Do I need the whole TPMS sensor to fix air valve?

Let us know how it works after you get it, maybe do a short review.

 

I had a thought about the metal caps. What if you (carefully) drilled out the top of the cap and then squeeze the remaining cylinder with pliers from the sides. With the top drilled out it may be more willing to deform and break the bond. Also heat seems very reasonable here. No need for a plumber's torch. You can use one of those cooking torches for creme brullee. They are cheap and produce much less heat. Seems a bit more appropriate for the application.

Best of luck.

 

Don't go to the dealer that will rape you just to replace a TPM sensor. Buy the original part from here for only $62 and let an independent shop install it or you can do it your self but requires Techstream and a tire charger to remove the tire from the rim. 2013 Toyota Prius Suspension Parts wheels Tpms Sensor - OEM Toyota Parts

I buy all of my OEM parts from this e-store that's way cheaper than getting parts from your local dealer that would be twice as high.

 

That might be a bit exaggerated; my experience with the dealerships selling online is that they are discounting somewhere in the 25 to 30 percent range. You can follow the link you supplied and they even show what the normal dealer list price is ($87) and what their discount amounts to (29%).

And on the other side of the balance, sometimes you really just have to enter your order and click 'calculate shipping' (which you wouldn't pay at your local dealer) just to find out how much you'd really save.

Also, it can't hurt to ask the local dealer parts counter if they will discount. Sometimes mine will. They know the online competition is out there. They usually won't go as deep as the 25-30% online discounts, but again, when you figure in the shipping you won't pay, you can do ok there.

-Chap

 

Still cheaper to buy online. I only paid $62.76 for a ball joint with shipping included. It would cost you $87.49 with taxes included for the same part at your local dealer. Original online price for the ball joint was only $45.81 with $1.00 handling fee and $15.95 Shipping. That's a 28% discount.

 

That may be, for this particular part. Overall, I've found that sometimes the advantage goes either way. (Sometimes the online dealers don't make it easy to predict the shipping charge, and sometimes it's on the high side, often for heavy or awkwardly shaped parts, but not always.)

-Chap

 

It works for me. Based on my location here in Iowa, The TPMS would come to about $93.53 or more at my local dealer vs buying it online $78.04. The standard shipping is $15.95 for small parts. The bigger the part and heavier it is of course goes up. If I bought a lower control arm online, I would be saving a total of $46.70. Dealer price $216.19 * 7% taxes = $231.32 vs online $156.46 + $28.16 Shipping = $184.62. Still getting a great deal.

 

I'm not arguing with your circumstances. I'm reminding readers (from many places) that your circumstances are common but not universal, and that policies differ between dealers (both the ones that sell online, and the ones you walk into and ask for discounts).

Policies also can differ between states. I live in a state that levies "use tax" on out-of-state purchases shipped into the state. Your state possibly does not. That can make a difference of 7% or so.

-Chap

 

The shops marks up parts to make more money off of customers. They also charge a special fee called "Shop Supplies". Most shops use aftermaket and mark them up way high for the price as an OEM part especially if they changing something like a lower control arm but labor cost is generally lower than the dealer.

 

I hate that charge, it's just to nickel-and-dime you, like destination charges, dealer preparation charges, documentation fees, fuel surcharges, airport improvement levees and the like. Hey: quote a price, and stick to it?

 

As far as removing stuck (metal) valve caps, I took a look at ours: there's a hexagonal collar at the base of the valve, and an 11 mm wrench fits onto it pretty snug. Restrain it from turn with the wrench, then grip and turn the cap with pliers might do the trick.

 

Yeah you've got to start collecting wrenches and what not. I got them one or two at a time, here and there. Probably cost a fortune that way, lol.

I once even bought a bag of assorted sockets at a thrift store, good deal.