I hate the New Tire Sensors

[rev2xheart]

Ok, maybe I am just paranoid because I am going sledding soon and I haul my sled in the back on my truck but my tire sensor is telling me I have a tire low. I checked all 4 tires pressure and it all looks fine.

However last time this happened I ended up having a screw in one of my tires, but it was a very very slow leak. Could barely tell it was loosing air, I just figured it was due to cold weather. This was only a week ago though.

I don't have the new fancy sensors that tell you how much air pressure is in each tire from the console, just the basic low tire light.

I guess I will get my tires checked yet again tomorrow.

Anyone have problems with these things? Is there any possibility that it know if the spare tire is low and that is the problem? I don't think that is possible though. They don't have sensors on spare tires do they?

Also, I have my standard air pressure, but how much do you guys add if you are going to haul something like a sled in the back?

 

[mnescape]

Check your spare tire. They are also required to have a low pressure sensor!

 

[Sidehiller]

Just put duct tape over the little light. Problem solved!

 

[800switch]

Thank ford

 

[stum1967]

Thank our government. They are the one who passed the law that makes the auto makers put that crap on. I just got home from 8 hours of I-CAR training classes. In the next few years there is going to be a lot more crap like that to deal with.

 

[mud99]

Tire pressure monitors make sense, think about the idiot driving next to you who never checks his tires, has a blow out and wrecks into you and your sleds. Tire failure due to underinflation is one of the top causes of accidents.

They work fine in both my cars, they helped out when I had a puncture with low air in one of my tires which I didn't realize immediately (do you check your tire pressure every day? I don't think so..) In addition, it seems like the guy who's posting here only found out he might have low air from seeing the light come on, so obviously they work, although like anything that works maybe there is a chance they are broken..

People used to pay to put TPMS on trucks, now it's included and costs less as a mass produced item and everyone wants to complain about it.

Mark

 

[rev2xheart]

I will admit I used to never check my tires. The sensor has helped me to realize I should have been.

It's just now every time the thing comes on I go into a panic. I must have checked my tires about 7 times in the past 2 days. I added more air and still no change. Bought a second gauge and still the same thing. I had the leaking tire fixed maybe 3 days before and they had checked everything.

I guess it must be the spare.

Maybe the better system with the info in the gauge that says how much pressure is in each tire would be better. This isn't the first time this has happened though, its like the 3rd. I don't know maybe the thing is just hooped.

 

[bobback]

I have problems about once every 4-6 months. Tire dealer says some type of residue builds up on the rim where the tire seals, and needs to be cleaned every now and again...just annoying.

I don't have a sled deck, but a 5th wheel...i add another 10 psi.

 

[rev2xheart]

I will have to look again tomorrow, but I think my tires say to go to a max of 50 or 55 psi. I am typically at 40 so maybe 45 would be ok.

 

[Ex-Member]

I guess it must be the spare.

Maybe the better system with the info in the gauge that says how much pressure is in each tire would be better. This isn't the first time this has happened though, its like the 3rd. I don't know maybe the thing is just hooped.

There's usually a process to reorder them when you have tires rotated too. Like deflate each tire 5psi starting at LF, LR, RR, RF. Some (GM, i think) will bark at you if they're not right.

 

[89sandman]

Check your spare tire. They are also required to have a low pressure sensor!

so very true, have several peeps come into the shop every year and this is why the tpm light is on...

 

[dmkhnr]

I just had one replaced under warranty on my wifes car. Battery was low so the light was on. No new battery, just replace the whole sensor. It would have been $200 if I was out of warranty. The light always comes on when the season changes to cold. My car says to run 33# in all tires and the monitor triggers at 30#. I need to put 35+# to keep the light off in the winter. This happens so often that my wife calls me one day and says the light is back on while she's driving 65 mph down the hwy. I tell her to pull over and check and she says it's probably just another false alarm. Sure enough, nail in tire and it was going flat.

 

[Chubby]

What year truck there has been several changes since these came out. There could be a abs problem as well. The older systems went off of tire rotation.

 

[rev2xheart]

Its an 06 Tundra.

Checked air pressure yet again today. All are where they should be. Must be the spare.

The tire guy said it might be because I have too high a pressure in a tire, but all are about 40 and normal pressure is 39.

I am just going to check the spare and watch the others going forward.

 

[AZ800]

It did maybe save me a tire/rim once, as it was the rear wheel going falt on a dirt road, so I probably wouldn't have felt the low tire as soon, but in general theyre a pain in the @ss. At least on F150's. In less than 2 years, I've had the tire shop replace 2 of them that were "damaged" during mounting new tires. Can't rotate the d@mn tires at home because the light will go on. Owners manual says use teh programming tool included with the truck. Truck was brand new off the lot. 2 different dealers say they don't have/sell the tool to re-laern the system when you rotate, so you're stuck taking to a shop to get the stupid freakin light to turn off. Just saving us from ourselves, like ABS brakes. I've had waaaay more "O sh!t" moments with ABS than when I've been in control of my own brakes locking up.
Want to stimulate the economy, let all the dumb@ss drivers that rely on traction control, ABS, TPMS, RSC, etc crash their cars, they'll buy more new ones!

 

[Beels]

It did maybe save me a tire/rim once, as it was the rear wheel going falt on a dirt road, so I probably wouldn't have felt the low tire as soon, but in general theyre a pain in the @ss. At least on F150's. In less than 2 years, I've had the tire shop replace 2 of them that were "damaged" during mounting new tires. Can't rotate the d@mn tires at home because the light will go on. Owners manual says use teh programming tool included with the truck. Truck was brand new off the lot. 2 different dealers say they don't have/sell the tool to re-laern the system when you rotate, so you're stuck taking to a shop to get the stupid freakin light to turn off. Just saving us from ourselves, like ABS brakes. I've had waaaay more "O sh!t" moments with ABS than when I've been in control of my own brakes locking up.
Want to stimulate the economy, let all the dumb@ss drivers that rely on traction control, ABS, TPMS, RSC, etc crash their cars, they'll buy more new ones!

In a perfect world, I'd be all for this, but people that can drive will get their insurance rates jacked, along with the mush heads.

 

[AdrenalineAddict]

I've had a crapload of trouble with the sensors simply going haywire and transmitting a false reading. Every time I go smoking down a washboard gravel road for 60 or 100 miles they go bad. I've had 3 of the 4 replaced on my POS ford in the last 10 months. Great safety feature, simply fell short on R&D, like usual.