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TPMS Sender Battery Life?

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Air_Boss, Dec 10, 2017.

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  1. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Any idea how long a TPMS sender battery is supposed to last?

    2012 Prius v Five TPMS'ing on borrowed time?

    Going to replace tires in the spring and wonder if I should replace TPMS (or the batteries if those are removable).

    Thanks.
     
    #1 Air_Boss, Dec 10, 2017
  2. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

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    I'll answer with writing 10 years (even more) would not be unusual.

    So, with your 2012 I would not replace the sensors yet.
     
    #2 Kenny94945, Dec 10, 2017
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    You would have to replace the whole thing, not just battery, and it's way too soon, battery's should be fine. The tire place will likely propose a rebuild kit, basically new valve and gaskets. If that's not too much it might simplest to just go along with them, hopefully they do it right.
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Dec 10, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2017
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i put new tires on this summer, didn't replace them.
     
    #4 bisco, Dec 10, 2017
  5. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    My 2006 (first TPMS year) going on 11.5 years now for three of them. One died at 9.5-yr.
    Depends a little on total mileage mine is 165k miles. The TPMS battery is OFF when the car is OFF, so that's why total miles is an indicator.
     
    #5 wjtracy, Dec 10, 2017
  6. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Interesting. Centripetal or centrifugal force switching? Guess these can stay on rim @ 33,000 miles. Thanks, all !
     
    #6 Air_Boss, Dec 10, 2017
  7. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Just replaced my perfectly good tires on a '12 v Three 43k miles. TPMS service pack @ $7 ea.
     
    #7 mikefocke, Dec 10, 2017
  8. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    What does the service pack include?
     
    #8 Air_Boss, Dec 10, 2017
  9. ILuvMyPriusToo

    ILuvMyPriusToo Senior Member

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    The service pack is just hardware for remounting the stem so it doesn't develop a leak after time.

    Batteries are not replaceable without invasive surgery into the sender unit; I don't know of anyone rebuilding them. Probably a liability issue.

    While I keep reading the TPMS sensors don't signal when the car is not moving, it is possible to dismount a working sensor and get it to send a "valid" signal by either placing it into a pressure vessel or squeezing it with a clamp. A mechanism to conserve battery life while the vehicle is not moving makes huge sense, but that isn't necessarily consistent with those tests.
     
    #9 ILuvMyPriusToo, Dec 11, 2017
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  10. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    They are passive transponders to a device that 'pings' them, which is how the device ID can be identified, on rim.
     
    #10 Air_Boss, Dec 11, 2017
  11. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    A passive device would need power to listen out, wouldn't it? (n)
     
    #11 RCO, Dec 13, 2017
  12. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    No, these are typically passive transponders, initially powered-on by electromagnetic energy transmitted from a 'pinger' (reader), either external or the vehicle TPMS system, which makes it logical that remaining battery life would be a function of vehicle 'Hobbs meter' running time or mileage. By contrast, an active transponder is constantly powered, and battery life would be more a function of time since installation.
     
    #12 Air_Boss, Dec 13, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2017
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  13. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I think they work when car is not moving as long as vehicle is ON (if you are talking about Prius OEM)
     
    #13 wjtracy, Dec 13, 2017
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