TPMS and winter steelies

[Donald]

Does anyone just forget about TPMS for the winter. GF wants snow tires for new Elantra, I am considering forgetting about the TPMS for the winter getting snows and cheap steel wheels. It gets inspected in the fall when the normal all season will be on. I am sure I can find a place to mount them.

 

[Bandito440]

Are you dating my ex? She wanted the same with steel wheels for her 2013 Elantra and insisted that I was lying when I told her it would be no problem, but the light would be on unless she wanted to spend the extra money for sensors and programming.

"There is no light."

"Yes, all cars are required to have the TPMS now."

"No, there isn't."

"Fine. I'm just letting you know because you asked me about it."



(three weeks later)

"One of my tires is low. Can I use the compressor?"

"How do you know it's low?"

(silent treatment and dirty look)

 

[dernp]

Yup. Got winter steelies on my daughter's Elantra. I check tp every couple of weeks.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I grabbed junkyard wheels for my Focus. No TPMS, but I do a visual check daily and check with a gauge about once a week.

The annoying thing with the focus is the fact that the odometer doesn't show up without no TPMS.

 

[Jeffs2006EvoIX]

You can do it, and why not. In the winter if the car sits out, the air temp difference probably causes many "false" alarms with the TPMS light anyway.

Just keep an eye on tire pressure. You may be able to pull the fuse for the TPMS to keep the light off, but not sure.

Jeff

 

[oldhp]

You can buy TPM's pretty cheap off E-Bay. I bought a set of 4 for my truck's extra wheels/snow tires cheaper than buying 2 from Napa or AutoZone. Don't even think of going to the dealer.

 

[dparm]

Tire Rack sells a set of all four sensors for the Hyundai for under $100. I'd just get them -- many cars need sensors that cost almost $100 EACH.


edit: woohoo, 10,000th post!

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
I grabbed junkyard wheels for my Focus. No TPMS, but I do a visual check daily and check with a gauge about once a week.

The annoying thing with the focus is the fact that the odometer doesn't show up without no TPMS.


She leased her Elantra so does the odometer not show or not work all together?

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Tire Rack sells a set of all four sensors for the Hyundai for under $100. I'd just get them -- many cars need sensors that cost almost $100 EACH.


edit: woohoo, 10,000th post!


It is a lease, so maybe not spend the extra $$ for 3 years?

 

[eljefino]

I expect a nag screen across the odometer readout.

Can one get a mileage reading with the key off and door open or by pushing the trip reset button?

 

[jhMalibu]

I went without sensors on my wife's car for the snow tires. I just tell her at least she knows the light works

. I might do the electrical tape over it this year.

I mounted and balanced them myself at the local vocational school. I bought the tires and rims separately so no one lectured me on the requirements for TPMS. Maybe someday I'll spring for sensors.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: dparm
Tire Rack sells a set of all four sensors for the Hyundai for under $100. I'd just get them -- many cars need sensors that cost almost $100 EACH.


edit: woohoo, 10,000th post!


It is a lease, so maybe not spend the extra $$ for 3 years?



It's $100, and it's a safety item in my opinion. You might be able to flip them on Craigslist later on.

 

[asand1]

Originally Posted By: dparm

It's $100, and it's a safety item in my opinion.


Is my 96 Maxima going to rollover and explode? It's not equipped with TPMS. It's not safety, its a nanny for ignorant operators, just like rear view cameras and sensors. Some people are just too dumb to check air pressure or a rear view mirror.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: dparm
Tire Rack sells a set of all four sensors for the Hyundai for under $100. I'd just get them -- many cars need sensors that cost almost $100 EACH.


edit: woohoo, 10,000th post!


It is a lease, so maybe not spend the extra $$ for 3 years?



It's $100, and it's a safety item in my opinion. You might be able to flip them on Craigslist later on.


An air bag is a safety item, TPMS was pushed by the gov. so people did not drive on under inflated tires wasting gas. Neither of my vehicles has TPMS and I do not feel unsafe in them.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I grabbed junkyard wheels for my Focus. No TPMS, but I do a visual check daily and check with a gauge about once a week.

The annoying thing with the focus is the fact that the odometer doesn't show up without no TPMS.


She leased her Elantra so does the odometer not show or not work all together?


It works, but won't display. There's a nag message on the message center (that houses the odometer) about Tire Pressure Fault.

I can click the reset button a bunch of times and it will display the Odometer.

 

[99Saturn]

FWIW, as I understand it TPMS should not be an issue for inspection in NY - I confirmed with a local indy here as well I would have no issues.

I debated for a while what to do for the Cruze but opted to spring for the TPMS - if I was the daily driver I might have made a different decision.

 

[sciphi]

I really enjoy being able to remotely check the pressure from the dashboard. Not having freezing fingers or dropping the caps in the snow is nice.

 

[sxg6]

I'm surprised by some of the things said in this thread. I'm not going to debate whether or not one needs tpms sensors. What I will say is that over the past 6 years or so that I've been driving vehicles with tpms sensors, I have gotten around 4-5 flat tires. Every single time, the tpms light has come on warning me of this, giving me ample time to safely pull off to the side of the road, and before doing too much more damage to the flat tire.

 

[Ross]

I have a 2011 hyundai accent and have a set of steel rims with snow tirea and NO tpms sensors. I found that it takes 5-15 minutes of driving before the light goes off. I keep the summer tires in the garage. Most every time I pull the accent into the garage the computer reads the tpms sensors and turns the light off.

 

[HTSS_TR]

If you have and like TPMS, good for you. TPMS should be an option, not mandatory equipment.

None of my cars has TPMS, I don't have problem with keeping the pressure at or above recommended for many years. I don't like to be forced to have an equipment I think I don't need.