Parts getter snow tires and TPMS question

Super Steve · Oct 16, 2015

So we got a new 2015 Chevy Cruze this year so we are heading into our first winter with it. It is our first vehicle with the tire pressure monitor system in it so I don't know what to do with it. Should I buy another set of censors for the snow tires and rims? Run without it? What kind of problems or alarms will I get without them?

Pitch · Oct 16, 2015

If you have dedicated rims go ahead and by new sensors. I think that if you went without it would just show a light on the dash. Would not create a drivability problem. I don't know if a Cruze has a chime or not.

ditchwitch · Oct 16, 2015

If you just say put on a set of snow tires and wheels without sensors. It would just come up on the IP (instrument pack) showing you you have 4 low tires or have the picture revolving to each tire indicating that they are low or not monitored.

buickanddeere · Oct 16, 2015

New tps are not particularly expensive .
Running without tps prevents the system from warning the driver that a tire is loosing pressure .

Gary Mitchell · Oct 16, 2015

I had one come loose in my Focus and the shop it was at "snugged" it back up with a series of plastic ties around the center of the wheel. They were afraid to take it on off and toss the part. A few weeks later I had a flat, away from my area naturally. The dude at the tire place I stopped at showed me that the sensor had come loose and literally eaten the tire up from the inside. You know what I did next time one came loose. Tire guy said they were the worst thing ever to happen regarding tires. He said all the time people are coming in wanting tires checked that are full, yet the da##ed light tells the driver it isn't. They are a total nuisance and waste of time and $. gm

ditchwitch · Oct 16, 2015

I would agree to that. It was a government mandate because people either were or are to stupid to walk around there car to see if they have a low tire before they drive off. And surely they dont have the common sence to know what a low tire feels like while driving .Just another way for the government to take care of folks that dont have much smarts

NoNewParts · Oct 16, 2015

........and with subzero temperatures, I'm always curious which tire it will say is flat this time........they are all fine

Two Dogs · Oct 16, 2015

Black tape solves that problem just as easily as it does the check engine light. Both are useless. TDF

jimg.allentown · Oct 16, 2015

Sorry, but black tape solves nothing.
Most metropolitan areas and the counties surrounding them require emission inspection. Those inspections range from checking your system for faults to actually putting your vehicle on a dynamometer. Ignoring those light potentially results in failing the emission test or just burning up your catalyst - along with a lot of extra fuel in the process.

wayne pa · Oct 16, 2015

I thought the censors were in the valve stems, changing tires, shouldn't matter.

jimg.allentown · Oct 16, 2015

TPMS systems are an unnecessary pain in the backside for most folks.
The basic function is this: There are sensors in each wheel that connect with the ECM in the car. They use RFID technology. Some are in the valve stem, others are mounted elsewhere in or on the rim. To prevent false signals from interfering with your system or yours with somebody else's, each has a unique electronic ID. As such, changing a sensor requires re-flashing the computer to recognize the sensor.

I do agree that they are nothing but trouble.

The consequences of ignoring the system are simply a warning light on the instrument panel and loss of the low pressure warning. Just like the old days except for the light.

JF in MI · Oct 16, 2015

I got seperate rims (without the TPMS sensors) and snow tires for my Focus. The warning light would come on for a while (not every time) then go out. Remember; if you get new monitors they have to be programmed to your specific car. There is a tool for it or in some cases a proceedure to do it without the tool.
Back when I was in the tire business (for 20 years a long time ago) the type of people we hired as tire "installers" were the type who could barely find their mouth with food and couldn't get a job anywhere else. I doubt they could handle not damaging a TPMS sensor let alone program it.

ss55 · Oct 16, 2015

Are you re-using an existing set of rims and snow tires or are you buying a new set? If you are buying new rims the seller should be able to fix you up with the right sensors for your vehicle. Shop around on-line for ball-park prices.

buickanddeere · Oct 16, 2015

TPS are a outstanding value and has saved much fuel, reduced tire wear, prevented many ruined tires/rims and vehicle crashes .
The Luddites maybe proud of how they can get by on so little . Others feel so smart that they notice and check under inflated tires . I dare them to spot the difference between tires with 30psi vs 35psi.
The greatest advantage is that if a tire develops a leak during while in motion. The driver is warned and can pull over before a blowout occurs.
What would you prefer? A tire repair ? or a new rim and a new pair of tires.

Super Steve · Oct 16, 2015

Thanks everyone. I was leaning towards getting them more so because this is mostly the better halves wheels more than mine. We will be getting new tires AND RIMS so might as well get a set to leave in the new rims. I will call the dealership and see what there price is with programing.

