transported by the vehicle could use it, such as a grade school kid. At least when all vehicles are autonomous they will be able to schedule and drive themselves to the repair center. There will probably be something like a request for permission to be unavailable during a pre-determined time period so that the vehicle can drive to the repair center, be repaired, and drive back, all without the requirement of a person to guide the vehicle.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: MI_Roger
I just went through this with my Saab 9-5. Four new TPMS sensors purchased and installed on my snow tire rims, none worked. Spent an hour at the Dealership having them debug the system only to learn all four inexpensive sensors were dead out of the box. Went back to the store that sold me the four inexpensive sensors and they exchanged them for four new Saab brand sensors - they lost their shorts on that one!

All wheel sensors now work and the system is self learning. The irony is that all Saabs sold in markets other than the US contain software that disables the TPMS alarms if the system cannot detect any sensors. Those lucky Europeans can use winter tires without TPMS sensors and not have the warning light lit.

All because some idiots driving Ford Explorers couldn't be bothered to check or maintain their tire pressure. High CG vehicles driving too fast on under-inflated marginal tires and we all have to be disadvantaged because of it.

I couldn't stand having a dashboard warning light lit all winter. I must have OCD.


The trouble is the world will never run out of such idiots.

 

[JimPghPA]

And the time penalty could adjust the amount and rate depending on the severity of the problem. An oil light could jump straight to 5 minutes delay or more at first start afterwards, and could go way beyond 5 minutes for the second or more start after detection.

The self centered person with no mechanical reasoning will scream when the vehicle tells them there is a 2 hour wait before the vehicle will start because the oil is low or a tire is severely low.

 

[UG_Passat]

..and if I wanted to... I can convert my sensor based TPMS system to a ABS-based TPMS. I can reset the pressures with my laptop, OR buy a switch/wiring and have a reset button...

 

[gizzsdad]

Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Ditto here.


Interestingly, changed to my winter wheels/tires (with NO sensors) Friday. Made one trip (two starts) Friday, again Sat. and Sunday. Two starts so far today (Monday) - still no warning light.

 

[fsskier]

The cost of additional TPMS sensors may discourage some from using winter tires. Certainly, that is a contradiction.... the winter tires add a lot more to your safety than TPMS does.

We need valve caps that do it all! The size and ability of our smallest chips is amazing, heck 1/4 ounce could cover the sender and a hearing aid battery. Move the valve caps over when you swap tires...

perfect

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I didn't get TPMS sensors on my winter wheels.

Instead, I use the same TPMS system on the Focus that I use on the Jeep: TAKING A LOOK AT THE #@$@ TIRES.

It's actually pretty fail safe. Tires have this neat feature where the look soft if they're low on pressure!

Really amazing. Best part? The basic "take a look" package is free. The more expensive one requires use of a $2 gauge!

 

[Rand]

Well I'm upto 500$ saved without tpms now.

I also use the look at the tires method. with checks every couple weeks.

Of course I'm the guy who tells all his coworkers when they have flat tires..

one gal she had 6# and 8# in her back tires and 22# and 24# in the front.. I aired them up for her. Like I did 2 monthes ago.

she has a sebring with corroded rims. The rears are really trainwreck old beat up goodyear ls2's the fronts are some new chinese tires....

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Rand
Well I'm upto 500$ saved without tpms now.



For the snow tires for the Focus, I paid around $400 - that's including the tires *and* the wheels ($15 a piece from a junkyard).

I would have spent more than the TPMS than the snow tires and wheels! Around $400 for the sensors and then another $50 or so to have them programmed in! Ridiculous

 

[JimPghPA]

Back in the 70's one high-school teacher I had talked about a patent he got for a way to very accurately tell if a tire was properly inflated by just looking at it.

He came up with the idea that you could mold into the tire little rectangles of rubber on the sidewall so one would be towards the tread, and the next one would be towards the rim. They were designed so that when the tire is properly inflated they meet side by side. In other words like two vertical lines side by side, but with the bottom of one aligning with the top of the next one, and then repeating with the bottom of the next one. When the tire was properly inflated they made a nice alignment that was easy to see with just one quick look. But none of the tire companies showed any interest in it.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Some people carry full size spare and in some areas lack of a full size snow spare can be a bad idea. And there is probably someone who carries full size summer spare in summer and winter in winter.

So a Ultimate smart system should auto recognize up to 5 at a time, and could store the up to 5 not in use (ten total).

While I can understand that there are people like my niece who once came here because someone told her that her tires were low on air, and she did not know how to put air in. (They were just about flat.) Even if that SUV she was driving had TPM (it did not), this is the same girl who drove her previous vehicle for three days with the oil light on, and only asked someone to look at her car when it would not start because the engine had seized up. I told her about oil lights when she started driving. But to her anything mechanical goes in one ear and out the other.

I think that a vehicle with working TPM and working other systems such as the oil light, should treat people like little children and penalize them. It could start of as a ten second delay after the person 1. opened the door, and then 2. put the key in the ignition. The delay would not allow the engine to crank or start until the time out was finished. And the time out would increase each time that person used the vehicle without getting the problem fixed. There might be a maximum time out like 5 minutes. The vehicle would look at two or more things such as the opening of the door, the buckling of the seat belt, and the turning of a key, so that the negligent driver could not by-pass the delay by leaving the key in so as to run through the time out before they wanted to use the vehicle. These self centered people will scream for a repair if the problem cuts into their time.

Perhaps when all vehicles are autonomous such intelligent systems will be required because then anyone authorized to be transported by the vehicle could use it, such as a grade school kid. At least when all vehicles are autonomous they will be able to schedule and drive themselves to the repair center. There will probably be something like a request for permission to be unavailable during a pre-determined time period so that the vehicle can drive to the repair center, be repaired, and drive back, all without the requirement of a person to guide the vehicle.


I use a full size summer in the winter and a full size winter in the summer. It's not ideal as my winter tires are studded and they are directional.

 

[jjjxlr8]

Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Ditto here.


Interestingly, changed to my winter wheels/tires (with NO sensors) Friday. Made one trip (two starts) Friday, again Sat. and Sunday. Two starts so far today (Monday) - still no warning light.


I do not run TPMS sensors in my Winter wheels for my 2008 Mazdaspeed 3.

Each time I install the Winter set, it takes about 100 miles of driving before the warning light comes on!

I wonder if the systems looks for a difference in pressure or something? Seems like a pointless system if it takes 100 miles (several days of driving for me) for the warning light to tell you to check your tires!