TPMS Reminder - Batteries don't last forever

The sensors are a serious pain for me!.

A few times per year, when the weather changes, wife will get into the Prius, drive about 500 yards or so, light will come on and she refuses to drive until I come check it out. It's usually down five pounds -- or whatever the bare minimum is that causes the light to go on.

Driven some 45 years and never needed this technology. Still don't need it.

I am not looking forward to the battle when a sensor goes out and wife demands it be replaced.

I guess what I should do is get the Mini-VCI and turn them off....that would solve my issue for the $25 for the Mini-VCI

 

After doing the snow tires/wheels this winter w/o sensors, and the fact that I check my pressures just about every fill up anyway...software delete sounds real good "if needed" before I sell mine. Thanks for the heads-up!

 

Even easier: do nothing.

As @ETP is prone to say: What hump?

 

..."if needed" before I sell mine.

 

You will see the spare Tire#5 is set at code 0000000 (unused). That is one approach to set all tires. So far I only tried one tire though I assume that works.

 

That is great! Do you know what brand they gave you?
Implication is perhaps something cheaper than the OEM Denso but that's OK.

 

do we know why toyota abandoned this low cost solution and went via the battery operated one? is it about dealers making some more cash when those batteries go empty?

 

No idea why the change. Believe Volt uses the indirect method.

I will say if you have a screen output (like many cars) where you can see the TPMS psig/temp for each tire, that's pretty handy data to know. Sort of a waste to have the data, but no way to conveniently see it.

I assume Japan owners check pressure religiously so TPMS is not needed.

 

I thought that regulations demanding that system is able to recognize if all tires are low was too hard to accomplice with passive system. I also think that demanding this is stupid because it’s very unlikely that all tires are low by (pretty much) same amount.

 

There are a couple of O rings in the tpms assembly that have been known to fail(cause of a chronic slow leak in my 2013 Prius) When I replaced my tires at costco they also rebuilt the assembly for $2.50 a wheel.

 

Costco sells and programs the tpms sensors for $45 per sensor. But they charge $15 each for breaking the tire down, which includes adding nitrogen, rotation and balance. This was recently done on my 08 with 105k miles. So get new sensors in a similar time/mileage range when you buy tires to save the sensor install cost. By the way, Costco includes a road hazard warranty and lifetime balance/rotations in that $15 when buying tires.

 

Those things must affect tire balance in some way. Do you get your tires re balanced after replacing ?

 

Yes, Costco rebalances for free anytime I go in, usually for their free rotations. The balance weights are minimal on the MIchelins I buy and the tires inherently stay in balance, which is one reason I buy them.

 

Here's a link to a video where programmable tpms sensors are cloned to the existing units allowing new sensor replacements without reprogramming the car's ecu. He even shows how to replace the sensor yourself in a second video. Prius uses the 315mhz sensors as shown in the attached pdf.

The video's description includes links to purchase the devices. I have copied those links below.
(Slightly lower ebay price as of today on programmer here)

From video description:
315MHz MX Sensor:
Metal stem (eBay - from China): https://goo.gl/ez6H7N
Metal stem (Amazon.com - shipped from US): http://amzn.to/2iKrjxa
Rubber stem (eBay - from China): https://goo.gl/fD8Byy

And the programmer:
Autel MaxiTPMS PAD (eBay - from China): https://goo.gl/7E7JBg

Here is the follow up video about installing these:

 

Thanks for this! New product, just being introduced? If I'm understanding correctly, you can end up with four original tires, and four snow tires, all being recognized by the car as being the "same" sensors, ie: the car is none the wiser, you can swap between both sets and it will not complain.

Definitely bookmark this. Or download:

Download Youtube videos:

1. Right-click video and select "Copy video URL"
2. Open VLC Media Player
3. Pulldown: Media>Open Netork Stream, and paste URL. (Video will play)
4. Pause video, Pulldown: Tools>Codec Information, copy content of "Location" field.
5. Paste content into a browser address window, choose your download options.

 

Re: Video - My tire place wants to charge $30 for that service, assuming I supply the new TPMS unit.
It sure looks like $30 worth of work. Some people say the get $10 but that'd be lucky.

 

Good video. Except the guy isn't the best with tools. For some reason he uses a tiny lever to break the bead, risking a fall, and a pair of channellocks on the old valve stem will rock it right out--no need to pull straight out.

 

I took the old one apart it was silicone in and replaced it the old one was 2.5v should be 3 with two spot weld leads on each side of the coin battery in unsolder old one replace with one I found on eBay for $2 my plan is now it to remove the air and c clamp the tire replace it and go back to Costco with a low tire and have them check for leaks and rest the sensor

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