Yesterday, a driver of an '08 Nissan Frontier arrived at my workplace with a TPMS problem. I used the Autel MaxiTPMS TS508 to pinpoint which sensors were faulty. The left-front and left-rear tires had bad sensors. But being a 12-year-old pickup truck, we had to replace all four since their batteries have a short lifespan.
During the sensor replacement, I encountered something unusual. As I was working on the left-rear tire, I heard something tumbling inside the wheel and tire assembly. After dismounting the tire, I found the TPMS sensor landed on the tire instead of being secured on the wheel where the valve stem sits. What's worse, someone from another shop used duct tape and wrapped around the wheel several times just to secure a sensor with a regular, non-TPMS rubber valve stem sitting in its place.
Four rubber snap-in Autel MX 1-Sensors and an OBD relearn later, the truck now has working TPMS. But there is one lingering question. Who in the right mind would think using duct tape to secure a TPMS sensor on a wheel is a good idea? I'm used to Ford banded, aluminum clamp-in, and rubber snap-in TPMS sensors, but never duct tape.
Has anyone ever encountered that scenario before?
During the sensor replacement, I encountered something unusual. As I was working on the left-rear tire, I heard something tumbling inside the wheel and tire assembly. After dismounting the tire, I found the TPMS sensor landed on the tire instead of being secured on the wheel where the valve stem sits. What's worse, someone from another shop used duct tape and wrapped around the wheel several times just to secure a sensor with a regular, non-TPMS rubber valve stem sitting in its place.
Four rubber snap-in Autel MX 1-Sensors and an OBD relearn later, the truck now has working TPMS. But there is one lingering question. Who in the right mind would think using duct tape to secure a TPMS sensor on a wheel is a good idea? I'm used to Ford banded, aluminum clamp-in, and rubber snap-in TPMS sensors, but never duct tape.
Has anyone ever encountered that scenario before?