Planned obsolescence

Tire pressure monitor systems have a battery that can wear out after 5 years or so. Solution? Replace the battery for fifty cents or whatever a battery costs? Nooooo, of course not, one has to replace the entire sensor, $90 parts/labor per sensor, one in each tire.

It is useful to have the sensor, long before air pressure becomes a problem (flat on the freeway) one knows that there is a problem. But I wish I could just replace the battery.

I am in that position right now. I have one or more sensors that need to be replaced.

Yeah, and what happens 15 years down the road if no one makes those sensors any longer?

I'm guessing that they had to solder everything electronic in the sensor since those things will be spinning around at very high speeds. A guy I know put some aftermarket sensors in his Corvette and blew all four of them the first time he took the car out and did some, ahem, *spirited* driving.

Matter of fact, I need to replace the right rear TPS in Connie's car. Unfortunately it's not something I can do myself. These runflat tires have really stiff sidewalls so you can't very easily compress the deflated tire to break the bead in order to get at the sensor. Could be a real good way to loose a finger anyway trying.

don't remind me I had one go bad ( seals went bad) I put over 120 lb of air in the tire over 3 days. The guy told me the tps for my truck is like 110 bucks. i just swapping them out for regular valves. i check my tires often enough lol that why I got a small compressor at home to make sure they up ( over inflated ) I my truck says 35 I put about 40 in them cause i know one the air reached outside temps i almost at 35 psi. ( air compressor is small so the air is warm when I use it most the time. (i seen it drop 10 lbs if i fill the tank and check it the next day ( with all valves closed)

It is illegal in NC to replace the sensor stems with regular ones. >

Originally Posted by mechnut450

The guy told me the tps for my truck is like 110 bucks.

If you are handy, you can order a sensor (sized for your vehicle) on Amazon.com much cheaper and save a bundle installing them yourself. My vehicle has a sensor in the spare as well, so if you want to install a whole new set of sensors in your vehicle don't forget to check your spare to see if it has a sensor. Make sure you have your vehicle manual or look the info up online, you may have to 'introduce' the new sensors. It does not seem difficult, you just have to know how to do it.

It is possible that swapping all of them out at one time might be good. Unless the sensor was deficient or damaged, if it went out after around 5-7 years it is most likely the battery. If one battery runs out, the others may not be far behind.

There are HUGE differences in quotes for the job depending where it is done so shop around if you don't want to do it yourself. Many quotes are significantly lower per sensor if you get them all done at one time.

I have seen them fairly cheap on ebay. People will change there rims and the sensors won't work in the new ones. It would be a good idea to have extras.