Mike M · Oct 16, 2015

First off I don't know how that car is set up but my 2008 Honda Fit the light will come on and stay on. I can live with it until I switch back to my summer set and then the car knows and the light goes out.
Check on sensor price. It may not be that bad. I am not a big lover of all these gizmos on cars. But I will admit I liked when my wifes car low tire light came on warning us of a problem. Tire was not too low around 30 lbs. Turned out it had a nail and a slow leak. Sure beat the time we had a slow leak and tire was fine when we left but later that day went clear flat ! Driving in Holmes county Ohio you can pick up horse shoe nails in your tires ! arg !

Dick2 · Oct 16, 2015

I buy tires at Costco. They put in the valve stems with the sensors. They do free R&B at 7500 miles; they just put in new stems, although I understand that some places just change the batteries in the stems. You'll have to check what the various local tire stores do.

Dean · Oct 16, 2015

Bingo.

They are, Wayne.

Dean

dhermesc · Oct 16, 2015

I love the TPS system. Keeps my wife from driving on a flat or near flat tire. One thing I have learned - shoot a little WD40 in the valve stem and air the tires up a few pounds in the fall to dry out the sensor. Otherwise in extreme cold they will give false readings as the moister that accumulates in the valve stem freezes.

If you don't use your original wheels and swap tires you'll spend a lot more buying sensors for the new rims. Or you can run without them and have the system error out.

glennster · Oct 16, 2015

any tire store can do the sensors. they are available aftermarket, and most tire stores can reset the tpms system. one thing to remember, do not store your extra tires close to where you park your car. the system will try and read the sensors on the spare tires and toss a code. took us a while to figure out what was going on with that one!!

Super Steve · Oct 16, 2015

ok that's good to know. The tires will be stored out at the farm in the off season so shouldn't have to worry.

Two Dogs · Oct 16, 2015

Well do tell! I wasn't aware of anything outside my front yard. TDF

Mark - IN. · Oct 16, 2015

Couple of years ago I bought snow tires for my sister's 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, and some for the barn Jeep Cherokee for all four corners on each, all on their own wheels/rims so they just get changed, check air pressure and you get the idea. Turns out her car has that system that detects low tires and the solution from the tire guy was to put new sensors on all four corners, and when you swap back and forth from winter to non-winter, put the tires back on the corners that they came off of, calibrated for. Seems to work. 2001 Jeep don't care. Put them on after the first snow after Thanksgiving, take them off the last week of February.

Mark
Good snow tires make a world of difference

Rollie NE PA · Oct 16, 2015

Some are part of the valve stem, and some are on a band that is around the center of the rim.

notjustair · Oct 16, 2015

My 2007 pickup has a warning system. I had a blowout and put the tire in the back of the pickup to take it to town. The low pressure light was on the whole way. I dropped off the tire and as soon as I got away from that flat tire it went off (the light). Maybe if it's far enough away from the sensors it will do the same. 2007 is old technology, though. Put a spare tire on her car and let the air out of one of her tires. Put it in the trunk to make sure the sensor is working. Then drop the tire off and drive away and see if it stays on.

huntingreen2day2 · Oct 16, 2015

You can buy a lot of the sensors on ebay pretty cheap.

ASEguy · Oct 17, 2015

Just remember if your TPMS light is off, it does not mean your tires are properly aired up. It only means your tires are not below 25% of the tire placard.

Mark - IN. · Oct 17, 2015

That seems to bare out what the tire guy told us and what we're seeing with my sister's Hyundai. Somehow the computer is calibrated to whatever sensor is on what corner. Take all of the tires off, mix them up or rotate them, the indicator comes on. Take them all off, put them back on whatever corner they came off of, no indicator. In essence thats what you did. Flat tire, put on the spare and drove to the fix it guy, indicator came on because that corner was missing its sensor. Got the tire fixed, put the sensor back on the corner it came off of, indicator went out. Thats what we're doing with her snow and non-snow tires. Each wheel or tire has its own sensor calibrated for its corner, two tires per corner. We change them for the season, mark the tires as they come off for what corner they came off. Change of seasons, they go where they came off, never get an indicator. First time I changed them, I didn't know to do that and got them mixed up, got the indicator, tire guy fixed it, told me not to mix them up again, no problem. It works. He knows his business better than I do.

Mark

Blackhole49 · Oct 17, 2015

On my 08 Silverado I run two sets of tires. The Goodyear Wrangler R/S that came with it in the summer(worst traction tire I have ever driven), and Goodyear Wrangler AT/S in the winter. I bought a set of wheels off e-bay($200) for the AT/S tires that came without sensors and ran them like that the first winter. Got so tired of looking at the tire light and messages (every time I started it), that I put sensors in the wheels when I changed tires in the spring. Four sensors cost more than the four wheels.

Parts getter snow tires and TPMS question

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