Which TPMS sensors?

[NYEngineer]

My wife's 2009 Kia Sorento is ten years old (obviously) and is lighting the TPMS light on the dash. I checked her tire pressures and they're all dead on so I'm pretty confident her TPMS batteries are dead. She got tires last summer and I told her to have Al, our tire guy install new sensors but since that meant more money and she didn't understand what they were, she didn't bother. Now it bothers her that the light is on.

Should I buy Hyundai/ Kia ones or is there a good aftermarket brand that works well with those cars? I have Dorman in my Suburban and they work perfectly so maybe just go with those? Anyone?

 

[boom10ful]

Look up the part numbers and search for them on eBay. Sometimes, the OEM ones are cheaper than aftermarket.

 

[JTK]

I see them for as little as $15/set online for your application . They're always a fraction of the cost to mail order, but then if your tire shop charges you $20/tire to break the tires down to install, it may not be worth it.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

The ITM Uni-Sensor is a good choice. About $100 for the set of 4. Just search for "ITM TPMS 2009 Sorento"

Although the ITM TPMS is generic and needs to be programmed, several eBay sellers will do the programming for you, so they arrive pre-programmed.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Put a piece of electrical tape over the cluster or pull the bulb... haha. Factor the $ of sensors + demounting + remounting + balancing... might as well wait still you need another set of tire.

Aftermarket ones are fine, just need to be programmed.

 

[NormanBuntz]

For me, on Asian cars the choice is Denso. Don't fall for the cheap generic sensors on eBay.

 

[SureshR]

Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
For me, on Asian cars the choice is Denso. Don't fall for the cheap generic sensors on eBay.


There's a brand Steelmate on Aliexpress that's surprisingly good. Choice of internal or external sensors, and has a model with an option that displays readouts on your car touchscreen rather than use a separate display.

 

[NYEngineer]

Thanks, Fellas. We buy all of our tires from this same shop and for some reason, he doesn't mind when I buy stuff myself. If he hits us for 20 bucks a pop to install them I really won't care. I just wish my wife would have done it when she got tires. I was at work and didn't take matters into my own hands.

I didn't even think of looking for factory ones as I figured they'd be expensive. I'll look more carefully.

As for taping over the bulb, I cannot. My wife is one of those people who drives a car until it stops so it's a chess game to take care of it and stay on top of things She says nothing until a light pops up on the dash. Doesn't stop her from driving it, just makes her remember to tell me.

 

[eljefino]

If you're slightly handy you can pop the bead yourself and fish a new sensor in where the old one was. Just throw the deflated tire/rim on the ground under the car and use the scissor jack to push down on the sidewall, while pushing up on the car frame. You won't need a rebalance or anything!

 

[NYEngineer]

I actually have an old manual bead popping tool packed away somewhere. I could do this myself. Hmmmm...

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
For me, on Asian cars the choice is Denso. Don't fall for the cheap generic sensors on eBay.


+1

 

[wiswind]

DENSO is $about $50 each for 2009 Sorento on Rockauto.
Rockauto also offers other brands for your vehicle.
You will need to get the serial numbers programed into your car's computer.
I don't know the process for Kia vehicles as this process varies GREATLY from vehicle to vehicle.
My Toyota requires that one use a special tool to read and program the serial numbers into the vehicle computer through the OBDII port.
Once the serial numbers are in, the computer can relearn the positions of the sensors on its own, like when you rotate the tires.
It takes 10-20 minutes of driving for the position relearn to take place.
The tool that I bought for TPMS programing / testing will do many manufacturer's vehicles.
Your tire shop will have all the tools needed to do this programing.
AGAIN, the process for learning new TPMS sensors varies a lot between vehicle manufacturers....and even from vehicle to vehicle within the same manufacturer as well as between different years.

Don't beat up on your wife too bad about the TPMS sensors....it is amazing how many people don't know that their vehicles have these.
When I mention it to a LOT of people, who I KNOW have them on their vehicle, they have no idea about what I'm talking about.
"My tire shop must take care of that...."

The only reason that I bought my own TPMS tool is because I have 2 sets of tires, summer and winter that are mounted on their own sets of rims, and thus I have 2 sets of TPMS sensors.
The tool enables me to change between summer and winter tires without having to go to a shop to get the car programed with the different sensor serial numbers.
SOME vehicles will store 2 sets of serial numbers in their computer. Mine is not one of them.
Some vehicles have a sensor in each wheel well to read the TPMS sensor in each tire (Honda), so you don't even need to program serial numbers into the computer.

 

[NYEngineer]

Good info, wiswind. Thanks. Our Sorento doesn't differentiate which tire has a problem. It just lights up and prompts you to check all four tires so while they would be programmed to the vehicle, I don't believe position on the vehicle matters.
My Suburban on the other hand, will tell me check left front tire so when I rotate MY tires, I have to program the TPMS. Thankfully, it's an easy three minute operation.

I am going to call my tire guy on Monday and see what he has to say. He may very well have a good price on something. If it's out to lunch I'll probably do them myself.